Vogue: I’ve always been inspired by fashion. My grandmother, my mom—they were always stylish. I grew up loving fashion, but there was a limit to the ways in which I could express myself. When you’re black and you’re gay, one’s masculinity is in question. I dealt with a lot of homophobia in relation to my clothing choices. [Even] when I had my first working contract at A&M Records, I was silent for a long time. I was trying to fit in to what other people felt I should look like. When I landed a role in Kinky Boots, the experience really grounded me in a way that was so unexpected. Putting on those heels made me feel the most masculine I’ve ever felt in my life. It was empowering to let that part of myself free.
4 comments:
While not entirely the same, I am one who often looks a little out of place in the way I dress. Always a bit too dressed up, maybe a touch too costumey. However, The power you feel when you are wearing that thing you want to, that thing that makes you feel like you is worth the initial insecurity and questioning. That power is exactly what Billy Porter exuded on the Oscars red carpet. The look was sleek and elegant and classic. It made a statement, and by not being too over the top it was a statement that could not just be brushed off. I hope that people see the dignity in his stance, see the control and faculty he is holding in his being. I hope people who would fight an action like this see that they have no power here. I hope people who want to let themselves out in the clothes they wear see this and gain some of the confidence this photograph radiates.
Simone brings up a great point that feeling comfortable in what you wear is extremely important. It is great to be comfortable with what you and who you are. There are also probably tons of queer children looking up to Porter to defying the norms. Speaking of defying the norms, I can’t wait for the day when someone’s gender expression doesn’t make the news. I can’t wait for when it is completely socially acceptable for there not be gendered clothes. I completely understand why Porter talks about being a “walking piece of political art every time I show up”. However, as a non-binary person, I can’t wait for the day that my clothes and how I look aren’t political. Not to be a cheesy theatre nerd but the song from The Prom, “Dance with You”, I just want to get to the point where I can live my life without being political in how I look. I am so grateful that Porter explicitly says that he's a man in a dress because everyone who sees someone in non-masculine clothing automatically thinks the person is trans or non-binary but a person can wear what they want and it shouldn't lead anyone to assume anything about anyone's gender. This article is great to hear people challenging gender norms but I can’t wait for gender norms to be a thing of the past.
The title of this article speaks to me of a strong statement that was made at one of the biggest nights of the year. I dont know why but anytime someone does something completely opposite of what hey are expected to do, I feel this immense sense of respect for the person because it takes courage to be able to face everyone when you are in the supposed wrong.
The article reflects at the importance of how people should dress up the way they want to rather than the way people want to. And when this is practiced by famous people, young adults and kids get the strength to follow and do what their mind and body want them to, which I believe is very important for the mental and physical health of everyone.
And this should be something that other people should also be conscious about, conscious about how they should strive to make each environment safe and comfortable to a point where people have no inhibitions in being the way they want to.
I am absolutely thrilled by this. We have seen women at the Oscars in suits for quite some time now, and I love that as well, but I am so glad to see a man openly and confidently embracing his “femininity,” for lack of better terms, at a massive formal event like the Oscars. When it comes to fashion, women began blurring the lines between feminine and masculine quite some time ago, as far back as insisting on wearing pants, but men are expected to dress a certain way, men’s fashion has hardly evolved in the past 100 years, and I attribute that entirely to our traditional perception of masculinity. That’s not to say that men have not been exploring “feminine fashion,” but it is just beginning to be normalized in our society and that makes me beyond happy. I think gender expression should be something people are comfortable with regardless of sexuality, but in the past, we’ve mostly seen LGBTQ men exploring their gender expression. And though Billy Porter is part of the LGBTQ community, I think that his action at an event as large as the Oscar’s could have an impact on the next generation of young men, LGBTQ or not. Oftentimes, seeing somebody do what you wish you were confident enough to do is the last little push you need. He’s inspired me and I imagine many other young people around the country.
Post a Comment