i wanna see a drawing of how some trans qilik reject gender norms!! if u want of course
@strinkaringus
qilik society at large encourages self expression, but prizes one’s feathers (ESPECIALLY the brow quills, which are used in nonverbal communication) and often has strict and unfair standards on how to present if one is (the bird people version of) transgender. feathers are the primary display of gender, and trans qilik are expected to present this way by dying their feathers. which is why one of the most common ways to reject this is clipping, plucking, stripping and twisting the quills, or to dye feathers an entirely neutral color like black, white or gray.
on the left has dyed feathers, with their shoulder feathers twisted and arms plucked and stripped, as well as a face painted white to avoid identification via whether their facial skin is blue or gray.
in the center, she has drastically plucked feathers across the whole body, which can cause problems in thermoregulation and keeps her from going barechested (which is like pretty much standard). shes wearing feathers on her belt, which is considered somewhat gender noncomforming (wearing bright, long feathers is predominantly practiced among men). shes also clipped her brow quills, which is a very radical body modification and makes it more difficult for others to read her.
the guy on the right has a more subtle expression, with black dyed feathers and brow quills that are slightly trimmed, as well as wearing dull earth tones.
