Gender Roles are Uncomfortable
Last year, renowned writer and journalist Binyavanga Wainaina was invited to speak at TEDxEuston. Being a huge fan of his, I’d shared the link to many people and was shocked when several of them responded with degrading comments like, “is he wearing a skirt?” or “he looks gay.” To be fair, his speech was about being homosexual in Africa during a period in which countries were making homosexuality a crime and Binyavanga delivered it wearing a pink tutu and a purple blazer. Regardless, these people had judged his credentials and character simply because he “looks gay”.
Today, there are many male individuals who are coming out to defy gender norms in regards to make up, fashion, et cetera, or are simply speaking of difficulties they’ve encountered when expressing their selves in a less conventional way.
Jaden Smith
The son of A-list movie star Will Smith and an actor, most popularly known for his role in Karate Kid, has never really been a stranger to cameras and interviews. And it came as no surprise when, earlier this year, Louis Vuitton chose him for their ad campaign. However, it was a women’s ad campaign—and Jaden was dressed in a leather biker jacket, crochet top and a pleated skirt. Ever since then, he’s been photographed at numerous occasions wearing skirts or other accessories normally classified as feminine.
Jefferey Lamar Williams
Best known as Young Thug, he is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and a record producer. He is also known for his unconventional taste in fashion; put simply, he likes to wear women’s clothing. When asked about this in an interview conducted by GQ Magazine, he responded, “because women’s clothes are slimmer than men’s clothes. They jeans I got on right now, they’re women’s jeans. But they fit how they’re supposed to fit. Like a rock star. The only thing I probably have in men’s is, like, briefs. T-shirts. Ninety present of my clothes are women’s."
Matthew Healy
Matty, who is musical group The 1975's lead singer, doesn't see the point of gendering clothes. He was quoted saying, “for me, when it comes to make up, it’s just like another accessory, just a different way of getting dressed. Sometimes I like to dress like a girl, sometimes I like to dress like a boy, it kind of is just as simple of that”. Matthew has been photographed wearing eye shadow and lipstick, and also in simply jeans and a tshirt.
Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju
Commonly known as “Bobrisky”, Okuneye has been nicknamed the “Nigerian Barbie” and “Snapchat King.” His love for fashion and make up is overwhelming, as he puts so much effort into his appearance. When asked about his fashion sense in an interview, he replied with, “I have a unisex style. I wear male and female clothing. I am okay with whatever catches my eye and I do not care about what people say or think.”
