It’s a Hairy Thing

by Tin

On February 21st, 2011, the world shook as god of tween girls Justin Bieber changed his legendary, lesbian-esque hair-do, which apparently cost him 80,000 die-hard fans who signed off as his followers on his Twitter account. But the power of JB prevails as the locks of his golden hair were auctioned off for over $40,000 for charity. Benevolent? Yes. Creepy? You bet.

But I am not here to try to understand why anyone would want to collect the hair of a 17-year-old boy.

Androgyny is the Future

by Tin

I am not a fashionable person. Nor am I particularly style-conscious. But my brawny friend and I sometimes quibble about the limited choices when it comes to clothing for our respective gender. He believes that women have a wider variety in clothing and accessories while men are restricted to shirts and trousers. He is undoubtedly straight. But, as he puts it, once in a while he just wants to put on a dress because it is pretty and fun. Alas, he doesn’t think he should considering the scrutiny that will be brought upon him. But he does don a handsome kilt here and there.

I, on the other hand, think men are blessed with the cool gear. It is quite a strenuous task for a woman like me, who prefers a more androgynous approach in her attire, to find a jacket that is not adorned by “princess-cut” shoulders or glitters. Buy a man’s jacket then, you might suggest. No, they mostly don’t come in my size. And don’t even get me started on shoes. That’s why there are sites like FiTTiD Tomboi.

I know that this little debate of ours seems puerile. However, I believe the issue of cross-dressing and androgyny demands more dialogue not just in queer culture but culture in general, particularly when androgyny has slowly seeped its way through mainstream culture.

Meet Andrej Pejic, the most sought-after  male model in the fashion world at the moment.

Let’s Move to Nepal!

by Tin

Still from Other Nature: Transgender identity, same-sex marriage and equal rights in Nepal through the lens of sex workers, runaway couples, discharged army cadets, openly-gay politicians, artists and nuns.

Last month Bikash Bista, the director of Nepal’s Central Bureau of Statistics, announced that they are going to include a “third gender” category in their upcoming census in May. Transgender and gender non-conforming Nepalese rejoice and welcome the fact that they are now being recognized by their government.

The rights of transgender Nepalese are also one of the topics discussed in my friend Nani Walker’s documentary Other Nature.

Race + Dates

by Alicia

Have you ever heard of the free online dating site, OKCupid?  One of the Harvard math nerds behind it is an acquaintance of mine, so I’ve followed its growth over the years. Recently they started blogging about the data they’ve amassed on people’s dating habits. A post about how your race affects the rate of replies you receive caught my eye. Their initial post was on heterosexuals, but they took a close look at the same-sex numbers as well.

Going Sticky

by Doris

Michelle Krusiec and Lynn Chen in Alice Wu's Saving Face

My friend Quentin invited me to Queerious and explained that the blog could be anything from queer identity to what a lesbian usually eats for breakfast. For my first blog, I thought about my most recent and new experiences in my queer life. It’s been quite a queerious journey since I first opened myself up to the same sex in my early twenties. Since then, I have been happily exploring my limits and tastes in my ever richer sexual identity now well into my early thirties.