Third Gender Film

A documentary focusing on alternative gender expressions. This is an exploration of gender identity, how masculinity and femininity are represented internally and externally, and how we go beyond the separation of gender into the unification of these aspects within ourselves as individuals. The aim is to expose the limited constructs of the masculine-feminine dichotomy. Encompassed in this film are unique portraits of individual identity, a discussion of cultural implications and societal expectations, as well as a look into how culture is evolving to incorporate alternative gender expressions.

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"One of the biggest and most prevalent mistakes in Western Culture is the idea that there exist two separate and "opposite" genders, masculinity and femininity. This gender dualism is not only false and without any factual or scientific support, but also very harmful.”

Thomas Gramstad

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"..I think people see me in a way that may actually be aligned with how I see myself. And that has been the most, like, powerful, mind-blowing thing."

Companies that offer custom-made clothing for transgender and gender non-conforming people are coming to the forefront, as more diverse models gain visibility in the fashion industry – and redefine the parameters of gender identity. Ivette Feliciano reports. Continue reading →

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It's nice to have options.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Here is the first OFFICIAL TEASER for the film, Third Gender. Thank you for your support and patience as we continue to make progress!

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Some shots from the Hott Mess Queer Dance Party 11.23.13, Louisville, KY

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Director of Photography, Tomas Roges, at the shoot in Jefferson Memorial Forest 11.16.2013

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Androgyny refers to a specific way of joining the ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ aspects of a single human being.

Dr. June Singer

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We will be filming for the documentary at the Hott Mess Queer Dance Party on Saturday, November 23. Please come out and show your support! We are super pumped to get footage of this event. If you feel like you have something to say about the topic of gender identity and androgyny, this is your chance to be seen and heard!

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"I like shooting androgynous models because I really enjoy finding that space between what you might expect." –Jeff Blanchard

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More photos from the shoot at Iroquois Park

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09.30.13 Shoot with Jeff Blanchard and Lanie Hopping at Iroquois Park, Louisville, KY

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Yin/Yang

I was asked to write an article for this blog, having proposed an interesting and viable theory regarding gender as relating to the energetic qualities of yin and yang. The general premise goes something like this: beginning with the assignment of yang as active/giving and yin as passive/receiving, I proposed that masculinity is a state of emotional yin and intellectual yang, and that femininity is the opposite. While this may appear to sum things up nicely, I later felt that this was too simplistic. Perhaps it is adequate in describing the conceptual state of the human psyche, but does it really address or account for the inner experience of being "a man" or "a woman"? I realized that I have been operating under the assumption that "man" and "masculine" are synonymous, and likewise with "woman" and "feminine". I think that these labels of "man" and "woman" are societally-based, whereas the concepts of "masculine" and "feminine" are more primal. Perhaps we, as a species, began our evolutionary journey in a state where males were instinctually masculine and females were feminine, but in our present state we have evolved beyond those ways of being. I feel the work is not to change the roles of gender (i.e., to redefine the terms "man" and "woman"), but to realize that we have outgrown them. Certainly we all have moments of masculinity and femininity, expressed in context and unique to each individual. The labels of "man" and "woman" provide an unnecessary friction to this inner fluidity, and I feel that without the pressure to express oneself within the confines of gender roles many more people would be freer to experience their body as an authentic expression of their inner reality. In my own journey, I have altered my appearance many times in order to convey femininity; I came to believe that my body is a template for expression - "You're born naked, and all the rest is drag," as RuPaul says. When I first read those words, I felt empowered to do drag publicly. I later came to realize that I was ashamed of my maleness, and that drag was, for me, an attempt to hide the reality of my body from the eyes of the world. What lead me to this idea of dressing in "women's" clothes was an early feeling that my inner nature would be most easily relatable to the world had I been born into a female body. From my adult perspective, I see that it was not my inner experience of my body that created the friction - it was the understanding of others' perceptions of what males and females are allowed to express. I wanted to grow my hair long and wear pretty dresses, and those expressions were reserved for females. I would later revel in those expressions of femininity, only to outgrow them. I experimented with different aspects of gender , going through various boy and girl childhoods and adolescences, until I finally excused myself from the gender debate. What I have come to realize is that the entire notion of gender is a fabrication. Beyond physical sex, there is (possibly) no psychological maleness or femaleness; and isn't that all that gender is - the idea of being male or female and the significance thereof? -Dennis Bell

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One of the biggest and most prevalent mistakes in Western Culture is the idea that there exist two separate and "opposite" genders, masculinity and femininity. This gender dualism is not only false and without any factual or scientific support, but also very harmful.

Thomas Gramstad

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The Creative Process

As I look back through my notebook, I realize how much this film has already evolved since its conception. Initially, the focus was to be an exposé on gender imbalance - that is, the societal conditioning that promotes an extreme, with little leeway. I actually forgot that that is what the vision had started out as. In all actuality, the way it is turning out to be proves to be more about balance than anything else. I was so entranced by this notion of perceived gender that I hadn’t even written a word before I started filming it. I literally picked up a camera and started asking questions. After the first interview, I took some time to reformulate my ideas that would correlate to the theme. When I got back to Louisville, I began sharing my ideas in a more public way with others. As I was describing it to people, I received a lot of replies that were clearly indicative of how little people actually understood about this subject such as, “Now, androgyny…is that when a man becomes a woman?” Or, simple remarks about sexuality. Why was I so shocked? After all, I am making a documentary about androgyny for this very purpose – to educate and open minds. I am reminded on a daily basis of why this is so important, and inspiration flows. This isn’t a discourse on sexuality. There are plenty of documentaries available regarding sexuality. There are little in regards to the subject of gender identity. I want to show gender as a topic all its own – not just in relation to sexuality, but who we feel we are on the inside. I’ve learned so much through and about the creative process. I used to think in creating art I had to be in control of every aspect of the creation – to keep it on a short leash. The fact is, little of what you create will turn out exactly as you first imagined it would. Things change, ideas open up and evolve, others chime in. You have to be willing to let it be its own thing, to let go to the degree that you can stay loyal to the whole picture - remaining detached enough to the details without compromising original intent. One step at a time, one interview at a time, one moment at a time. -Shawn

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Why androgyny?

Why make a documentary about androgyny?

For too long gender has been separated into two extremes, making little room for those who fit somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. It is time to examine femininity and masculinity, to open up a dialogue and share stories, to learn and to embrace these qualities within ourselves.

This film is personally important to me. I grew up in a religious home like many folks in the Midwest. My family is Pentecostal and from the moment I was born I was expected to dress and act a certain way. I was expected to be interested in “girly” things, to wear skirts and dresses that cover my legs, to keep my hair long, etc. Even the color pink was assigned to me because I was a girl, and that is my least favorite color! I felt like I was in a prison at times - a prison that valued certain qualities, and if you didn’t have those qualities you were considered an outsider. I rebelled against these expectations placed on me by family and society. I have always felt more masculine than feminine, and it was a challenge for me to be true to myself.

Gender expression is more than how you dress or wear your hair. Feminine and masculine traits go beyond the body - it is an internal feeling, an expression of beingness. The external characteristics are simply reflections of that inner knowing.

Ultimately, I believe the ideal is to rise above the separation of gender and realize the unification of these aspects within ourselves as individuals. Why do we think we need to choose one, when we are all a unique combination of both?

We are not our bodies; we are so much more than that.

-Shawn

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A handful of quick screen grabs from the shoot with Angela Tann.

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Angela Tann