Although it is still a debated topic within society, the restriction of gender roles in today’s society are constantly being broken. Who we are and how we express ourselves is no longer important. Labels are becoming used much less and looking at how we are now, although we have a long way to go, we are much more free to be who we want to be compared to how it was in the past. During the 40’s 50’s and 60’s in America you could have been arrested for “cross-dressing” if you were not seen to be wearing at least three articles of clothing not assigned to your biological gender. “In LGBTQ circles around the country, this was known as the three-article rule—or the three-piece law.”(1) However, this law did not technically exist, it was just the polices way to try to control and oppress the LGBTQ+.
The LGBTQ+ community has always been around and had brave voices such as Claude Cahun. Cahun was a trans photographer from the early 20th century who broke the gender norms of the time with their work. In this portrait we can see cahun looking away from a mirror. This shows how they refused to conform to the gender rules that had been set in place for them and shows us the duality of gender and gender expression. When asked about gender expression they stated “Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.”(2)
Reference list
Ryan, H. (2019). How Dressing in Drag Was Labeled a Crime in the 20th Century. [online] HISTORY. Available at: https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-lgbtq-drag-three-article-rule.
Tate (n.d.). Claude Cahun 1894–1954. [online] Tate. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/claude-cahun-10611.