Beauty is a subjective concept that varies from culture to culture, but it also has historical roots in western society. Historically, women's bodies were seen as objects of pleasure for men, which led to the idealization of curvy figures and large breasts. Today, beauty standards have evolved to include both physical appearance and personality traits such as confidence, intelligence, and wit.
What does this mean for individuals who identify outside of traditional gender roles?
People often believe that the way an individual looks and presents themselves is linked to their identity, including their sexuality. This leads to beauty standards being used as tools to police gender expression, often creating binary expectations for how people should look and act based on their sex assigned at birth.
Cisgender men are expected to be masculine, while cisgender women are expected to be feminine. These strict gender norms can be harmful for nonbinary individuals who may be perceived as gender nonconforming because they do not fit into these categories.
In addition to gender norms, there are also cultural and racial beauty standards that intersect with sexual identity.
White people are typically seen as more attractive than Black or Brown people, perpetuating racism through beauty ideals. Non-white communities face additional pressure to conform to Western beauty standards in order to be accepted in mainstream media. This exclusionary narrative further reinforces the idea that certain groups of people are "ugly" by nature, leading to negative self-image issues and body dysmorphia.
Beauty standards can be used as a form of social control over marginalized communities.
Trans women who present themselves in a feminine manner may face discrimination or violence if they do not meet cisgender women's beauty standards. The same goes for trans men who present themselves in a masculine manner - they may be shamed for not meeting cisgender men's beauty standards.
Beauty standards intersect with sexual identity in complex ways that affect all of us. By understanding how society views beauty, we can work towards dismantling it and creating a more inclusive world where everyone is free to express themselves authentically without fear of judgment or oppression.
How do beauty standards intersect with sexual identity?
Beauty ideals are linked to gender norms and societal expectations of sexuality. They are shaped by social constructs that emphasize specific traits as being desirable for men and women, such as femininity or masculinity. For nonbinary people, these concepts can be even more complex due to their unique identities.