Skinny, young hipsters.
Someone wrote…
Sometimes I wonder if the only people who are recognized as genderfucking are skinny, young hipsters. Most of the pictures I see of people on Genderfork are of people at least 10 years younger than me, with androgynous faces and flat bellies. I just wonder where this 30-something boy in a skirt fits into the picture. It makes me wonder if playing with gender is becoming part of some hipster fad. I don’t mind if it is, that’s a great way to expose people to it. It’s just getting harder to see reflections of myself in gender-deliberate spaces.
What’s your experience?
Posted by julian on April 11th, 2009 at 08:00 am
Category: your voice 7 comments »
April 11th, 2009 at 5:38 pm |
I think you're right- gender play ( and more, androgyny) is a part of the hipster aesthetic. Just as it has been part of just about every counter-culture I can think of. I wonder if it's getting harder to see reflections of yourself because fashion is changing, or because you are?
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April 11th, 2009 at 6:18 pm |
I've never felt like there was a genderfork class based framework perse…and i've been following since the site started. But then again i've enjoyed finding photos to recommend, including one of myself (and i'm certainly not skinny, young, or a hipster). Maybe the underlying issue is that there are far fewer beautiful photos of heavier, older (everyday) folks?
Why would that be….do we avoid having our picture taken (ahem)? Do we gravitate towards the pretties when we take photos? Do we not want to take the time to create the setting and lighting for a great shot because we don't see the value in it?
Part of why I love GF is because the majority of the photos have an artistic quality. But that usually requires consideration and an investment of energy on the photographers part. Maybe we don't think we're worth it?
An interesting question indeed….
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April 12th, 2009 at 5:42 pm |
Hey, you're not alone. I may be about ten years younger than you but I definitely don't fall into the same category of folks you described either.
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April 12th, 2009 at 10:17 pm |
I think there is a recurring fashion element in androgynous gender presentations. It does wax and wane in the wider culture, emerging from time to time from musical subcultures. But to me it's always something of a chicken and egg situation – what comes first, peoples interest in androgyny or membership of a subculture that embraces it. There are clearly lots of young people for whom it is merely a set of clothes and hairstyles which they'll probably outgrow, for others it's a space to be themselves which will shift, change and evolve over time. I would argue that someone who feels themselves to be androgynous would still make androgynous presentational choices to a degree as they get older, but they might not be as obvious to other people. Also, I think you get less keen on posing as you get older, so there's probably less images out there for the people behind this site to choose from. There's only one way to correct that ;-) x
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April 13th, 2009 at 5:32 pm |
I think this person is wrong about the kind of people that get put on genderfork. It's not like that at all! Maybe in mainstream fashion culture, where you seem Topman models who skirt the edges of male and female, but not here. Unfair accusation.
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August 21st, 2010 at 8:50 am |
Your post intruiged me. I know what you mean, a little bit. I have more than once found myself feeling extremely dull in comparison to the bright young things that get their photos posted here. But so what?
If it’s harder to see people who reflect your trans identity or whatever, then it’s all the more important that you make get yourself known/visible for what you are because of that. If you don’t feel there’s room for you, make room. it’s not a young kid’s game unless you treat it as such.
young people have a youth culture all of their own, and yes that includes fashion – the gender ambiguity of which ebb and flow and be in one year and out the next, as is fashion.
but genderqueers and transpeople in general have a sub(?)culture of their own too.
that and the fact that people are increasingly coming to transgenderism later in life, so it’s interesting to see how all those areas criss-cross and intersect.
it’s a great big melting pot.
one of the AMAZING things about sites like genderfork is that it HAS room for all the areas and stages of life – it shows they DO intersect and they HAVE middle ground.
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August 21st, 2010 at 8:50 am |
ps. http://www.smh.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1070732144160_2003/12/08/240grayson_perry,0.jpg
this is grayson perry. he is shown here at almost 50, collecting a fine art award with wife and daughter. there is most definitely life for trans after 30.
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