the future of fashion is genderless, but SO IS THE PRESENT! it’s not a question of IF we will get erased, but rather WHEN. trans people / queer people / gender non-conforming people / people of color / people with disabilities / fat folks have been challenging gender fashion norms since the beginning. we have long experienced backlash for existing in public beyond gender norms — and our visibility throughout this vitriol has created the space for others. and yet — media publications + society writ large continue to laud (white) cis people as the vanguard of gender neutral fashion + faces of the “new masculinity” simply for wearing sequins in one photo shoot or...pink...on a red carpet. our genius is separated from us + travels to the mainstream through whiteness, masculinity, + cisness. this is how the world was designed, not how things are destined to be. to be clear: this is not about individual people, it’s about systems. this is not about shame/blame, it’s about due diligence. it’s about how racism + heteronormativity work as a strategy to disappear us as we actively exist. to combat this erasure i invite all of you challenging gendered fashion to join me in using the hashtag #degenderfashion to create a record of we who have always been. let’s reclaim the narrative! queer + trans folks — and especially those of color — to the front!
