Can Beauty Itself Be Considered a Form of Queer Resistance?
There is much debate about what exactly constitutes "queer." Some people define it as simply being non-heteronormative in terms of gender identity or sexual orientation, while others believe that it encompasses a more expansive range of identities and experiences. One way to look at this question is through the lens of beauty itself - can beauty be considered a form of queer resistance?
The answer may seem obvious at first glance, but when we consider the history of how beauty has been used to police and control bodies, particularly women's bodies, it becomes less clear. From patriarchal standards of feminine beauty that prioritize thinness and passivity to strict codes for masculinity that emphasize strength and aggression, there are many ways in which beauty has been harnessed to reinforce heterosexual norms. As such, one might argue that beauty itself cannot be considered inherently queer, as it has often been co-opted by forces seeking to maintain traditional power dynamics.
We also see examples throughout history of people using their physical appearance to subvert expectations. In her book The Female Thing: Dirt, Sex, Envy, Vulnerability, writer Samantha Hunt writes about the work of artists like Frida Kahlo, whose self-portraits depicted an unapologetically queer body. She describes Kahlo's refusal to conform to traditional ideals of femininity, writing that "her face, painted with red lips and eyebrows, was defiant, almost androgynous." By presenting herself in this way, Kahlo challenged traditional notions of what it meant to be a woman and pushed back against the constraints placed on her body by society.
Drag performers use makeup and costumes to create gender-bending looks that challenge societal norms around gender presentation. While some drag performers may use these tools to uphold traditional ideas of masculinity or femininity, others - such as RuPaul - have used them to create something entirely new, a kind of hybrid form that blurs the lines between genders. Drag is rooted in resistance; it asks us to question our assumptions about who can wear certain clothes, how they should move, and even how they speak.
In addition to visual forms of resistance, there are also ways that beauty can challenge patriarchal structures from within.
Some women choose to embrace their own sexuality through clothing choices or hairstyles that deviate from traditional expectations for female bodies. This can take the form of wearing skirts or dresses that reveal more skin than expected, or having long hair when men tend to prefer shorter cuts. These choices subvert expectations without necessarily being obviously "queer" in the sense of pushing back against heteronormativity. They simply redefine what it means to be beautiful in a way that challenges the status quo.
So while beauty itself cannot necessarily be considered inherently queer, it certainly has the potential to be used as a tool for resistance. By reclaiming and redefining beauty in ways that challenge dominant paradigms, individuals can push back against systems of oppression and create space for themselves and others to express their authentic selves freely.
Can beauty itself be considered a form of queer resistance?
Beauty can be seen as an act of rebellion against the mainstream idea that only certain types of bodies are desirable. It's important to note that there is no universal definition of beauty, so what constitutes "beautiful" varies from culture to culture and person to person. Some people may see it as a means to challenge traditional norms of gender, sexuality, or race.