Preston Taylor [ fairest of them all ] speaks on:
Gender-Based Hatred, Androgynous modeling, and Justice for All.
Though all of the listed subjects have been heavily covered, a new face would like to shed some limelight on the subject. Preston Taylor, a 22 year old, Army Brat from Virginia has got a lot to say about walking in someone else’s shoes.
Although Preston identifies as a male, he’ll allow you to call him what you like. As an easy-going Virgo he likes to make everyone feel comfortable and keep the mood light; after all, there’s no reason to fuss about trivial things.
Prior to the photo-shoot, I interviewed Mr. Taylor while he put on his minimal make-up.
Q: So how do you feel about gracing the cover of Feral for a second time?
A: Oh, I’m ecstatic! I feel really honored and excited to have this opportunity. Not only to finally get a chance to really represent myself but also to represent you and your magazine as well. Recently in the modeling industry there has been some controversy over androgynous models, moreso in America and I’d definitely like to help set the record straight. Living androgynously myself I’d really like people to understand what it’s like first-hand.
Q: You said you live androgynously; can you elaborate on that a bit more?
A: Well, to begin with, I identify as a male but I’m not opposed to identifying as a female. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with being compared to a female, ever. To degrade me or any male that looks or acts “feminine” is misogyny and shouldn’t be tolerated. For a long time it’s been socially acceptable for women to be more “masculine” but it’s never been okay for a man to be “effeminate.” It’s one of the biggest hypocrisies of our society.
Q: So do you believe intolerance to be an issue in this country?
A: Yes, of course. What people need to understand, follow, and do is treat each other with respect. Nobody knows how to do that anymore and it’s quite disturbing to me.
If you give people the option to be who they are and to be honest with themselves don’t subject them to cruelty, don’t alienate them, don’t ostricize them, don’t put them down because of it, don’t hold any negative moral judgment about them.
We’ve grown up in a society where we’re told grow up to be who you wanna be, do what you wanna do. But when you reach that age to make the decisions to do the things that make you happy and define yourself society tells you “no you can’t do that, there’s no room for you here, be who you are on your own time.” There’s no room for you in this life to be who you want to be. You’re always forfeiting some part of yourself for the crowd. To be an individual in this life is difficult because when you are you’re pummeled down, you’re at the mercy of everyone around you and no one wants to have anything to do with you because “you’re not conforming,” “you’re breaking the rules” but that’s what you were told to do.
Whether I go out wearing make-up or not, I still have people mistake me for a woman and let me tell you, its not always flattering. Personally, I don’t have an issue with it, there’s nothing wrong with being beautiful and appreciated or celebrated for your gender or looks; but there’s also a vulnerability there that I shouldn’t feel as a person. The fear that someone may actually mistake me for a woman and try to do something to me then, upon finding me out to be a man, do something even worse is horrendous and completely unfair. I’ve had security called on me simply for using the men’s bathroom. What do you do? I shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not I should use the men’s bathroom or the women’s bathroom.
I can’t tell you how many jobs I’ve turned down simply because during the interview process they tell me I’m required to cut my hair short if I intend to work there. I understand there are levels of professionalism that need to be upheld in a workplace and dress codes that need to be followed but employers shouldn’t be allowed to have double standards.
Q: I think that’s something almost everyone can relate to at times, discrimination in the work place. Let’s get a little more background on you Mr. Taylor. You were born in Virginia, moved all over but made it back to Virginia is that correct?
A: Yeah, I was born in Virginia but I’ve lived in Germany, Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, Virginia, New York, and Michigan.
Q: And generally how accepting of your lifestyle were those places? How long have you been living androgynously?
A: Well, I’ve been living androgynously since I was about fourteen, so almost ten years of my life now. As far as my environments accepting my lifestyle I’d have to say it’s been pretty rocky. I was in Germany and Korea at a young age so the experiences there were moreso just childhood experiences rather than actual dealings with a genderless persona.
Virginia would be where it started. I was a goth kid as a pre-teen and into my teenage years. The gothic lifestyle has always been big with androgyny to begin with so that wasn’t really an issue. Aside from that I kept my hair as long as my parents would allow, rocking a Natalie Portman-esque bob-like bowl cut [it was the 90’s.] Riding the bus was a fucking nightmare though. Kids are horrible. Of course I was going through puberty and having already been different from other boys to begin with in my life it didn’t help when I started to develop a small but literal breast.
Q: Wait, so you have a boob?
A: Yup, I have a boob, just one haha. The rest of me is all male though. I’ve got a pretty good attitude about things so when it showed up I guess I just decided to roll with the punches. I didn’t hate myself for it, I just joked about it and moved on. It’s obviously probably played a part in my identity ‘issues’ over the years though, so to speak. After a few years we left Virginia and moved to Hawaii. I didn’t really like it there to begin with and then soon after moving I decided to come out to my parents. I identify as bisexual but when I dropped the bomb on my parents that I did, in fact, like the same sex my short-lived stint on the island of Oahu ended and I came to my parent’s hometown of Millington to live with my grandparents.
Q: Your parents didn’t take it well, I presume? How old were you then?
A: Sixteen and no they didn’t at first but we’ve come to an understanding. My parents, like anyone’s, only want what’s best for me. So, I moved out for some much needed space. I flew across an ocean, plus ¾ of a continent, and landed myself in the middle of the Michigan sticks. Because of my Brat status I had to be held back a few years, as my credits don’t always transfer and ended up a sophomore instead of the Junior I was supposed to be.
Q: So, moving around a lot, that obviously had implications on your educational records, what about socially? It must not have been easy making friends when you were moving so frequently.
A: For sure! I definitely got sick of the moving at some points. When you move a lot and you never know when it’s going to be, making friends isn’t really your first priority so I kind of had to become accustomed to being alone Plus, moving gave me opportunities to see a lot but having never really felt at “home” in any place I figured I’d have to make home my own skin. Being comfortable with yourself is something we all have to come to terms with but I feel like I got to know myself earlier on than most.
Millington has definitely played a significant role in contributing to my thick skin. My first day of school I ended up, literally, trapped in a stairwell with the entirety of the B Lunch pushing and shoving to get a look at me. The teachers couldn’t even get control of the students; it was total bullshit. That’s pretty much how my reputation began to precede me. Since I’d already dealt with the usual school bullying in my previous academic settings this all seemed a bit dramatic but nothing I couldn’t handle. I had people threatening me daily and subsequently I had to take a secluded route home from school to avoid any potential fights. By the time I finished school everyone and their siblings knew who I was. Whether they had anything good to say or bad to say was entirely about whom you spoke to and who was around them when you asked. I definitely got a lot of undeserved attention but I managed to make friends too.
Q: But the entirety of the negative attention was simply because you look like both a boy and a girl?
I, honestly, didn’t even participate in gym class because I couldn’t change in the locker room without being harassed. I had long hair and wore eyeliner. That’s it. I still wore pants to school, I still wore t-shirts; I wasn’t promenading around in some fucking platforms or wearing dresses but that’s what they acted like. Even if I were, the way those people treated me and some of the other people I went to school with was entirely unnecessary.
I don’t ask for a lot in this life. Sure I wanna wear make-up and keep my hair long, and yeah my clothes don’t always match but those are my choices and I like to keep things fresh, I like to be different, and I feel I keep it at a happy medium. It’s important to have both ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ qualities as a person and our culture differentiates the sexes and defines gender roles at such an early age that it kind of indoctrinates people to define what they should and shouldn’t do. Obviously, in order to further our species we need to need to keep some sort of roles as male and female where sexual intercourse is involved but other than that, in mannerisms or dress, there shouldn’t be any issue.
Q: So, now that we know a little more about you, let’s talk about your life behind the camera. How did that all start?
A: My mother was an avid photographer. I owe her for a lot of the skills I have today. She was always trying to capture that perfect image. That moment, because of that I’ve had a lot of discipline with my body, self-awareness, posturing, etc. My mother would always try and photograph my younger sister but she was never nearly as cooperative as I was. As time went on I found my time behind the camera to be therapeutic and started using it as a means of expression. I’d been musically inclined from a young age but found a different way to express myself through modeling that only grew through the years. I became the muse of a friend in high school who was constantly using me for projects and random photo shoots to build his portfolio.
Q: Well, we actually spoke with Ben about you after the shoot and he had some pretty good things to say:
“Preston is beyond a doubt one of the most talented models I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. He’s got guts and vision. He takes direction beautifully, models with his entire body, and really puts himself out there. He’s just as adamant about getting ‘the shot’ as me, if not more sometimes. He definitely has a gift for expression and he is totally fearless in his pursuit.”
With that being said, could you describe your modeling style to us? What inspires you, as a model?
A: Modeling isn’t just taking pictures, and it isn’t just looking pretty for the camera. Modeling is a contribution to being able to capture a beautiful moment that lasts a lifetime.
Q: It sounds like you have a pretty nostalgic view of photography.
A: A picture is worth a thousand words and the simplest phrase can have a thousand meanings. The Mona Lisa. It’s only a painting, but what makes it so prolific is the moment Leonardo captured when he decided to paint it. That coy smile is something that has haunted the art world for years.
Q: Certainly iconography and eternal life have been the pursuit of humans for thousands of years, what exactly do you think that divine spark is? What is it that makes a photograph last a lifetime?
A: You need to bring life to a picture. We have a picture of my sister in a field of flowers, and even though she’s angry and making a face, that picture is priceless because of it. The fire in my sister’s eyes, all because she didn’t want her picture taken, that passion and raw emotion made that photo.
Q: Now that we’ve gotten your take on photography, what do you think of the modeling industry?
A: The industry, as a whole, is just that, an industry. What you do on an individual level is entirely up to you. What you want to represent, who you want to be. What do you want to say? I can’t speak from any experience on a professional level, so I’ve no idea the challenges contracted models face but there’s certain sacrifices that must be made in order to maintain any career.
Q: There certainly are a lot of qualifications to sign with any modeling company, with height and weight and such. I find it funny how they all want men and women both to be super skinny. What do you have to say about that?
A: It’s stupid. They make gender-oriented clothing with the idea that our bodies are different therefore we should be wearing separate attire. That makes sense but when it comes to the modeling industry taking only the skinniest of both men and women it’s ridiculous. When we become too skinny or too fat our bodies just end up looking the same. Sure not all modeling companies want only impossibly skinny people but a majority of them, it seems, do.
Q: Obviously the modeling industry has played a huge role in shaping body-image in our society, can you tell us your thoughts on the subject?
A: Being a male, and aspiring model, I’ve noticed that my height is a crucial advantage, however I’ve never wanted to look as chiseled as most of the models I see in American ads and it seems like that’s been the trend for a number of years. There’s a lot of resentment toward men who aren’t ‘masculine enough’ so, in ways, there’s a lot of misandry in our society too.
At times it has discouraged me a bit and I know that if it’s made me feel bad about myself then I can only imagine what kind of effect it’s had on other people’s image of themselves. Not only does it make men feel pressured to ‘work out’ to prove their masculinity, but it also puts ideas and false expectations into women’s heads too.
Q: I feel the same way. I was at an event once and I was wearing a pair of high heels and at one point during the evening a man approached me and confided that he wished he could wear shoes like mine and not be considered to be effeminate or assumed to be homosexual. It had never occurred to me that a straight man actually might want to wear high heels, and really can’t without the fear of emasculation from both other men and women alike. The best and saddest part is he was one of a few heterosexual males who complimented my attire that evening.
A: People really need to get over this ‘cross-dressing complex’ they seem to have. They’re shoes. David Bowie did it, Prince, Kiss, need I go on? Those are prime examples of men who have worn heels and still had relationships with women. In my personal opinion a woman should be able to give a man props for walking around in ‘her’ shoes.
Q: Exactly, well said. Now, to conclude our interview, are there any closing words you have for everyone?
I realize I’m judged mostly based on stereotypes and so is everyone else but I strictly reserve the right to represent what I can, which is myself and the things I stand for. So, I’d like to say I do view myself as an advocate and poster child for the LGBT community. As a model and as a person I want to prove and represent that there are indeed good people who live a different lifestyle. I want to show people we’re not freaks and we’re not dangerous. I’d like to be seen as a role model or a mentor and to inspire people the way I was inspired by androgynous model Andre Pejic. I want to help be the face of change.
To read more on this subject check out this informative article by Van Burnham!
http://www.modelmayhem.com/education/modeling/5625-androgynous-modeling
To see more androgynous models visit:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/saeedjones/8-stunningly-beautiful-androgynous-models
http://www.thecrosbypress.com/2013/03/19/get-weird-with-fashions-11-most-androgynous-models-the-run-down/#
