Lion Heart Vintage

& Other Stories | We invited Valentijn De Hingh, Hari Nef, Amos Mac, Love Bailey and Nina Poon, five transgender creatives to tell a story that challenges the traditional notion of beauty and identity in fashion.

RosiexChicanoPark 1 by Robert Serrano

On May 29, 2014, the issue of timemagazine magazine which proclaimed the “Transgender Tipping Point” was revealed with me on the cover. June 1, 2015 a year and 3 days later, Caitlyn Jenner’s vanityfair cover was revealed proclaiming #CallMeCaitlyn I am so moved by all the love and support Caitlyn is receiving. It feels like a new day, indeed, when a trans person can present her authentic self to the world for the first time and be celebrated for it so universally. Many have commented on how gorgeous Caitlyn looks in her photos, how she is “slaying for the Gods.” I must echo these comments in the vernacular, “Yasss Gawd! Werk Caitlyn! Get it!” But this has made me reflect critically on my own desires to ‘work a photo shoot’, to serve up various forms of glamour, power, sexiness, body affirming, racially empowering images of the various sides of my black, trans womanhood. I love working a photo shoot and creating inspiring images for my fans, for the world and above all for myself. But I also hope that it is my talent, my intelligence, my heart and spirit that most captivate, inspire, move and encourage folks to think more critically about the world around them. Yes, Caitlyn looks amazing and is beautiful but what I think is most beautiful about her is her heart and soul, the ways she has allowed the world into her vulnerabilities. The love and devotion she has for her family and that they have for her. Her courage to move past denial into her truth so publicly. These things are beyond beautiful to me. A year ago when my Time magazine cover came out I saw posts from many trans folks saying that I am “drop dead gorgeous” and that that doesn’t represent most trans people. (It was news to be that I am drop dead gorgeous but I’ll certainly take it). But what I think they meant is that in certain lighting, at certain angles I am able to embody certain cisnormative beauty standards. Now, there are many trans folks because of genetics and/or lack of material access who will never be able to embody these standards. More importantly many trans folks don’t want to embody them and we shouldn’t have to to be seen as ourselves and respected as ourselves . It is important to note that these standards are also infomed by race, class and ability among other intersections. I have always been aware that I can never represent all trans people. No one or two or three trans people can. This is why we need diverse media representstions of trans folks to multiply trans narratives in the media and depict our beautiful diversities. I started #TransIsBeautiful as a way to celebrate all those things that make trans folks uniquely trans, those things that don’t necessarily align with cisnormative beauty standards. For me it is necessary everyday to celebrate every aspect of myself especially those things about myself that don’t align with other people’s ideas about what is beautiful. #TransIsBeautiful is about, whether you’re trans or not, celebrating all those things that make us uniquely ourselves. Most trans folks don’t have the privileges Caitlyn and I have now have. It is those trans folks we must continue to lift up, get them access to healthcare, jobs, housing, safe streets, safe schools and homes for our young people. We must lift up the stories of those most at risk, statistically trans people of color who are poor and working class. I have hoped over the past few years that the incredible love I have received from the public can translate to the lives of all trans folks. Trans folks of all races, gender expressions, ability, sexual orientations, classes, immigration status, employment status, transition status, genital status etc.. I hope, as I know Caitlyn does, that the love she is receiving can translate into changing hearts and minds about who all trans people are as well as shifting public policies to fully support the lives and well being of all of us. The struggle continues…

Looking out, Looking back

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GOD MOB | 1994

Etro Spring/Summer 1999 campaign photographed by unknown.

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Jessica Williams in response to being told by feminists that she needs a self help group after saying she was under qualified for taking over Jon Stewarts position. (considering she’s 25 and at TDS for just a few years) Read more here.

Can I just explain how much I’ve loved Jessica and how significant her response to all this paternal “but let us save you, you poor soul!” response from Lean In™ feminists.

1) They love her because… why? I can’t be because of her intelligence and ability to be brilliant because automatically they infantilized her and stopped at nothing to reduce her to their imagined insecurity.

2) Can we just stop to think about how someone pointed out that “a man would  never say they weren’t qualified.” There’s a reason for that. There’s a specific arrogance and entitlement with white patriarchy that says you must prove that you’re the best at everything. There is no strength, with hegemonic masculinity, in being thoughtful about your strengths and rooms for growth. Instead of adopting toxic points of view - Jessica is mature and intelligent enough to say that based on her FIRST HAND experience with working on the show, she know her abilities and knows that at this time this is not a venue she’ll pursue - DESPITE WHAT OTHER WANT her to represent for THEM. Like, you have to sit back and examine how the arrogance and entitlement really shows through in the feminist backlash she received. “How dare you not give us the feminist we deserve in this space. Make it happen!”

3) It is very eye opening. And saddening. Because, like I said, what do these feminists want Jessica to represent? Why do they like her? It has to be that they can say “we have a black female role model that we pushed to the top and can take credit for” because it CAN’T POSSIBLY be that they actually believe that she’s intelligent and brilliant at her work - because if they believed in her brilliance they wouldn’t have dared to be so condescending and patronizing. It proved to me that they don’t actually believe in her intelligence as a black woman. They only believed in her being a prop for them. Which is the worst. SHE IS NOT YOURS. Black women are not your props nor your objects.

And of course, Jessica Williams showed her strength and blatantly obvious wit in defending herself, her choice and intelligence in this situation. It only made me feel strong in myself. In the face of having such systemic factors trying to tear her down, Jessica spared no expense in letting everyone know how much her brilliance burns. But also, which is what this all is about, how much thought she obviously placed in her initial decision in the first fucking place.

(via revolutionarykoolaid)