Think first before deciding to dress up as Caitlyn Jenner this Halloween.
What is the difference between being bisexual and pansexual?
Bisexual and pansexual orientations can have some overlap, but there are some important distinctions. The traditional understanding of bisexual reflects someone who is attracted to both men and women. In contrast, someone who identifies as pansexual is attracted to people regardless of their gender — meaning that they can like men, women and individuals of any and all genders. The important distinction is that bisexual individuals are attracted to people based on a binary understanding of gender while pansexual individuals can be attracted to people who identify as any gender within and outside of the binary. Recent formal and anecdotal scholarship reflects that some bisexuals are not limiting gender to a narrow binary, but instead describe their attraction as being toward two genders (their own and one other gender, instilling that their attraction is to two gender, not that gender as a whole is limited to two genders).
What is the big deal about the Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume?
Halloween is quickly approaching based on the topical costumes that have begun popping up. This year, most notably, is the costume depicting Caitlyn Jenner’s outfit for Vanity Fair. At first, it might seem like wearing this costume is in some way honoring the trans community by adding visibility. It’s not. On anytimecostumes.com, the Caitlyn Jenner costume is listed under the “humorous” section. Trans identities are already extensively mocked in mainstream culture and to reduce this identity to a “humorous” costume is deplorable. This costume reduces the incredible choice to live as you truly are into purely aesthetics that reinforce problematic gender norms while also making a joke of the struggle to pass that many trans people experience every day.
In 2015 alone, 16 transgender women have been murdered. When you wear the Caitlyn Jenner costume you disrespect the lives that have been lost to transphobic violence, you disrespect transgender youth — 1 in 5 of whom are homeless — and you disrespect the countless people who continue to hide out of fear. The costume also reduces trans people — especially trans women — to their bodies, which is connected to the wider systemic objectification of female bodies.
Mocking a group of people is only appropriate and/ or funny when that group is in a position of power. For example, dressing up as a banker and burning fake money is funny because it reveals the careless practices by some in positions of power and mocks those who oppress the general population through their misuse of resources. It is not a undermining of their identity, but a critique of society. Often times when a trans person begins to change the way they dress, we are ridiculed and perceived to be wearing a costume when in fact we are simply living out who we are through clothing, be it a corset or sweatpants. To make a costume labeled as “humorous” based on the journey of one trans person is deplorable and reflects the need for ongoing education on how #translivesmatter.
Delfin Bautista is the director of the LGBT Center at Ohio University. Do you have a question relating to the LGBT community? Email them to lgbt@ohio.edu, tweet @oulgbtcenter with #qaqueer or post to the center’s Facebook page, oulgbtcenter. Individuals who submit questions will appear anonymously in our responses.
