BY: KAT HARRIS
I love androgynous women! I love androgyny! As an openly gay feminine lipstick lesbian, I am often asked the question, "Why would you date a woman who wears men's clothing?" My answer is that underneath those garments deemed as "men's clothes" is 110% woman from head to toe. Yes, world! I know it's hard to believe that ones clothing does not determine ones actual gender. Yes! That was sarcasm. So, allow me to introduce you to a topic that is often whispered about. Welcome to the wonderful world of androgyny!
What is androgyny? To understand androgyny, one must understand the difference between sex and gender. Sex refers to the physical sexual organs present at the time of birth. Sex categories currently include male, female, and intersex, which are individuals born with both male and female genitalia. Yes, this does occur! When intersex births occur, parents usually choose the sex of the child at the time of birth or allow nature to take its course and the family allows the child to grow and pick their own gender. Gender is based on societal roles. The roles that suggest women behave one way and men behave another. Based on typical gender roles one may assume, women wear dresses and high heels while men wear pants, ties, and gym shoes. Androgyny is when a person possesses both feminine and masculine physical and behavioral characteristics. From rocker Boy George to television host Ellen DeGeneres to music icon Prince, androgyny has existed since the beginning of time and certainly been visible throughout pop culture.
Gender identity is the better topic at hand. Society makes it seem as though their are only two genders, male and female, and one needs to pick which gender one plans to be & live as. However, gender identity, marriage equality, sexual orientation, and sexuality are apart of a social movement currently being challenged on a global scale. Who is considered male and who is considered female? Is your gender determined by what you were born as, what you look like, or what gender you want to live as? Those questions are to be determined by each individual and society will have to answer those questions as well.
Beauty like art is in the eye of the beholder. Individuality, like the gender role you choose, is in the heart & mind of ones self. Personally, I love that I can reach over & grab my girlfriend's boob, and she has on boxers, not panties like myself. It's all a matter of preference. Don't be afraid to dive in to people and experiences simply because those people and experiences do not fit into a social construct. Do YOU! Be YOU and enjoy it! You only live once!
1 Comment
Sweetie
I love this post, very informative. Thanks for sharing.