A situation in my daily life when I feel particularly self conscious?
As a QUEER PERSON OF COLOR, my body is made the subject of 'the gaze,' politicized and objectified by my very existence.
That's one of the fundamental maxims of queer theory, and I'm conscious of it every moment of the day, not that I'd need to be with the constant stares, murmurs, and disapproval reminding me. In the article, it mentioned that Lacan believed “that the gaze is the property of the object and not the subject who looks,” but I believe it's more complicated than that. The power dynamics within the gaze can alternate, with the ability to affect a 'gaze' being the property of the object, and the subject who looks having consent over gazing or not. But too often the subject who looks does so without the consent of the objectified, and thus the gaze is not the property of the object.
In actual terms, I'm basically saying it's not in my power to stop people from staring at me because I'm queer, and that's not okay. The 'gaze' isn't my property.
For the sake of a specific instance, let's pick the bathroom! That's always a great experience.
Production Notes:
A gender non-conforming individual walks into a bathroom.
5'6”, bleach blond hair, chin length, in feminine curls.
Chicano, young looking, 18-20
Dressed in a sparkly, gold, woman's top, black leggings, 4” high black boots.
Red lipstick, heavily darkened eyes.
Goes into stall to use toilet.
Hear the toilet flush, gender non-conforming individual walks to wash hands.
While washing hands, another individual walks into the bathroom.
Male, 5'11”
Short, messy hair, muscular build
White, clean cut, 20-22
Wearing fraternity t shirt, baggy jeans, and sandals
Looks up to see gender non conforming individual washing hands
Looks disgusted, walks away.
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I know it almost a week since we posted these, but better late than never. This topic hits a particular note with me. I have queer and transvestite friends, back home and in Davis, and even though this is supposed to be a campus that encourages diversity, they still get looks and inappropriate shout-outs from people around campus; and because I am their friend, I also take shit from these ignorant people who can't keep their homophobic opinions to themselves.
ReplyDeleteI like this scene analysis because it has detail, but remains simplistic. The description of the "gender non-conforming" individual remains ambiguous enough for either male or female leads, and the setting of the scene and the reaction of the male supporting role play off this ambiguity, so that the message remains the same no matter which gender is presented as the lead.
It can be agreed that the restroom is a mens restroom.
If the lead is a male, dressed in women's clothing, it delivers a message about male identity, and what it means to display masculinity. The male lead is rejected by the secondary male role, because his appearance threatens male sexuality.It asks the question: is it better to conform to an imposed male identity because of the fear of not being accepted as a man, or is it better to be your own man, and define who you are based on the strength of your character?
If the lead is a female, it is a message about gender segregation, as made evident by a female using a mens room. The female lead is rejected because she is sexually undesirable to the secondary male role, perhaps even sexually offensive.Again, there is the question of gender identity, only instead asks the viewer what it means to be considered feminine or desirable to men.
No matter which gender is in the lead role, the result is the same. The individual is rejected by the secondary character, because they do not conform to the roles our society has imposed upon us through years of gender segregation and sexual repression.