On
the cover of the February 2012 issue of Canada's Fashion magazine, there stands a
statuesque and feminine model, with a halo of long blonde hair and a frothy pale
pink gown. Inside the magazine, the angelic woman models a series of ladylike
pantsuits and colorful mod dresses. The men and women that admire the
undeniable beauty of model Andrej Pejic may be surprised to discover that the
gorgeous female cover model is, in fact, a man.
Depending
on who you ask, some believe men and women should act within society's constructed
gender confines, while some believe that the expanding of gender values clears the
way for more acceptance and tolerance. Instances of gender intolerance must be
treated seriously, in every age group. Though it’s important to take gender-based
harassment seriously in schools, it doesn't stop there.
In
late May 2011, readers of the men’s magazine FHM voted Pejic to its "100
Sexiest Women" list. FHM is a mainstream magazine geared toward heterosexual
men, so this would have been a great accomplishment for all transgendered men
and women worldwide. However, the commentary that followed Pejic’s listing was
degrading and prejudiced.
“Although
his sexual identity is ambiguous, designers are hailing him as the next big
thing. We think 'thing' is quite accurate … The blonde gender-bender has jumped
the gun in hoping he might one day be signed as a Victoria's Secret Model (Pass
the sick bucket). Well, he might have a hard time keeping it a secret then,” the magazine
commented.
The
magazine went on to further abuse Pejic and famed British transgender model Lea
T.: “More troubling is the fact that Andrej is not the only one when it comes
to supermodels that are not all they seem. The current face of Givenchy and
'lady' locking lips with Kate Moss on the cover of Love magazine is transgender
model Lea T. who began life as Leandro. One fashion trend we won't be following.”
Although
FHM apologized
and cited the review as a premature posting by one of its writers as soon as
criticism arose, the damage had been done.
In
May 2011, a topless Pejic graced the cover of Dossier magazine. The public uproar
was so loud from those offended by (turned on by?) Pejic’s topless cover that
Barnes & Noble first refused to sell the magazine, but then later relented and
stocked the issue, provided it was swathed in a sheet of plastic that covered
Pejic’s supposed ‘naughty bits’.
However,
Pejic (and many others) couldn’t see what everyone was getting so excited
about: “I think the question really isn’t the gender of the person on the
cover, it’s whether it’s porn or it’s art. And clearly, it’s art, so art really
should not be censored in a democratic society.”
Pejic
certainly isn't the only topless man to grace magazine covers. It's obviously
the fact that Pejic was a man who embraced his own femininity that made people
take offense. Although Pejic’s lifestyle and career veer pretty far toward
liberal standards, those against the idea of going outside gender roles are
often easily offended, to say the least.
Consider
one infamous J. Crew nail polish ad. In April 2011, a photo that was emailed
through J. Crew’s newsletter depicted creative director Jenna Lyons painting
the toenails of her young son Beckett in a bright shade of pink. Below the
picture, the caption read, “Lucky for me, I ended up with a boy whose favorite
color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon.”
Media
Research Center’s Erin Brown called the ad “blatant propaganda celebrating
transgendered children.” In an opinion piece released soon after the ad, Brown
continued her criticism of Lyons, stating, “Not only is Beckett likely to
change his favorite color as early as tomorrow, Jenna's indulgence (or
encouragement) could make life hard for the boy in the future. J. Crew, known
for its tasteful and modest clothing, apparently does not mind exploiting
Beckett behind the facade of liberal, transgendered identity politics.”
Neither
J. Crew nor Jenna Lyons responded to the criticism. Jenna Lyons knew better
than to apologize for the values of acceptance and open-mindedness she wanted
to pass down to her son. She came to the logical choice that forcing your child
to spurn a specific colour or activity just because gender stereotypes say they
should is misguided. Clearly, if Beckett prefers to paint his toenails rather
than take part in a more male-oriented activity, Lyons will encourage him to do
what he enjoys. By doing this, Lyons made a positive and loving choice for her
child, letting him know that she accepted him no matter what his preferences were.
According
to a recent study in Pediatrics, parents and adults like Erin Brown, who are
uncomfortable with gender non-conformity, may be more likely to treat children
acting outside these boundaries differently or badly.
“In
some cases, they believe they’re helping the child, that gender nonconforming
won’t be accepted by other people,” says Andrea Roberts from Boston’s Harvard
School of Public Health, who researched the study. “But of course, abuse is
never protective.”
After
the study concluded, researchers found that the children who conformed to their
gender the least were almost twice as likely to report any kind of childhood
abuse over those who did confirm to typical gender roles. Those who were
researched on also reported symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.
As
a result, children and adults should not be forced into the tight little pink
and blue boxes that their separate genders have previously demanded.
Jo
B. Paoletti, the author of the book Pink and Blue: Telling the Girls From
the Boys in America,
voiced her opinions about the overreactions after the J. Crew story broke:
“Lots of kids, say, seven and under, might ask their parents for something that
would seem to be cross-gender, and I think most parents, especially in the
privacy of their own home might think, what’s the big deal?” said Paoletti.
During
their formative years, children should be allowed to experiment with all the
colours and toys they like until they find what is right for them. Above all,
it is so important to understand that the path to peace and acceptance runs
right through a thick wall of boundaries, misunderstandings, and gender-related
hate, and to advance in the world, this wall must be torn down by society.
Those
who are critical of parents who support a child’s gender non-conformity may
blame the parents when instances of gender-based bullying occur. Though some
critics may see bullying and harassment as an inevitable part of youth that
simply must be endured, these people must change their perspective and realize
that the long-term negative impact that bullying leaves can be avoided just by
promoting understanding and acceptance throughout all age groups at every
opportunity.
//Victoria Fawkes, staff writer
//Graphics by Shannon Elliott
//Victoria Fawkes, staff writer
//Graphics by Shannon Elliott
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