FEB 2018 ISSUE 1
E G D I R B E D G A I D I M R B D MIARN YOUTH CULTURE MODER
TEEN DRUG ABUSE
FEIFEI FU INTERVIEW
THE HOTLINE
THE GENDERFLUID GENERATION
A compelling article about the struggle of being a teenager and how drugs can play into it.
This month the topic of rising suicide in teen girls is discussed.
KALEIDOSCOPIC QUEER YOUTH OF AMERICA
An article about the photographer Lula Hyers and her capturing images of queer youth in America.
Photography by Lula Hyers
A one on one interview with FeiFei Fu, an instagram branded fashion icon.
A series of stories from young genderfluid youth across the country.
MIAD MIA M IAD BRIDGE IA BBRIDGE BR R RIID DG GE MODERN YOUTH CULTURE
Teen Drug Abuse Dan Brantl
The Hotline
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Time
A crucial article on the topic of teens and how drug abuse develops.
Kaleidoscopic Queer Youth of America Kristine Huggins
An essential article on the rising rate of suicide in teen girls, and what has been causing it.
FeiFei Fu Interview
9 - 13
Nico Amarca
Photographer Lula Hyers and her instagram photography project of queer youth.
The Gender-Fluid Generation Sarah Marsh and Guardian Readers
6-7
14 - 15
An interview with ifayu of instagram and her interest in all branded outfits.
Social Media
16 - 19
Lennox Lange
A series if interesting and critical personal statements on genederfluidity and their lifestyle.
Wanting to read more or find some of these individuals elsewhere? Look no further.
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20 - 21
Written by Dan Brantl
Implications at or close to home and family are one of the main factors that lead teens to substances. Miscommunication is a por tion of the issue at hand of teen drug abuse.
Deaths related to drug incidents, whether intentional or not are no joking matter, but should teens have their lives ruined by childish mistakes? Depending on the severity of the fault, there should be some sor t of leniency. An ar ticle written by Ernest Freeman at Stanford University states that, “These types of punishments tend to leave students with permanent scars on their records. These scars make it almost impossible to go to a good college, get college loans, and even get well paying jobs. The penalties given, to the person and their record, outweigh the severity of this one mistake.” But is there an exact reason why teens and young adults turn to substances? The younger generation all over the globe deal with issues, which many observers overlook, losing understanding of the problems at hand. Others involved with this understanding may be the parents, friends, or bullies. Mainly issues arise from the attention or lack of attention. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention states, “Adolescents using alcohol and other drugs also often disengage from school and community activities, depriving their peers and communities of the rather positive contributions they might have otherwise made instead of negative.”
In the novel/diary Go Ask Alice a young girl has difficulty relating to her parents. Cer tainly many children specifically teens have trouble with this, but the supposed anonymous author experiences parental neglect. Parents that lack a cer tain amount of communication with their teens are actually neglecting them in a less harsh form. Parents whom avoid or simply just refuse to care for them should expect a higher risk for substance abuse in their children. According to Sierra Koester, “When a child does not feel loved he or she may develop low self-esteem, which may lead to future unhealthy coping mechanisms such as eating disorders, self-harm, substance abuse, or delinquency.” Substance abuse being the focus is directly connected to parenting. Emotional damage can also be caused by the parents’ divorce. The fighting that usually occurs can leave children confused especially if the fighting happens in front of the young. A lot of the time the child may begin to think that they are the reason for the parents’ disagreements. Physical abuse is the other par t of parenting that unfor tunately occurs. Parents that do not know how to handle their kids may become violent leaving the children damaged physically and emotionally.
Teens and young adults that are lost within society often resort to substances that are not only harmful, but some illegal as well. This may add issues to the adolescent’s life.
Teens and young adults that are lost within society often resor t to substances that are not only harmful, but some illegal as well. This may add issues to the adolescent’s life. Substance abuse among the younger population is inter twined with issues, which unfor tunately connect to all aspects of life including family, friends, enemies, law and personal. These problems, which can potentially pilot substance abuse, should be examined with great care, to not increase the seriousness of the issue or issues.
The teens that unfor tunately experience the parental damage may begin to use substances to ease pain. They may want to numb themselves from the world and abuse drugs or alcohol. Friends that aren’t involved in the same activities can help by talking to them about the problems and listening carefully.
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On the opposite end of the spectrum are children that cause harm, both emotionally and physically to other teens. Even though there are places that are pressuring, school is a place that harbors various issues, such as bullies. They can attack violently and cause much harm to others. Bullies either use their physical or mental strengths to make teens feel inferior. The author in Go Ask Alice explains how she experienced pressure from her former friends. She as well as her family is threatened several times. She tries to stay away from drugs, but soon uses and ventures off.
They can discuss their parents’ disputes or violent issues, but they should not be extremely pushy about the topic to insure it does not get blown out of propor tion with the teen. If the troubled teen understands the issues at hand they or their friends can try to resolve them without the pressures of substance abuse. Although there are friends that do not participate in substance abuse there likely are many who do. The closest groups of people to teens that aren’t family are their friends. Although friends can be inspiring not all decisions by friends are a good influence. One of the hardest things to do as a teenager is to avoid giving into peer pressure. There is always at least one bad influence around and to steer clear from temptation is an extremely hard decision for a young person. The idea that loosing friends as well as any hope to have them in the future is a terrifying thought. Emotions can rise and impulsive behavior can occur.
While the bully feels confident and stronger, the individual on the end will feel emotionally harmed and in some cases physically. All of this damage to someone in the younger population can lead to terrible decisions, more specifically substance abuse. They may find that the substances alleviate the physical or mental pain. For teens the use of substances even legal ones such as alcohol is illegal. The abuse can lead to misfor tunes with authorities. (Go Ask The final main pressuring factor of teen substance abuse is the law. Even though the law is there to protect and serve society, the punishments that come from drugs and alcohol may seem harsh at times. While the law tries to help teens by arresting and fining them when caught with substances, this isn’t always the best way to handle the situation. Not only does this affect the teens, but usually the parents and family as well. My cousin was arrested for possession of drugs while at college. He was given two cour t dates and several fines as well as meetings with the College Board. His parents were told to meet as well. While he was able to manage to stay in school, he lost his parents’ trust.
“I’m partly somebody else trying to fit in and say the right things and do the right thing and be in the right place and wear what everybody else is wearing.”
“I’m par tly somebody else trying to fit in and say the right things and do the right thing and be in Alice) the right place and wear what everybody else is wearing.” (Go Ask Alice) The narrator explains that she is disturbed by the necessity to fit in, but can’t help it. She finds comfor t in the drug scene after moving. School is a main breeding ground o f pressure. The younger population seeks friendship and school can be terrifying. Star ting at a new school can be even more of a struggle. Teens may begin to try new substances while seeking friendship. Although school is full of pressure teens also experience the pressures of the people in their society. Some of the people that teens meet can be misleading friends or not really friends at all.
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His parents faced the hard decision of whether or not to let him attend the university for the remainder of his college career due to the amount of fines and risks. Unfor tunately, he won’t be returning and will finish his degree at a community college. His decision to use drugs led to several disturbances in his life. The guidance that the police use seems to work some of the time, but children need other help while struggling with substance abuse. “The uniqueness of adolescent drug abuse means that drug-dependent teenagers usually are not successfully treated with adult-directed therapy.” (Drugs and Society, 497) Programs and rehabilitation centers are more likely to aid then jail time or expensive fines. Yet there are the few that need these harsh punishments to resolve their substance abuse. All in all, the pressures that lead teens to substance abuse cause emotional or physical damage. Thus, the main coping routine that the younger population is drawn to are either drugs or alcohol. Parents’ neglect for teens emotionally varies, but may increase the risk of abuse as well. Physical abuse may be experienced and coping with the issues through substances may be appealing to adolescents. Friends as well as bullies may introduce substances as a par t of initiation of friendship. While these experiences lead them to substance abuse, the law even though protecting can also cause the problem. The guidance they use may help some the harsh punishments can lead to family and society issues. Jail time and marks on permanent records can leave teens with no hope or chance of living a normal life. Teen drug abuse organization’s website suggests that, “Changes in behavior, changes in friends, lying about after school or weekend activities, changes in mood, or depression your teen might have a problem with substance abuse.” Parents should take this inconsideration while being careful not to fur ther the abuse. This does not only apply to parents/family, but friends as well. The abuse of substances should be looked at carefully and treated correctly to not transpire into adult hood.
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THE INFORMATIONAL ON TEEN ISSUES AND HOW TO HELP.
SUICIDE IN TEEN GIRLS TOPIC OF THE MONTH:
HOW TO HELP : Volunteer.
You can help out your peers and teens in your area by volunteering for your local nonprofit to help those in need of support or direct them to professional help.
Seek help.
If you or a friend is feeling suicidal, contact a help line [1.800.273.8255] or seek professional medical help.
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Be a friend.
If you know someone going through a hard time, give them time to process their emotions to you and seek help if need be.
2007
2015
3.4 every 100,000 girls committed suicide in 2007.
5 every 100,000 girls committed suicide in 2015. (1.6 increase)
The suicide rate among teen girls
Overall, this analysis speaks to a rising
reached a 40-year high in 2015,
national trend, CDC suicide expert.
according to new analysis from the
We know that overall in the U.S., we’re
Centers of Disease Control and
seeing increases in suicide rates across
Prevention.
all age groups,” he said, adding that the pattern is “pretty robust.”
Researchers found a substantial increase in suicides among teen girls
It’s unlikely there’s any one factor to
and boys in the U.S. from 1975 to
explain this increase, Simon said, but
2015, with the rate among girls hitting
possible risk factors include a history
a record high. From 2007 to 2015
of substance abuse, mental health
alone, suicide rates doubled among
stigma, and lingering economic stress
teen girls and by more than 30 percent
from the Great Recession in the 2000s.
among teen boys. “In times of economic prosperity, While the suicide rate fell in 2007—3.7
suicide rates go down,” he said. “In
to 2.4 per 100,000 girls. To put it
times of economic instability, suicide
another way: In 2015, 5 girls per
rates go up.”
100,000.
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kaleidoscopi youth of ame
Lula Hyers, the 19-year-old Instagram star and ar tist, has invited me
to Chelsea to check out her shoot of New York’s queer youth, and I’m 37 minutes late (weekend rail repairs, cab-less streets). My last glimmer of hope, the one arguing that I’m not horribly late, dissolves when the guard outside the photography studio explains that kids — just like the ones waiting outside with long, tangled hair and skateboards — have been coming and going since the morning. Past the big black doors, I see that he’s right, that the space is full. There are snacks, drinks, Kanye singing out of the speakers, and a myriad of teens gathered in hoodied clusters. Queer kids deal with more than straight kids, of course. But when you look at the numbers, New York is the gayest, queerest place to be — with more openly gay people than any other city in the US, and many more, and with greater density, than London.
ic queer erica written by kristine huggins photography by lula hyers
The stats imply that New York is a downy pillow on which all queers can rest their weary heads — including the young. There are so many queer-focused services for a kaleidoscopic community, and the annual Pride parade is one of the biggest cultural events of the year. There’s also a flourishing broader discourse around queerness in 2016, including voices like Rowan Blanchard and Jazz Jennings, that encourages all young people to define themselves by their terms, in their own time. Talking to the kids at Lula’s shoot, I first ask them if they identify as queer, and then a couple follow-up questions: When did you come out? Do you feel discriminated against as a queer person living in New York?
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“but every time I met people there’s always this assumption that people are straight and that’s the norm.” A girl named Jo with a sun-shaped afro greets me first, letting me know Lula is busy but will talk later. (I peer over the white room dividers and see Lula’s ponytail swishing as she snaps pictures of two boys smacking each other with roses from the floor, then hugging.) A boy and girl named Ben and Maria dip in. Ben rotates between pronouns because he’s a non-binary gay male, and Maria identifies as pansexual. They learned they were queer at different ages: he met a boy that he liked in sixth grade at summer camp and Maria fell for a friend in eighth grade; and none of their parents completely accept who they are, even in New York. Jo’s parents, both conservative Christians and Jamaican, taught her that it’s her responsibility to heal herself by uprooting corrupting demons. Maria admitted that her Russian-American mother is so homophobic, that she’d probably marry a man to “make life safer and simpler.” Ben’s parents are non-religious New Yorkers, and they’re content with his sexuality as long as he squeezes into binary, heteronormative roles: “Whenever I talk to them about gender issues, they always dismiss it like, ‘These crazy millennials!’ — like it’s a trend.”
“But every time I meet people there’s always this assumption that people are straight and that’s the norm.” So, throughout his life, he has to come out again, and again, and again. Jonas, with quar ter-sized eyes and soft cheeks, was teased as a kid for being who he is, despite all the anti-bullying legislation that passed in the state. “Our experience of being queer is subjective…. But I dunno, there are a lot of misconceptions about sexuality as if it defines someone’s character or interests.” Ten minutes later, Ben swings back with some friends to talk about The Network, a city-wide group with a 999-strong Facebook following that offers queer youth in New York a chance to meet other queer youth. “First, it’s inclusive,” Ben says. “The media puts up these rigid narratives that are nothing like us, pretending it’s what it means to be queer, like the gay best friend… just throwing stereotypes around, but being queer is everything not straight: gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual; and, we’re all in this together.” The Network meets up regularly in the apar tment of any kid whose parents are happy to host over 60 teens in one night. “But it’s getting to be too much,” Ben admits, “We’re looking for a space.”
The boys who fought with roses earlier now sit on the ground over bent legs, eating. Sebastian and Jonas are gay cisgender males who came out the exact same way — initially in fifth grade, when having a “crush” suddenly carried social significance. Sebastian began, “It’s very ongoing. You never stop coming out, or there is never really a coming out moment because it’s so fluid,” and Jonas interjected, “
There’s a huge need for organizations like The Network because GSA — Gay Student Union or Gender Sexuality Alliance — isn’t enough for girls like McKenna, a bisexual high schooler with Cher-from-Clueless cuteness, who worries about coming out in school because “it feels like people will judge you.” “There’s not that many people who are out,” McKenna says, “The funny thing is I know a lot of queer people but I know only two who are openly queer in school.” Health classes don’t cover queer sexualities and genders, leaving students to find the information they need on the internet. Someone else pipes up, “Um, I’m 15 now? I was 13 when I came out and I say, ‘If you’re queer, go on Tumblr,’ because I still haven’t figured out.”
I knew in fifth grade that I liked boys in skinny jeans more than girls, but it was never really a moment like: I know. It was a gradual process.” Sexuality is not a hat you jump out of bed, deciding to wear ; it’s a natural stage of development that you grow into, with age, whether you’re queer or straight.
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heteronormativity is a plague. At queer-friendly spaces like The Network or Lula’s shoot, young people can open up about all their unique complexities, and daily challenges — like people who don’t believe in bisexuality. “A lot of people hate when people mention mono-sexual privilege, which is being attracted to only one gender,” says a girl named Avery, tucking her sky blue hair behind her ears. She’s still grappling with her bisexuality and how everyone views her because of it. Sometimes straight guys belittle her and fetishize her identity; worse, other queers might accuse her of disingenuity, because “being bisexual means the option’s always there to cheat.”
Lula paid for the studio herself, only asking her subjects to bring food to share, and there were tables’ full. To her, being queer is an identity that joins her to a movement. “Heteronormativity is a plague,” she says. “At times I’m privileged to walk down the street and pass as a heteronormative woman, and not be harassed… but queer kids do experience violence.” The beauty of queerness, according to Lula, is suppor ting each other through all of that. “It’s beautiful that kids are accepting themselves younger and younger [she hates the phrase coming out the closet because it implies that there’s something to be ashamed of] and finding community, because that means the movement is getting stronger.” And, that’s what this photoshoot is about. Even in the Western mecca of queer culture, New York City, kids get caught in a labyrinth of potential adolescent pitfalls and identity-shame: bullying, queer-phobia, peer judgement.
It’s dangerous to argue that one kind of queer person is privileged, because all sor ts face discrimination, as I’m continually reminded. But I hear repeatedly that queers of color battle darker issues than white queer people. Arahi’s friends with Avery and Ben and a par t of The Network. She’s bisexual, too. “I hate getting my picture taken,” she says, hunching her shoulders, “but I noticed that Devon [a lesbian who’s unsure of her gender identity] is often the sole Asian that shows up [to queer events]. I have a lot of friends who are queer and white and are accepted but when I talk to my mom, who’s Japanese, she tells me being bisexual is a phase. And back in Tokyo, I’m sor t of alienated as the girl who went wild in America and that I’m white-washed.” According to Arahi, Japan favors conformity over all else; since being queer is considered different, it’s taboo to even discuss. “My friends from back home don’t even invite me over.”
Queer kids need community suppor t and accurate representations of people like them as guides because queerness shapeshifts the world around you. While our predominantly binary-locked world sees everything as one or the other, male or female, to be queer means living in an explosion of other colors. Leaving the studio, I feel a shift from a lighter, looser energy to something stagnant and congested. “This project was made for queer youth.” Lula asser ts. “Yes, it might help other people to understand queerness but this is about representation and celebration for us, by us.”
Lula joins the conversation as everyone begins talking about all the other things that make them who they are. Lula, like Maria, identifies as pansexual. When she came out in high school — a teacher encouraged everyone who wasn’t straight to come forward in class and Lula stepped up — she called herself bi, but then “felt that was a false representation because that meant I believe there are only two genders. Pan suits me because right now; I’m attracted to all people.”
Lula takes scores of selfies for her popular Instagram account, so I ask what a self-por trait of her own queerness would look like. She describes herself arranged in some weird position, switching through an array of crazy outfits — “because I love to dress up,” she says, as if to show off each lovely facet of her identity.
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fei fei fu.
interview nico amarca
GramGen is a series profiling the most radical characters in youth
How would you describe your style?
culture, who continue to shape trend behavior and spark controversy through their avant fashion sense and candid social media personalities.
It’s hard to say what my style is; I wear what I like and what makes me look nice and cool. It doesn’t mean I only wear hyped pieces; I actually do wear loads of unknown brands, too. And if I don’t like something, I don’t wear them even if it’s super hyped or expensive.
Streetwear is often considered a boy’s club, but that stereotype is rapidly dissipating. In a phenomenon which parallels guys’ newfound interest in fashion, style and grooming, women of all ages are proving that sneaker collecting and street clothing aren’t strictly reserved for the fellas. (In fact, some of the greatest feats in menswear have been achieved by designers of the fairer sex.) Of course, the streetwear industry doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to nonobjective treatment of women, but nowadays, instead of falling victim to hype culture and its many paradoxes, some ladies are taking full ownership of it. Such is the case for 20-year-old Beijing native, Feifei. At over 25K Instagram followers, the self-proclaimed “hypebae” has acquired a wardrobe filled with some of the most sought-after streetwear grails the cyber-realm has ever had the pleasure of scrolling upon on instagram.
How much do you spend on clothes a month? It is hard to keep track, but at least 10k per month.
What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a piece of clothing? I can’t remember. Maybe the 2010 Supreme TNF Leopard Nuptse jacket that I paid 1.4k for.
How do you afford everything you buy? I get paid by my parents, and I think I know how to manage my money. I’m not in a rush to sell my clothes, but sometimes when I find grails that I’m looking for for ages, I need to sell the ones that I’m bored of to buy new things. I can’t afford all of them.
We caught up with Feifei to find out more about how she affords her insane spending habits, if she’s treated differently in the streetwear community because of her gender and how she dodges the haters.
Where are you from and where do you live currently?
Do you think that people in the streetwear collecting community treat you differently because you are a girl?
I’m Chinese and originally from Beijing, but I now live in London.
How long have you been collecting streetwear?
Yeah, I think they do. Due to it being a male-dominated scene, mainly guys thinking it should only be for guys, and some people dislike me just because I am a girl, and they think a girl can’t be a hypebeast. I used to think some of those guys were cool, but they turned out to be super narrow-minded and outdated. Or they are just salty. But some guys love to see girls really pulling off the look.
Quite a long time tbh. I can’t really remember…maybe since 2010?
What are your favorite brands at the moment? I like all different brands, so it depends. I love different pieces from different brands. I like Palace, Gosha, Raf Simons and so on…Supreme is probably my favorite though. 14
TE IN W IE RV
Do you get a lot of private messages on Instagram? How do you respond to the haters and weirdos?
What do you see yourself doing in a few years? What career ambitions do you have?
A few, yes. To be honest, I’m actually not an extremely confident person. At first I cared about those comments very much, so when people talked shit to me, I always shared it with my friends. Some weirdo would DM me every day and all he wanted was just a “read” because I replied to him once.
Maybe stylist or something. I don’t know, I don’t think about the future. But I think my career must relate to streetwear in some way.
Now I’ve star ted to ignore those haters, and they are just jealous of me. When someone sees my fit pic where I am wearing a piece they want, they’ll say things like “fucking whack” or “such an ugly bitch.” I would never say that to people that I don’t really know. And I won’t hate people that I haven’t seen in a real life.
Basically, I don’t dislike any brands. Well, I don’t like Anti Social Social Club anymore. I used to like them, and I wanted their caps and hoodie so badly, so I paid resale. But it’s boring now; same print and just different colorways and shit quality as usual. I saw people commenting on Neek Lurk’s page and it seems like it take ages to get them if you cop from their online website.
What do you love and hate the most about fashion right now?
I’m tiny and like those brands but they don’t have my size, but I really like them and I like to wear baggy cloths, so I just buy them. Some people are saying like “all for the hype, so peak.” They don’t know my style, I wear oversized cloths since I’ve been following streetwear.
I used to love BAPE much more than Supreme. I bought so many shark hoodies and tees and I love those accessories. Since NIGO left, BAPE was taken over by I.T, they made another brand called AAPE and now it seems like they are doing crazy collaborations.
Are there any women in the industry who you look up to?
Unlike most Asians, I am not super into Rick Owens. I don’t think it’s not cool, it’s really cool and sick, but it’s just not my style, and I don’t know how to wear it nicely.
There are not many women in streetwear tbh. I really respect Rei Kawakubo; not only did she create COMME des GARÇONS, she also built Dover Street Market which has loads of young and cool brands. No one can replace what she did for the industry.
Well, recently I got the VLONE Nike AF1 sneakers. I like A$AP Bari and A$AP Rocky! I wear them so much.
And Christina Paik is such an inspiring woman. I first saw on her Instagram in some street style shots. She was wearing all BAPE at Paris Fashion Week. It impressed me a lot and I followed her. She’s also a great photographer and she works with Virgil Abloh and OFF-WHITE a lot. I really admire her style and the way she takes photographs. Now she is doing her “MEUFS” Singapore exhibition, I hope one day we could link up, LOL.
Do you prefer quality over quantity or quantity over quality? Umm…this question is a bit hard. I think quality over quantity. For clothing, it doesn’t mean how many pieces you own because I would like to save my money to afford something I really want rather than buying loads of clothes that I would not wear as often.
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Some days Daniela Esquivel Asturias, 21, wakes up feeling feminine and puts on a dress or lipstick. But on others Asturias feels much more masculine and the thought of wearing a skir t induces an overwhelming sense of dysphoria. “I would be equally comfor table with a male or female body. My male personality is more outgoing than my female one. It’s like having both male and female energies and some days a mix of both,” Asturias says. The student from Costa Rica is gender fluid, and doesn’t identify with one gender, instead fluctuating between feeling more male or female. It’s hard to explain, Asturias says, before referring to the way society tends to define gender, on a spectrum. “At one end is being male and the other female, and your kind of move between the two, and usually remain in the middle.” This is just one of the individual stories sent to the Guardian as par t of a survey inviting millennials to define their gender. Young people are increasingly challenging conventional gender stereotypes – half the US millennials surveyed by Fusion agree gender isn’t limited to male and female. OkCupid and Facebook now offer custom gender identities to include a variety of options such as “androgynous”. In the US some universities accept gender-neutral pronouns – allowing students to be called “they” rather than “he” or “she”.
For Ham, 20, who was born in to a British Muslim family, awakening to their gender identity, which is androgynous, began much more gradually. “It came about over the last few years mainly because of social media and blogging. I star ted to discover different views on gender and became more comfor table talking about how I felt” Ham has decided to leave the Muslim faith but says telling family members about feeling agender and bisexual would be far more difficult. “They are less likely to accept my saying that.” Mike, 32, has always felt different, but he only recently came out to his wife as trans, saying he could no longer cope with hiding it. “At first, she was very shocked but she suppor ts me, and lets me express myself around the house or out and about where no one knows me ... Now I have opened this box these feelings of insecurity, and guilt over what I’m doing to my wife and what people will think of me are there all the time. It’s an ongoing internal struggle.” Payton Quinn gravitated towards masculine clothes as a teenager. “If I was a blank canvas with nobody who loves me and depends on me, yes, I would transition, but I’m not, so I have to make the best of my situation. If I did transition, I would lose my wife who is the only person who really cares for me and our child,” Mike says. For now, Mike dresses as a woman at home and has longer hair to feel more feminine. In the case of Payton Quinn, 24, gender is ever evolving. Quinn gravitated towards masculine clothes as a teenager. “I cut my hair shor t and star ted binding my chest. I tried my best to pass as male.” This behavior caused other kids to pick fights, and after getting badly injured Quinn felt forced back to presenting as a woman. But, after striking up a new relationship two years ago, Quinn felt strong enough to appear as male again. “My friends star ted using male pronouns and one day someone referred to me as male, but I felt uncomfor table. It got me thinking – am I sure about this?” It was then that Quinn found out about gender fluidity. “I would say I am gender fluid but also non-binary and trans. My gender is an evolving thing, like my sexuality, the more I explore it the more it changes. The only reason why I feel I should put a label on it is just to make it easier for other people.” There were advances in 2015 for trans visibility and rights, but many respondents talked about the challenges young trans people still face.
We received 914 replies from 65 countries around the world (including some from a group of people who claimed they defined their gender as an “attack helicopter”, which, while in some cases funny, didn’t seem entirely sincere ...). The majority of submissions came from the UK (302), followed by the US (209) and Canada (78). The median age of par ticipants was 22. Replies ranged from people who felt comfor table with their bir th gender, to people who felt agender, trans, and multigender. Many of those who responded discovered their gender identity at different points in their lives. For Jo, 25, a cis woman from the UK, her gender identity has always been clear. She adds: “We are born as male or female, much like I’m born alive rather than dead. Some young people do see this very differently, and this will be a culture change for the world.”
“I am definitely a female. I don’t really know how to identify as anything else... it wasn’t a choice; it was more of a fact of life for me.”
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“A lot of older people aren’t used to talking about non-binary genders, so a little more patience is needed for them.” - Allie, 21
Kyle McQuillan, who was born female, has always known he is a man. Generation Y has been dubbed the gender-fluid generation – Orange is the New Black star Ruby Rose and pop singer Miley Cyrus both identify in this way. The Guardian received 104 responses from people who felt gender fluid to a greater or lesser extent. For some this even meant fluctuating between a multitude of genders. Cam, 20, from Ireland has experienced as many as 10 different genders, including male, female, bigender and agender. “Yesterday I came across another word: fluid flux. This fits with me because I experience several genders but they vary in intensity. They are socially constructed genders in as much as I would probably have described them differently in another civilization, but the feeling is still innate.” Cam is one of many young people asking questions. And this willingness to acknowledge gender diversity is something millennials recognize in themselves. A majority of those who responded (446) felt that they did have a different outlook towards gender compared to older generations. However, a large number (346) also disagreed.
Parker Dell, 24, a trans male from the UK argues that the focus on trans issues actually has its downsides. “Caitlyn Jenner is just another reality TV star, but she’s got people talking, and often not in a positive way. Gender identity clinic waiting times have absolutely shot up in the last year, because suddenly people are realizing that they’re transgender. Not only is supply utterly failing to meet demand, but young trans people are being accused of copying celebrities.” Dell adds that while the growth in role models is good, the idea that a young person is choosing to be trans as par t of a trend (dubbed “transtrender”) is stupid and hur tful. “It’s something too many young people have to deal with.” Alexis Strazds, 23, from Canada is a late bloomer in terms of her transsexuality. “It hit me when I stumbled upon the trans timelines, i.e. trans people posting before/after pictures of their transition. I looked through a bunch and noticed I was feeling envious of those women. Then I was, like, ‘Oh, that probably says something.’” Alexis Strazds has faced stigmatization but says transphobic people tend to just avoid her. She adds: “Over the last couple of years my gender identity has grown a lot, and those shifts towards who I am now, while not without hardship, have felt really great, like I’m genuinely, actually alive now, and like I’m growing and finding myself.” Strazds has faced some stigmatization. “Most of the people who are transphobic kind of just avoid me so I don’t have to deal with it much. I mean there’s creepy and rude people here and there, but that’s kind of it. I gravitate towards good queers, so most of the people in my life are queer people with good gender politics.”
Allie, 21, from the UK, who defines as agenderflux, says: “A lot of older people aren’t as used to talking about non-binary genders as my generation are, so a little more patience is needed for them, I guess. I’ve been told some people in older generations have been confused between terms and different non-binary identities.” Allie’s family are becoming used to non-binary terms. Allie adds that there is still, however, a lot of transphobic language, such as “tranny”, thrown around by acquaintances of all ages. “I don’t think a lot of people realize it’s offensive.” Adam, 20, from the Netherlands, has transitioned from female to male. He doesn’t think generation Y has been brought up with different ideals, but as digital natives young people of this generation can research gender themselves online. “We had the chance to get more information than what was provided to us by older generations. When textbooks at school didn’t give enough information, we looked it up ourselves. If there are things that are taboo or difficult to talk about with people close to you, you can find people online struggling with the same things.” Clo, 23, from the US – who identifies as transmasculine, gender fluid, non-binary, and queer trans – says their family cannot accept them for who they are.
Kyle McQuillan, 27, from the US, is male, but was born female. He identifies as a gay man, saying: “Sometimes I feel more gender fluid, but never female. It’s who I have been my entire life.” He says that we’ve come a long way in the last six years, but not far enough. “I’m not seen to have a mental illness any more, but I still need four letters for a surgeon to perform my top surgery according to Obamacare. Two from physicians approved by the system and two from therapists approved, as well. Of course, due to this, the waiting list is months, and then depending on the therapist the length of time for which you will need to see them varies.”
“People think, just because the words to describe us are new, that being nonbinary is a fad. But people have always lived and felt non-binary there’s just a label for it now. And behind that label is a community, people who respect you and lift you up. We’re not a trend. We’re humans and this is integral to our sense of self. Acknowledgin g our humanity and identity doesn’t harm you.”
McQuillan adds that dating is also challenging as women are afraid they’ll be labelled lesbian. “I’ve heard similar stories from trans women [about men being seen as gay]. But there are also those who stand up for us in the gay community. A friend and I went to a strip club, both of us are transgender, and were told we needed to come back on lady’s night if we wanted a lap dance, and a friend of ours, a gay man, also a drag queen, stood up for us. Even in the gay community we experience discrimination, but the more that our voices are heard, the more acceptance we are receiving.”
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feifei fu @ifayfu
FeiFei Fu is an instagram model who models fully branded outfits from several high end brands. She has worked with numerous brands and ar tists that can be viewed on her instagram account.
lula hyers @lulahyers
website: lulahyers.com
Lula Hyers is an instagram photographer who notably captures queer youth and has a unique take on displaying these people and telling their stories. Find more of her stunning photos on her instagram.
the hotline @MIADBRIDGEhotline
This month suicide amongst teenage girls was covered, the topic changes from month to month. Next issue will be covering weed use amongst teenagers and how it affects a developing mind.
alana boone @peregrine_scout
Alana Boone is a MIAD junior illustrator know for her fantasy illustrations. She collaborated with us to create a unique work for an interesting ar ticle about genderfluidity.
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