- Many people see gender bending through cross-dressing as a way of resisting gender norms in society. And on an every day basis they are often harassed/policed for those forms of resistance. But what do we make of drag shows or even transsexual sex shows in which gender-bending is more accepted because it is seen as a spectacle, fantastical, or exotic? Is this still resistance or is it an unappealing kind of voyeurism where the subject is consumed for the spectator's pleasure?
- I was really taken aback when we discussed how something so seemingly objective such as teaching about reproduction could be incredibly gendered. Obviously, teaching sex-ed in a more balanced way (i.e. not talking as though the sperm is on a dangerous mission to conquer the egg) is one way to resist or counteract these gendered ways of teaching. What are other ways to resist mainstream gender narratives (whether in science or other arenas of society)?
- In line with our study of cartography, how has anatomy or the "mapping of the body" not an entirely objective concept? How does it reproduce gender and what are some counter-maps to challenge mainstream ideas of dualistic male/female identity?
Also, I know there are a lot of great gender/queer identity blogs out there but I don't know how to access them. Does anyone have recommendations?
Thanks and happy learning/discussing :)
5 comments:
These are really great questions, Cecilia- I only have time to answer one right now... but I'll probably come back later!
1. I see drag as a very strong act of resistance. The performers are being watched, yes, but they are using their positions as "the gazed upon" to disrupt the audience's views of gender. When gender is performed through drag, it takes an extreme (almost absurd) form. Those who do drag takes the mainstream idea of gender as a binary and satirise it- the extreme masculinity exhibited by Drag Kings is showcased as ridiculous and over-the-top, helping to challenge the idea of hyper-masculinity as desirable and powerful. Furthermore, Drag Queens (and Faux Queen women) perform using a largely unrealistic amount of femininity, helping to reveal how all the characteristics that society expects of females (high heels, sensuality, make-up, receptivity) would create a caricature if applied to one individual; the binary of gender accounts for unattainable ideals, not individuals who, in reality, blur the lines of masculine and feminine.
I can certainly see the other angle, though, along with the harm that could be created if an individual dressed as a stereotypical member of a gender they did not belong to without first analysing the significance of that act. Fortunately, Drag shows are usually a queer space, with queer performers entertaining a queer (or queer-friendly) audience. In these spaces, a knowledge of the fluidity of gender and sexuality is hopefully present and a part of what makes the shows subversive; they are satire. In thinking about your question, though, I wonder about the potentially harmful effects drag could have if it was used by misguided individuals as a joke, rather than a conscious act of challenging societal gender norms.
Thanks for responding Stephanie :) Yeah, I definitely agree with you. I always felt like whether or not it was actually resistance/ empowerment often had to do with the type of audience. I have friends who have participated in or seen drag shows around here and they've generally seem like really great places to challenge/resist gender roles. However, I'm torn about drag shows in places like Bangkok where it's become kind of a touristy/mythical must-see so that people can gawk at what are often retold to me as a showcase for sexual "abnormalities." Perhaps it's still empowering for the individual participants but I don't know how educational it is for uninformed viewers.
I don't know if there can be said to be much of a difference in drag shows in the Bay Area or Bangkok. What makes that difference? Who says that there is much of a difference? What gives them a power to produce a difference between the two?
I, too, think that drag shows can be viewed as a form of resistance against gender norms, however, I think that when placed in the context of a 'show' or spectacle, they are produced and produce themselves more as a play of dress-up or an act than just resistance. They are exaggerating gendered norms certainly, and necessarily have to be resisting the member's assumed gender by the people on the outside, but they are also then giving an impression of what the opposite gender should be. If someone who is perceived as a man by the outside world dresses up as what he perceives a female to be or what he wants others to perceive as female, isn't he just really reproducing certain gender norms? Like the use of high heels in drag shows for instance? Isn't that just reproducing the norms of femininity?
Commenting on the first bullet point.. I think cross-dressing on a day to day basis could be seen as the same type of resistance as drag shows or transexual sex shows. People in society do not except those who deviate from social norms in public. In this light, transexuals are harassed and policed because they are not seen as "normal". However, drag shows are usuallu private and shown to people who enjoy and pay to see the "fantastical" act. I think depending on the viewer, cross dressing can be still seen as resistance or as a spectacle for the viewer's pleasure. This way, gender-bending is more accepted by different audiences.
Also, depending on the individual.. the motivations for gender-bending can vary. Some choose to partake in transexual acts for personal pleasure, resistance, as a spectacle or all of the above. I think this topic is really subjective, depending on the environment and individual.
Here are a couple blogs I found:
genderfork.com has a lot of profiles and pictures as well as recommendations to other blogs
http://genderqueer2genderqueer.wordpress.com/ is mainly about the experiences of living in a binary world.
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