Millennials: The Gender Fluid Generation
Half of all Millennials believe that gender exists on a spectrum, and shouldn’t be limited to the categories of male and female, according to Fusion’s Massive Millennial Poll, which surveyed 1,000 people aged 18-34. These findings suggest that young people are moving away from a binary conception of gender, a major shift from previous generations. Whereas in the past, gender was viewed as fixed and binary, youth are now embracing gender as a fluid and entirely self-defined construct according to Fusion’s study. Gender fluidity has gained traction and prominence in the media over the past 2-3 years and has been embraced and essentially, legitamized by public figures who go beyond the binary, not just in what they wear but in how they self-identify.
Jaden Smith
“I feel like people are kind of confused about gender norms. I feel like people don’t really get it. I’m not saying that I get it, I’m just saying that I’ve never seen any distinction.”- Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith (pictured above), Young Thug (pictured below), and other male entertainers have been praised as well as criticized for their often notably gender fluid styles. While their choice to explore gender fluidity in their presentation is nothing new, as evidenced by artists such as Prince & David Bowie, it is nonetheless applaudable to see men, and public figures at that, rise above the hypermasculinity often forced upon them. What separates these artists from their predecessors, however, is that those artists existed during a time that was arguably way more accepting of their styles. Over the past three decades, there seems to have been a regression in the way we view gender, characterized by stricter societal rules about what is deemed masculine. Jaden Smith, Young Thug and the like, are now not only defining what it means to be a man on their own terms, but ignoring the concept of gender altogether.
Young Thug
“In my world, you can be a gangsta with a dress or you can be a gangsta with baggy pants. I feel like there’s no such thing as gender.”- Young Thug
Ruby Rose
Actress, musician and model, Ruby Rose has long been vocal about the rigidity of the gender binary and gender roles, especially as they pertain to her own identity as gender fluid. When asked what gender fluidity means to her, Rose said, "Gender fluidity is not really feeling like you’re at one end of the spectrum or the other." “For the most part, I definitely don’t identify as any gender. I’m not a guy; I don’t really feel like a woman, but obviously I was born one. So, I’m somewhere in the middle, which, in my perfect imagination is like having the best of both sexes. I have a lot of characteristics that would normally be present in a guy and then less that would be present in a woman. But then sometimes I’ll put on a skirt.” Ultimately, Rose just wants people to feel empowered to define their own identities, and live their lives in a way that feels authentic. “The takeaway is that only you know who you were born to be and you need to be free to be that person.” (Huffington Post, 2015)
Ezra Furman
Singer-songwriter, Ezra Furman, has become a role model for genderqueer and gender fluid youth. Gender identity is something Furman says he'd grappled with for a while, borrowing clothes from close female friends and trying them on in secret. And aside from his own self-actualization, Furman says his feminine presentation also stems from an innate desire to help other questioning youth looking for a relatable role model who, like him, felt stifled by the male-female binary or traditional gender norm (Paper, 2015).