Expanding the Narrative - research two - Gender Identity

The first part of the narrative I explored was to do with children's clothing, gender and identity within this. Part two of this exploration has taken me on the path of gender and identity in adults and how people are able to ignore the gender stereotypes forced upon us as kids and are able to express themselves.

Research - Gender Identity

Its Nice That has an article called  'LGBT arts magazine Posture explores the relationship between identity politics and creativity'. This article looks at how how queer, feminist and non-binary individuals have found their own expression through dress. The centrepiece of this issue is a shoot by New York photographer Xeno featuring prominent queer creatives, including dancer Michi Osato, artists René Kladzyk and Orlando Estrada and activist Share Roman. Shots of their statement outfits are interlaced with a response to Ornament and Crime penned by dancer Sophie Sotsky, set in an equally unconventional concrete poetry format. The blank and boring concrete background contrasts against the colourful people and their outfits, which I believe expresses how these people dress like this day to day, its who they ar and how they express themselves. The concrete background shows that this is what they are even in an uninteresting environment. 

At a time where only 48% of 13-20-year-olds identify as “exclusively heterosexual”, the magazine is a intelligent discussion of the arts through an LGBT lens, and an exciting new voice to be reckoned with. There are many different gender identities now, not just gay, straight or bisexual. For example; 

• Transgender/Trans is an umbrella term for any individual whose gender identity is different from what is typically associated with their assigned biological sex at birth. It should be noted that transgenderism is a gender identity and not a sexual orientation, therefore no assumptions should be made as a result.
• Gender neutral is a synonym for 'agender': somebody who identifies with no gender
• Cisgender Pronounced "siss-gender", this refers to anybody who identifies with the same biological gender they were born with. Tentatively, then, it could be seen as the opposite of transgender
• Nonbinary is fairly simply, anybody who doesn't identify as simply female or male. 

And theirs many more...