#performinggender

Performinggender - a gender connected to performing, or feels like a performance

performingboy - a gender connected to masculinity but feels almost like a performance

performinggirl - a gender connected to femininity but feels almost like a performance

“Like a lot of queer people, for a while I tried to fit into my assigned gender and to perform femininity. Then, after coming out, I started trying to be read as male and changed the way I acted and looked based around this. While many elements of trying to "pass" did feel natural to me, in some ways it was as restrictive and imitated as presenting in a feminine way was. Now I'm trying to realise that being trans is actually a way to open up and expand how I present myself, rather than to limit it.”

- Choose one of your “quick characters” to develop further. Write a bio for the character and find images that inspire this character. Post bio and inspirations on the blog and/or in your notebook by 10am on 9/4. -

Storytime! So, I was having trouble coming up with a character, which is odd, because I’m usually pretty good at generating characters for stories and games. Trying to help me (because they’re just so amazing like that), my friends then suggested that I could use my favorite DnD character. My initial reaction was to reject the idea, because tiny, gender-ambiguous half-elf children wearing dark cloaks are not what I think of when I think about drag. But then I was like “wait,” and now, my dear non-existent readers, I introduce you to Naeris. 

On the outside they aren’t much to look at - little more than five feet of kick-ass assassin constantly hidden under cloaks in a variety of the darkest shades possible. As a rather quiet individual, if more than a little sarcastic, they often come off as standoffish to those who aren’t familiar with them. Their reserved nature and concealing outfits perfectly suit their role in the party. However, what if their cloaks are concealing much more...

Just picture it: the final event, the show, where everyone else has already come out and performed with their colorful personalities and even more colorful outfits. Then the next performer emerges. Everyone holds their breath, eager to see. And they see... a cloak? The classic mysterious figure of movie and video game legends? There is much confusion as the figure marches across the stage. They pause in the center, bending over to stage-whisper a secret. “You must be confused, just wondering why I don’t look like them. Well, I can guarantee that I look just as good, if not better. You just don’t deserve how fabulous I am.” They continue to act coy for a moment, maybe fake walking off stage, gauging the audience’s response. “But...if you really want to see, I suppose I could give you a little peek.” So they throw off the cloak, and underneath they’re all sparkly and glamorous as the rest.