[images: six photos of men presenting feminine]
“TRUE MEN” by Brian Shumway
Project Description:
Gender can be a perplexing thing. Despite being flexible and malleable, it defines and confines who we are and how we express ourselves, especially through behavior and dress. Men in particular are bound by the dictates of gender. To be a ‘real man,’ being manly and masculine (or at the very least not outwardly effeminate) are paramount. Expression of one’s manhood, especially in public, must remain within a narrow range of acceptable social norms. Little boys are conditioned as such from birth, almost as a universal absolute. But this ignores the full story of male identity. There is a large spectrum of male experience that is deemed off limits by popular society. The men in this portrait series fall outside traditional notions of manliness and masculinity. They possess an effeminate manner, dress, or look, a ‘girlishness’ that is as much a part of being male as weightlifting and football. They boldly embrace expressions of male identity which flaunt the confines of conventional conceptions of manhood and what it means to be a man.
femme men, you have my heart
1) seyi is so fresh and great chosen family.
2) support more trans POC art and trans immigrant art!
2.5) complex trans and gender non-conforming identities must be celebrated.
3) i am in this too.
4) if you want a general tour of my home. this short film provides that. LOL.
peace check out this work in progress film:
a group (sankofa, kay, xtian, seyi) of gender non conforming, gender queer and transgender p.o.c got together in April to talk about what it meant to be us in this society and challenging race/class/gender/ sexuality/ gender expression in this white supremacist/ patriarchal/ capitalist society. this is a brief excerpt from the project with a focus on my evolution of spirit transcending gender.
“Against the Grain” follows the story of Oluseyi Toyin Adebanjo, a cultural organizer, artist and graduate student who is undergoing testosterone therapy treatment and working to create an identity that is gender non-conforming.
People who undergo testosterone therapy, (often called “T” for short) have the goal of inducing and maintaining the presence of masculine characteristics. Oluseyi talks candidly about the changes in the body, voice, bone structure, and weight just to name a few. There are a number of ways that “T” can be taken on a short or long term basis depending on what the desired outcome is. Oluseyi , who just passed the six month mark of treatment in April explores the issue of transgender non-conformity, self-love and acceptance through Oluseyi’s personal story and conversations with others. As a person of color, that is same gender loving, and non-conforming Oluseyi talks about the challenges of multiple identities and weaving in and out different spaces. Oluseyi also grapples with the choice of undergoing “T” and the contradictions that go along with that decision. Oluseyi struggles with the decision and whether or not to continue on “T” treatment.enjoy! naijaboi
submitted by naijaboi
