Ambivalence and Androgyny

(Androgyny in all senses will be personified for the sake of this blog.) Based in India. By Akshita Kanojia

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12. Epilogue

People in India are slowly finding space there. Our age young ones are either settling on the branches they have climbed up to, or resting and preparing to climb further.

The day 377 was abolished, there was a parade and happiness.

The renown “gay bar”: Kitty Su, was so very in business that night.

People were harmonising together.

There are moments of beauty in which we all come together. Moments which take place in a graceful Pandora’s box.

Don’t let hope out.

Don’t let hope out.

Don’t let hope out.

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11. Pros and cons of Gender Neutrality

To evaluate the concept of gender neutrality completely, we have to take into account: all perspectives.

To evaluate humanity’s opinions with focus on individuals would be an exercise in futility as there are too many variables to take into consideration.

We will have to generalise opinions by sorting them into two basic categories. Positive and negative.  

The positives would be;

the concept of individuality broadened and added to.

There would be more specific options for people to find themselves in.

The negatives would be that;

Freedom of speech would be limited as the number of identifications would grow. 

People will face consequences for addressing someone with the wrong pronouns.

Those are just some minor points to be made. All in all we have to take every aspect into consideration before any legal or societal decisions or place any requirements.

To expect the majority to behave in certain way just to respect the decisions of a few individuals is also an exercise in futility. Humanity will never agree upon a stance of respect harmoniously.

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10. A review and an Interview: Degenderate

An Indian brand by a college student named Anmol Gupta. The focus is on the deconstruction of gender identities. She puts the limelight on how gender identities restrict us. Recently, degenderate has released a line of notebooks aiming to provide gender neutral options. They have stickers which say “stop gendering things” to be put on objects which have been stereotyped. Such as perfume or drinks.

We take it into stride that vodka is for women and musk is for men. She chooses to question such beliefs. The brand aims to be a clothing brand with a strong ideology.

As she has just started out, we wait in anticipation for her collection.

*

Where do you see your brand in 2020? As a Retail and Community, we aim to spread our message through two means. Our community collective “Degenderate” has been organizing blogs, campaigns, fundraisers etc. to spread awareness, and we plan to continue creating several such other initiatives to spread the message, even in 2020. We want to grow as a community and engage a bigger audience and even bigger brands with us. We also plan to kickstart “Gen-Neu,” our gender neutral streetwear brand by Fall 2019. We are hoping 2020 will open gates of acceptance and appreciation for Gender-Neutrality in India. What inspired you to start the brand? ”Anmol, isn’t that a boy’s name?” My journey of Gender-Neutrality started from the day I was born, long before I could even speak or knew what the term even meant. Never really had an answer as a kid. But as a grown up with the widening ability to question social structures, I decided to find like-minded people to create this platform and take a step to degenerate gender labels. When do you plan to release a clothing line? We are currently in the process of creating our first Fall-Winter line in 2019, and we are very excited to release India’s first Gender-Neutral streetwear collection. We have taken inspiration from the streets of different cities of India, to bring the spirit of Gender Neutrality in the youth of India. Our brand is call Gen-Neu, which is (gen)der (neu)tral fashion for the (new) (gen)eration. Look out for it! What is the artistic process you follow in making your products? As mentioned, our brand is inspired from different parts of its birth country, India. We have tried to bridge the gap of masculinity and femininity through breaking conventions on silhouettes, fabrics and, colors. Freedom, individuality and, rawness are the emotions of our project, and our artistic process involves creation of rigorous mood boards for each city, as each of them have unique moods and vibes to offer. We plan to draw inspiration directly from the streets and put it on our clothes and accessories to give the world a taste of what India has to offer.

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9. A letter to fashion

To fashion,

Our existence has had an absence of harmony and I do not understand, my dear, why it has taken you so long to come around. Distressed denim and worn out sneakers because I’ve walked a long way.

Your pace matches mine now. Shoulder to shoulder hand in hand and I’ve never been more enamoured.

You mirror my moves now and our existence and presence together is no longer mocked or looked at with judgemental side-eyes. Instead it is criticised with respect, and criticism can sometimes be the nicest, harshest compliment.

Because you and I are no longer a joke. Or, at least, we are ceasing to be one.

Our beholders see beauty not a comic angle.

Intolerance is now not tolerated.

Isn’t that pretty?

Aren’t we pretty?

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8. Gender Neutrality & Biology

There is no valid reason for gender neutrality existing simply because there is no predecessor.

That’s wrong actually. There are predecessors. There is the bird, the male marsh harrier. It assumes the appearance of its female counterpart in order to prevent attacks on itself. Cuttlefish swimming through male dominated areas do the same.

Clownfish are an especially interesting example. The school is headed by the largest female and a submissive male. Once the female dies the male grows to her size and changes his sex.

All clownfish are born hermaphrodites. All of them grow to be males. They rely their growth and their sex on their position in the hierarchy.

The masses like to call gender neutrality a fad. Erasure of the past of the people who deviate from gender norms is common.

Gender neutrality and sex change can be found in nature. It is written in biology, if not history.

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7. Transgender coverage.

The 2014 Census of India was the first one to count the number of third gender people in the country. The estimates came to be around 4.9 lakhs. Although transgender activists suspect the count to be 4-5 times higher, they are encouraged by the masses that raised their hands.

Hijra is a popular word for transgenders. There is a strong intimidation between the transgender community of India and the rest of the population. There is a superstition that hijras bring good or bad luck, as they please, to bestow upon the person of their choosing. They are present at almost every wedding and birth to bless the protagonists of those stories.

The transgender community also faces severe discrimination against them. Malicious jokes and intentionally being called by the wrong pronouns are the best they can get. The worst included everything a hateful majority can do to a community.

Change is the keyword in the conversations we’ve been having.

It is coming and no wind can turn it or stop it.

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6. A short story

“Your name is Adamya!”

“Yeah, but why can’t you call me Adi? It’s shorter!”

“Adi is a boys name. No”

“Fine.” Adi put his hood up and stormed through the door.

“Excuse me, young lady. Where are you going?!”

*

No one called him a him. Which was fine. For now.

His friends called him Adi which felt good but they also thought he was just a tomboy which wasn’t very. He didn’t blame them. He knew they wouldn’t understand, he didn’t understand either. His older brother called him a lesbian a lot. That didn’t help much.

He was crouched down in the reeds besides the pond behind his house. He was watching the tadpoles swim. It wasn’t much of a pond, more of a puddle. His mother constantly spoke about levelling the ground in their backyard and getting rid of it but he wouldn’t hear of it. The pond seemed older than he was. In the summers it would almost disappear and there would be no tadpoles. But, days like these, in the middle of the monsoon season, they were abundant.

They swam under and over each other.

At the age of 11 he refused to try to catch them. Deeming it an immature activity. He didn’t want them to get hurt. Adi just watched from the edge of the pond.

There were moments where he would swirl his hand in the water. The tadpoles would disappear and he would quietly mutter that they were grumpy.

“Adamya, oh, you’re filthy”

His mother had chosen to break that moment of peace by materialising next to him. She had a terrible habit of doing that.

“Come, let’s get you cleaned up. Dinner’s ready.”

He got up and left the tadpoles alone. The mother and her child walked into the glaring light of their house.

Meanwhile, calm, in the murky waters;

They swam silently.

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5. The difference between gender and sex

The biological sex of Homo sapiens is determined by their genitals at birth.

Their gender identity grown by their environment and what they are referred to as. While their clay soft personality is wrought upright they are pushed into a construct of their gender.

Physical differences are apparent and acknowledged by medical professionals.

However, standards of common courtesy rise. They rise, much to the discomfort of some.

Standards of common courtesy include

A name preferred rather than given.

Pronouns of the same sort.

This recent change has come across as unnecessary to many, who do not require it.

However, there is progress. Bill C-16 was passed in Canada in order to protect gender identity. There is no fine or cause of arrest due to misusing pronouns. Multiple instances of misusing an individual’s pronouns in order to make them uncomfortable can incur harassment charges.

Progress; slow, but, viable.

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4. An Interview

(For the purpose of this interview, the interview-ee will be referred to as X.)

X sat there with hesitant movements. Blue hair and skittish eyes.

“What should I refer to a you as?”

“She/Her is fine”

“So you identify as a woman?”

“Yes, I do. My fashion statements and my gender are not interrelated.” She seemed slightly surprised at the question

“What would you describe your style as?”

“I would say amorphous. It’s really not one specific thing. It’s layers of emotions and preferences based on my life, integrated into my day to day appearance.”

“How do you think others would describe your dressing style?”

“Weird. Most people don’t get it. I’ve gotten asked if I was lesbian because I wore suspenders one day. Tomboy is something I’ve been called a lot. The short hair keeps their minds closed. “

She looked out the window as the fickle clouds passed by and the sun shone on her face. X had long eyelashes. The weren’t curled, she glowered through them at a buzzing fly flitting by her face.

She had the air of calm around her.

“Do you ever feel like you should wear clothes which conform more to society’s norms?”

“Never”

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3. Androgyny Today

I have travelled from the past with a time bound agenda. Change is imminent. Today, you and I will bond again. You hear the ringing in your ears. Faint but persistent. The sound in the background of every one of your favourite art pieces. The mild scent you smell on new clothes. You can’t remember whether you found them in the men’s section or the women’s but you don[t feel confused anymore. The lack of want of conformity in your life is easing into your bones.

Agender brands are springing from the soil our ancestors dissolved into.

69 WORLDWIDE

TOOGOOD LONDON

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2. History of third genders in India and their inclination to disrupt societal norms

People say that you fear what you don’t know.

People say that from fear stems hatred.

But do tell me, why do you hate me then? When you’re supposed to be familiar with me. 

Raama, the great prince with a moon halo above his head and his skin made of night, languidly strolled into the forest with followers at heel, weeping for him to stay;

 staring them in the eye, he smiled and spoke softly;

“Men and women wipe your tears and leave.”

As they left, others stayed.

I am Another.

I am An Other.

I am everything that is rooted into your past, you can betray me but you cannot betray your culture. Your ancestors look down on you as you lie.

Say ,it is the 16th century, men of war with iron faces marched into this country with gun metal boots stomping, and fingers welded into their weapons, screaming,

“DEATH TO CULTURE”

I am outlawed, infamous and silent. 

But the voices within me are so strong and bold that you can still hear me.

“but as with everything that becomes illegal, the third gender community went underground.” (huffpost.com)

Hijras have been known to have the prestige to bless or curse, and they survive off of the products of the perception of their personalities. 

Instead of familiarity and trust due, Humanity, you have had you regraded me with contempt.

There are some, with old bones that show me kindness and acceptance because they feel the past and they feel me in it.

They are good souls.

I hope that one day I will not be regarded.

With eyes meant for strangers, instead with warmth.

I will welcome you as an old friend, Humanity. 

And we will converse without words as I transgress into your culture until you absorb me intimately and remember me as your own.

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1. Defining me

Defining me.

It is I.

Think of me as this shifting light, never quite defined.

Boxes on boxes on boxes created to stifle and petrify fashion and representation of self. 

I am the light seeping between the cracks…

Defining me would be the ultimate chore, so I’d rather you not try. An unending tiring activity in futility by strangers who tried to hide my existence by putting false boundaries on my being.

I am shapeless liquid without barbed bars.

I am the men’s lucky wrist watch on a dainty kalai.

I am the subtle piercing on a nose sitting in stubble.

I am undefined.