Liked what I saw.

Someone wrote…

I cut my long hair and got a mohawk. Last night I looked in the mirror and for the first time since I can remember, I liked what I saw. It made me cry.

What’s your experience?

And what are you thinking about gender right now?


Posted by on November 23rd, 2009 at 08:00 am

Category: your voice 19 comments »

19 Responses to “Liked what I saw.”

  1. jesc

    this made me smile.

    [Reply]

  2. William

    I know that feeling well :)

    [Reply]

  3. Anonymous

    yes! i got a mohawk too and i remember that feeling!

    [Reply]

  4. Casi

    It’s nice to see someone else who loves their ‘hawk

    [Reply]

  5. yeah but...

    http://www.confluere.com/column/20030619-anen.html

    [Reply]

  6. i understand, but...

    to the origin of the ‘mohawk’:
    sorry.
    good for you for spreading the real meaning of the practice and cultural context. but for this culture, this absorbing conglomeration of cultures that the US is, the mohawk IS just a hairstyle. the keffiyah is worn as decoration, body modification is done for aesthetics. much of what we do is done for the aesthetic. and i dont find anything wrong with that. it is important, yes, to understand the meaning and origins behind something. but it is also important to simply appreciate the way something looks.

    i still love looking at pictures of my mohawk. i think it looks sexy. good for you, dear original poster, for loving the way you look.

    [Reply]

  7. ~k

    dear: yeah but…
    thank you for sharing this link. it’s a keeper for my teacher-files re: social justice initiatives and doing things without being aware…
    ~k

    [Reply]

  8. Mel

    this is really cool, made me smile. =]

    [Reply]

  9. -

    User “yeah but…” I just wanted to say thank you. Too many people are not aware of the subtle harm they’re causing when they commit cultural appropriation in the form of wearing dreads, getting a Mohawk, or other things. What people don’t realize is that when you’re in a position of power you can easily take something from those who are not in power that is of significance, completely and unknowingly strip it of all it’s importance, and turn it into something insignificant.

    Otherwise, I’m glad that the poster had such a positive experience.

    [Reply]

  10. Cat

    To “yeah but” and those who agree…

    Every culture “steals” from every other culture. Even if whiteys had been totally isolated from Native American, at some point, someone would have slipped with a buzzer and decided “Hey, I like that!”

    This has nothing to do with disrespect or ignorance (although many people are ignorant of the history). Any action has an individual meaning to the person doing it.

    Just because the OP’s meaning is not the same as a Native American’s doesn’t make the OP wrong, and for someone to claim it does makes THAT person wrong.

    No one OWNS self expression. If they did, then what makes you entitled to being genderqueer?

    [Reply]

  11. Jezzbell76

    i think you RAWK…for liking what you see :)
    i was all bleh,until poppin in here and reading this
    so thnx

    [Reply]

  12. Júda

    I think this situation is best compared with that of linguistic: a language, just as hairstyles, can be looked upon either from a synchronic point of view or from a diachronic one. See chapter III of part one of de Saussure’s Cours de linguistique générale (pp. 15-25 here, in an English translation).

    [Reply]

  13. Sarah

    Hi Loves,

    I’m gonna weigh in here and ask that we give the cultural appropriation debate a rest. On one hand, there’s some serious history to consider, and I hope you all take a minute to get clear on that perspective. On the other hand, it’s a common haircut in our community, and people choose it for lots of reasons.

    Regardless of how you feel about that situation, what I’m most clear about is that we’re here (at this blog, in this comment thread) to support each other. Fighting isn’t welcome here. So let’s all nod and move back on to what matters.

    Love,
    Sarah Dopp
    Genderfork Founder

    [Reply]

  14. Andrew

    There’s a Melissa Li song called “Who Cares?” There’s a line in it that goes, “And do you know how long it took for me to finally look in the mirror and actually like what I see?”

    I love it hardcore.

    [Reply]

  15. Syd

    WOW! I submitted this! That’s cool!

    Thanks everybody for all your support.

    I don’t really want to get into the culture debate, I think my reasons are perfectly justified for getting one. I’m not just getting it to fit into the American culture, I’m getting it because it means a lot to me to be this free that I can get a mohawk and be happy with who I am. For so long I’ve spent time trying to assimilate into the American idea of what being a female bodied person means, and that’s just not me. I’ve gone through a lot of shit in my life and am finally starting to feel comfortable in my own skin and with the mind and life I have. And my mohawk is definitely helping me on my way.

    [Reply]

  16. Anonymous

    I know the feeling. I wish I felt it every time I looked in the mirror… but at least it’s becoming more frequent. Congrats.

    [Reply]

  17. Anonymous

    Hey hey. Glad to see more people rocking the ‘hawk. I salute you, OP.

    [Reply]

  18. Fyn

    I had the exact same feeling when I cut off all my hair! But I am no where near edgy enough to pull off the hawk at this point, but maybe someday:D

    [Reply]

  19. KC

    I got a Mohawk a couple months ago and had the same feeling :) congrats

    [Reply]


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