An Open Letter on Dancing With Gender

[Shana A]

An Open Letter on Dancing With Gender

September 8, 2011, 10:52 am
By Laurie Essig

http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/an-open-letter-on-dancing-with-gender/39087

[...]

Although this is surely how Chaz sees his world, it is a conservative view of gender and of gender roles. In this sense, Chaz is, according to an article in The Advocate about him, "finally the man he always wanted to be."  And that should give his conservative critics a sense of ease—a man, dressed and appearing in a masculine manner, will dance with a woman, dressed and appearing in a feminine manner.

The dancing will be heterogendered. The gender presentation binary. And the heterosexual matrix will be upheld. The fact that such straight dancing isn't enough for Chaz's critics gets to the fear and loathing for anyone who defies the gender expectations that were put on them at birth even when they completely conform to the gender they chose as adults.