A lot of people will see someone dressed in a way they
dislike, or with a body they don’t find attractive, and respond with actual
anger—as if it’s a direct offense to them. As if a stranger’s appearance is supposed
to please them, and the person is neglecting their job if it doesn’t. Especially
if the individual in question doesn’t seem to care. This is expressed when
somebody is disgusted with another’s style (usually a woman’s, although I have
also heard this directed at men) and says, “I don’t want to see that.” As if
everybody else’s sole reason for looking the way they do is to appeal to that
viewer.
I've heard this about everything from revealing clothing, to
piercings and tattoos, to styles that are just seen as silly, to factors like
size and age. As if once a person crosses a certain threshold of weight or
years, they’re now obligated to isolate themselves at home. As if occupying time
and space on this planet is an indulgence (thank you, Industrial Age hangover). The one making the comment will
sometimes accuse the other of being “selfish” for their visibility, completely
oblivious to the hypocrisy of that idea. Additionally, those casting this
judgment very rarely meet the beauty ideals they demand of others. They often even dress in a style similar to what they mock.
To be clear, I do think there are fashion choices which are
not appropriate to all settings. Wearing a wedding dress to a wedding when you’re
not the one getting married, obviously. Walking into a preschool in assless
chaps. And something like blackface or a decorative swastika is strictly reserved for “Nobody, Nowhere, 0:00 p.m.” But that’s because those
choices branch out beyond personal taste and into the “making a wildly hostile
statement” territory. Those statements are obviously, deliberately directed toward
people with the intent to harass them. Especially symbols
that are aggressive toward marginalized groups. Those are the most harmful on a
widespread scale, because they reinforce a power imbalance and highlight a traumatic history.
An outfit which shows a lot of skin can be a gray area. It's true that a body in itself shouldn’t be seen as offensive. (That doesn’t mean
anyone is obligated to feel attracted to another person or to think they’re good-looking.
But the fact that I don’t think someone looks good should not offend me. Their appearance isn’t my
clickbait media. And likewise, nobody is obligated to think I'm attractive.) At the same time, people shouldn’t be forced to see nudity. This
is where one’s wishes may impose on another’s consent. But to some people, any
glimpse at a person they think is ugly—even if fully clothed—is regarded as a
violation, which is ridiculously selfish entitlement.
As I mentioned, this isn’t only directed at women by men. I’ve
heard women do this to each other. I’ve heard women do it to men. I’ve heard
men inflict it on one another, and every gender variation in between. It’s true
that men are also ridiculed and discriminated against for how they physically
present themselves, and how they involuntarily look. I would say, though, that
a man’s overall value tends to not be judged by his appearance to the same degree
as a woman’s. This judgment over appearance and personal style also severely
affects trans men and trans women. Many ignorant people feel threatened by seeing
those whose clothing and bodies don’t meet traditional gender norms. That is
never the fault of those being attacked for it. A person’s gender expression is
nobody else’s concern.
The transphobia that creates the sense of feeling “attacked” by simply seeing a trans person is similar to the type of fear and outrage inspired by seeing other marginalized people wearing what denotes their identity. Clothing associated with those of lower economic status, for example. I can’t count how many times I’ve witnessed people up in arms over “that knockoff [insert brand name]” or “that ratchet getup.” It’s not just the clothing that disturbs them; that’s shorthand. Just as some are upset by the bodies inside the outfits, many are outraged by the people whom the attire represents. An outfit is rarely just an outfit and a body is rarely just a body—even if oppressed people are reduced, in the public eye, to their appearance alone. People encompass identities, and vice versa. The real sense of indignation derives from feeling threatened by the fact that some humans make their existence known without apology. No matter how ridiculous others may say they look, they’re wearing their dignity. To those with privileges to lose, that armor is seen as a sword.
The transphobia that creates the sense of feeling “attacked” by simply seeing a trans person is similar to the type of fear and outrage inspired by seeing other marginalized people wearing what denotes their identity. Clothing associated with those of lower economic status, for example. I can’t count how many times I’ve witnessed people up in arms over “that knockoff [insert brand name]” or “that ratchet getup.” It’s not just the clothing that disturbs them; that’s shorthand. Just as some are upset by the bodies inside the outfits, many are outraged by the people whom the attire represents. An outfit is rarely just an outfit and a body is rarely just a body—even if oppressed people are reduced, in the public eye, to their appearance alone. People encompass identities, and vice versa. The real sense of indignation derives from feeling threatened by the fact that some humans make their existence known without apology. No matter how ridiculous others may say they look, they’re wearing their dignity. To those with privileges to lose, that armor is seen as a sword.
