Scott Sternberg | Gender Identity and Fashion

"Talking about what brand you're wearing is gay in the bad way. Just keep quiet and play dumb if someone asks. Talking about what a great deal you got on the aforementioned item is worse. If you must, tell your mom, because she has sale empathy and will take your victory as her own. It's sick."
Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders


Although the fashion industry is usually very fem-forward, this quote from Scott Sternberg brings up some serious issues by using the term "gay" as a value loaded term. ( "gay in the bad way"). He uses gay as a pejorative term - further affirming the position of heterosexuality as the preferred and powerful. In doing so, he not only makes sweeping assumptions about an entire demographic, he limits the expression of all men by implying fashion knowledge is undesirable because it is equated with both being "gay" and "bad". This also limits men and their enjoyment of art of the broader scope.

He then goes on to aligns all these characteristics that are undesirable for men with ... women! Heterosexual men are affirmed as the best and in associating these traits with women he subordinates them, and at the very least, creates otherness.

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