A Palette for Gender Expression

Someone wrote…

I would like to share a little. I’m a non-binary person. Any honest gender expression of who you are is valid. There is never a need to justify, explain, or apologize for who you are. All that matters is that you are a decent human being and that you treat others with decency and respect. If dressing femme is not your thing, that’s valid. It’s just as valid as another wearing a blouse, sparkly purple skirt, and tights.

A big problem for the good majority of us is that we were forcibly crammed into one gender box. Some of us are feeling the pressure to conform to a new one. Others of us said f* it, I’m going to be me and not worry about what others think. I am personally in the last category. I wear what I want and what I like. I don’t wear femme things. It isn’t because I see femme things as lesser – it is simply because the things designated as femme are not my thing. I hope this makes sense. Clothes do not a gender make. They should be treated as a palette for gender expression.

All gender expressions are valid. The most amazing thing is that even the clothing that people gender, such as the aforementioned blouse, tights, purple sparkly skirt and business suit are not inherently feminine or masculine.

What’s your experience?

And what are you thinking about gender right now?


Posted by on February 10th, 2015 at 08:00 am

Category: your voice One comment »

One Response to “A Palette for Gender Expression”

  1. Anonymous

    thank you.

    I’ve been recently struggling with people using the wrong nouns and I’m starting to be way too affected by it. My stamina for coping was getting lower but you’ve put some drive back in me. You’re right. I don’t have to be ultra-masculine so that people stop misgendering me – I can still express myself how I want, and if they misgender me, that’s their problem.

    <3

    [Reply]


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