Androgynous Characters Helped Me Find My Style
Media often expresses androgyny as a phase or a fault, not a reflection of self-discovery.
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Oakland, CA — For me, gender expression has been a journey of terrible bathroom sink haircuts, influenced by strong affinity with the androgynous characters on my TV screen.
Despite the tears after the occasional bad trip to the hairdresser, androgyny has mostly flowed into my persona naturally. I owe that to the fact that I have encouraging parents, and that I’ve been lucky enough to grow up somewhere as generally progressive as the Bay Area.
In TV and movies, gender-bent characters are used for comedic relief, like the young tomboy who will someday grow into their womanhood.
We also see the spectacle of “transformation” into androgyny as some sort of “death of femininity.” I think of Natalie Portman in “V for Vendetta”, who sobs as her head is shaved. And like, whatever.
Julia Dacournau’s 2022 thriller “Titane” was the depiction of androgyny that truly inspired me in my beginning years of self-discovery. After the lead’s somewhat-revolting-somewhat-grand transformation; she leaves the scene with a big grin on her face — proud, if not disturbed.
Piper Stuip (she/her), is a high school sophomore at Oakland School for the Arts focusing on creative writing.
Edited by shaylyn martos.