Attend the Gender Bender Masquerade on Friday, February 27 from 8 to 11 P.M. in the Campus Center!

Organized by Rainbow Alliance, generously co-sponsored by the Peace and Justice Center as a part of their Week of Nonviolence

Thanks to all who helped make this a success!

Whether or not you were able to attend, please take a few moments and fill out our evaluation survey by March 8.

What's the Gender Bender Masquerade?

A free, cross-dressed dance with music and refreshments, offering a friendly social event with a twist.  Hosted from 8pm to 11pm on February 27 in the Campus Center lounge.  Organized by Rainbow Alliance in celebration of TransAction! Day and co-sponsored by the Peace and Justice Center as a part of their Week of Nonviolence.

Why February 27, 2009?

It's the first observation of TransAction! Day, "a national day to encourage dialogue about gender, gender roles and the full range of gender identities, and to advocate for inclusive, safe schools for all students." 

What Does "Cross-Dressed Dance" Mean?

You are encouraged to step outside your gender norm and cross-dress for this social - that's why it's called the Gender Bender Masquerade!  Find some friends of another gender, swap clothes, and come as a group; or, let your imagination run wild and go pick out your own outfit.  If you're not comfortable cross-dressing, however, you're still welcome to come - you can bend norms in your own way or just come as you're comfortable.

Why should I cross-dress for this event?

Cross-dressing (dressing in the clothes typical of another gender) for the evening, beyond the social value, provides an opportunity for you to contemplate and discuss the continuum of gender identity and gender expression, and the ways in which our conformance or non-conformance with societal gender roles influences our lives and the lives of others.  It's not necessary to be cross-dressed, or even role-bending, to attend, however - we'd love to see you there whether or not you decide to "dress for the occasion."

Special Online Feature: Myths, busted

As with many LGBTQ issues, cross-dressing carries some residual degree of social taboo and with it, a fascination that is often exploited by our speech and actions, as well as by media forces, to shock, thrill, or exoticize.  We understand you might feel some unfamiliarity or discomfort with the idea for a number of reasons, and hope that you can use those feelings to engage in personal and collective reflection on issues related to gender identity, expression, and roles.  Additionally, due to the social connotations of cross-dressing, people who cross-dress regularly for whatever reason (formerly called transvestites, this term is now seen as pejorative and insulting), and any non-gender-normative behavior, there are a lot of myths and gaps in popular understanding of these actions.  We'd like to address those now, and explain why participating in this type of event can be personally rewarding, beyond the joy of spending an evening socializing and dancing with friends new and old.

Cross-dressing does not imply that you are gay or lesbian, or that you feel that your gender identity does not match your birth-assigned sex (transsexual).  While some drag queens, a term for men cross-dressing for performance, are gay, and transsexual folks may wear clothing suiting their gender identity rather their birth-assigned sex (which is not generally considered cross-dressing), you do not need to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transsexual to cross-dress.

Sexual orientation (describing the gender you are attracted to, romantically, emotionally, and sexually) is distinct from gender identity (your deepest sense of who you are - male, female, two-spirit or third gender, or genderqueer) and gender expression (our outward representation of our inner gender identity).  And, contrary to common usage, gender and sex are not synonymous: gender refers to identity and expression, while sex refers to your biological characteristics.  That is, sex is body, gender is self - and they don't always match.If you'd like to learn more, we encourage you to sign up for an LGBTQ Ally Training Session or contact an LGBTQ Ally Mentor.

A willingness to respectfully participate in gender-bending activity can show an intellectual and social maturity about the nature of gender as societally influenced.  It can help reduce harmful stigmas associated with non-binary gender identity and expression, and start discussions about our participation and reinforcement of gender stereotypes and our collective enforcement of an unequal, unjust gender binary.

As a simple, related example, consider acceptable dress for the male and female gender roles.  Females can sometimes wear (or are required to wear) masculine clothing, with social judgment ranging from minimal (pants are no longer exclusively masculine, and suits can be required for business dress) to moderately disapproving (loose t-shirts and jeans seen as "tomboyish").  Some female gender expression, however, including short hair or clothing associated with construction trades, is often judged much more harshly, frequently with anti-lesbian slurs.  Male gender roles in the United States are held even narrower with respect to clothing, with fitted clothing, accessories, and obvious attention to fashion and appearance judged as feminizing and socially reprimanded, frequently with anti-gay slurs similar to female role non-conformity.  The musical version of "Legally Blonde" features a musical number posing the question, "is he gay, or European?" which reflects the differences in the flexibility male gender roles even between the United States and European countries.  Finally, androgynous dress that reflects neither of the binary gender roles consistently, outside of select subculture groups, is often met with anti-transgender slurs and prejudiced, harassing mixing of gendered personal pronouns and pronouns referring to non-human objects (she/he/it).

Ask yourself...

What part do these societal gender roles play in your life?  How do you comply with or dissent from them in your identity, actions, and speech?  How do they help you define yourself, and in what ways do they limit your personality and your self-expression?  How do you, your peers, and society as a whole hold people to a particular role or judge others on their conformance with these roles?

Have more questions?

Ask an Ally Mentor! Email lgbtqally@snc.edu and we'll answer questions, point you to further resources, or set up a time to meet!