When I was 5 - 6 I was in daycare. There was another kid in daycare I remember. I remember very distinctly, this child had a bowl cut and played with the boys. I remember the batman sweatshirt and I remember the mother trying very hard to teach her kid to be properly gendered. The child's name was "Kylie" but I remember the fighting for "Kyle".
I want you to read how awkward that sounds. Our language itself is gendered. We are extremely preoccupied with placing people in one of these two rigid categories. If someone doesn't fit, it stresses us out and we respond with catty remarks and put downs. Do you know what response I had to Kyle? I played ponies with Laura. I didn't even register that it was something I should notice. Because it's not. People are just people.
Do you know what I really learned in GDST200? Androgyny is fucking hot and I like boys in dresses and girls in suits.
When someone tells you to "be more ladylike" or "suck it up and be a man"?
Fuck that shit. Let's stir it up.
(With nails of course.)
I did the candle with Passion for Fashion, used my striper to add some detail and then dotted some China Glaze Electrify for the firey little candlelight <3
I used a paintbrush for the next part.
For the pinky, I drew a female symbol using Sally Hansen Blue Me Away, did my middle finger with Wet&Wild 454D and did the index finger with Essence Passion for Fashion. On my thumb, I tried to do a shining transgender symbol, but it wasn't very obvious, not detailed enough...
Did you know that pink actually used to be considered too strong a colour for little girls? Blue used to be girls, pink used to be boys.
I added gradients on my index finger and thumb as well, to represent the continuum.
I traced over it in black Sharpie. On the other finger, I put the black sharpie lines first, then dabbed some glitter on top (so it was spread out - Electrify is very dense).
Transgender Day of Remembrance Memorial List 2012
If you'd like to join, check out Lacquer Lad, who proposed the idea and set the theme.
Check out all the other fantastic bloggers participating <3
I want you to read how awkward that sounds. Our language itself is gendered. We are extremely preoccupied with placing people in one of these two rigid categories. If someone doesn't fit, it stresses us out and we respond with catty remarks and put downs. Do you know what response I had to Kyle? I played ponies with Laura. I didn't even register that it was something I should notice. Because it's not. People are just people.
Do you know what I really learned in GDST200? Androgyny is fucking hot and I like boys in dresses and girls in suits.
When someone tells you to "be more ladylike" or "suck it up and be a man"?
Fuck that shit. Let's stir it up.
(With nails of course.)
 |
| Sally Hansen Blue Me Away, Essence Black is back, Essence Passion for Fashion and Wet&Wild 454D |
I used a paintbrush for the next part.
For the pinky, I drew a female symbol using Sally Hansen Blue Me Away, did my middle finger with Wet&Wild 454D and did the index finger with Essence Passion for Fashion. On my thumb, I tried to do a shining transgender symbol, but it wasn't very obvious, not detailed enough...
Did you know that pink actually used to be considered too strong a colour for little girls? Blue used to be girls, pink used to be boys.
I added gradients on my index finger and thumb as well, to represent the continuum.
I traced over it in black Sharpie. On the other finger, I put the black sharpie lines first, then dabbed some glitter on top (so it was spread out - Electrify is very dense).
 |
| This turned out lumpy, sorry. |
 |
 |
| BONUS: The sponge - pink-purple-blue for thumb, pink-blue for index finger |
If you'd like to join, check out Lacquer Lad, who proposed the idea and set the theme.
Check out all the other fantastic bloggers participating <3
Great job!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! <3
DeleteThese are lovely, Sharra. You can really see that a lot of time and thought and care went into them, and I love your story about Kyle. Kids really don't care about stuff like that unless people teach them otherwise, but it's the kids who should be doing the teaching. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much <3 Exactly! Kids don't care 'til someone tells them to. This whole issue is something close to me because after high school a few of my friends had to deal with trying to consolidate their feelings with society's prescribed genders and norms. It's stupid and arbitrary and I love talking about it - which I got to do a lot today with these bright fingertips =D!
DeleteThanks again! (I have long-winded comments, sorry xD)
These are gorgeous and I love the cause.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Feel free to join in!
DeleteI really respect your thoughts :)Just joined this cause :D
ReplyDeleteYour nail prints are gorg lovely :*
Noor~
Thanks! It's all freehand. Where's your nails?
DeleteOHMYGOD I FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE SPONGEING TECHNIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!! I always thought you were supposed to dab each colour on individually. D'oh.
ReplyDeleteYou can! But this works WAAAY better. =D Can't wait to see you try it now ahahaha xD
DeleteAwesome nails and awesome cause! I totally agree with what you said about people just being people. Who cares if we're straight, gay, transgender, whatever? Why are there even all of these labels anyway, they're so unnecessary! Can't wait until centuries of social conditioning finally grows out and we see each other as equal, not matter what sexual oritentation etc we are :)
ReplyDeleteSomeday people like us will overtake the world, and it will become what it should have always been =)
DeleteIf you're a reader and want a thinking-type story, see if you can find Shadow Man by Melissa Scott. It goes into all these issues with arbitrary categories but I warn you, it is really hard to find.