Beautiful Boys.

Harry Styles at the 2019 Met Gala Image Credits: Manchester Evening News “He wears pink, he is GAaayY!”.  “OMG! What’s on his face? Makeup?? Hmmm…cute..looks like a *fairy, haha!” “Is he wearing earrings? Well, we all know who does..duh..girls… Homosexuals!!!” I would like to categorise the above three types of stereotyping under the broader category of fashion, i.e. A MAN IS GAY BASED ON HIS FASHION CHOICE. (The term ‘fashion’, describes “popular or latest style of clothing, hair, decoration, or behaviour”.) Let's learn some more by eavesdropping on a little conversation. (It's 7 May, 2019, a day after the famous Met Gala was held in New York. Back home, here, in Fatorda, Goa, Blake, Rohan and Hosea (fictitious characters), are having quite the chat.) Hosea: Did you guys check out yesterday's Met Gala? The celebrities really dropped the glamour bomb on the red carpet! Rohan: (Dude) I know right! The sheer *pizzazz in the clothing was amazing! How do they such outfits. I mean Harry Styles' and Jared Leto had quite the look. Hosea: Harry Styles! I know my sister and her friends are really obsessed with his look! Blake: (Geez!) What was so good about his outfit? All I saw him wear was a "revealing" blouse, a earring and nail polish! It all screamed "girl" to me! Which guy does that? No wonder people think he's gay! Rohan: That's no way to judge someone! Nowadays, so many guys are experimenting with their looks, what's wrong with that? It's the 21st Century, people's perspectives and styles have evolved. Blake: Well for me it's simple, a guy should stick to the natural order. Why do we need to venture into female wardrobes and mix with "female colours"? What happened to the time when men were strong and dressed the way they are meant to. Where have the "strong men" gone? Hosea: Sure, we are all open to our own opinions, but the reasons we have to support them, must be factual. We have grown up with the unquestioned rule of, blue colour, pants/ shirts/ suits for boys/ men, and pink/ dresses/skirts/blouses, for girls/ women. But do we know who has set these standards? There is no written law that states this. Rohan: You know the other day I came across an online article about men's fashion. Are you guys aware, that in the Roman times and in the era of Queen Elizabeth I, men used a red pigment for their cheeks or covered their faces with a white powder?They even painted their nails red! Egyptian men wore eyeliners as a way of showing off their masculinity. Blake: I know, you shared it with me, I didn't read the whole article though. But to me, it just doesn't seem right. I would never dress the way Styles did, or for that matter, even Ranveer Singh, I would just feel weird. Definitely no earrings, nail polish, or floral colours for me! I don't want people to think I'm gay!! Hosea: Blake, isn't Neymar, your favourite footballer? Also, aren't you a fan of Brad Pitt? Blake: Definitely! But what's the connection? Hosea: Well, Neymar wears earrings and Brad Pitt paints his nails! And both of them are not gay! Neither is Harry Styles or Ranveer Singh. Rohan: Look, the point we're trying to make is, just because a guy loves experimenting with his fashion choices, be it floral colours, makeup, earrings or nail polish, does not mean he is gay. In all honesty, I thought exactly the way you do when I was younger, but I guess with the changing times, I changed too. Blake: Well, if you put it that way.... Rohan: And given that people express themselves in multiple ways and are not limited to the manner in which they identify, it's only right that we keep an open mind, no matter how bizarre or"not right" it may appear to us. Hosea: Exactly! Lives have been guided by heteronomous forces for so long, making it burdensome and tough for many striving to break free from these confines. Blake: But that doesn't mean I must agree with or accept someone's appearance and dress choices. Hosea: Look, you are entitled to your opinion. However, try not to let your views be shaped by outdated assumptions. Rohan: Yea, I mean we've come a long way from those assumptions that dresses and skirts are only meant for females and pants and ties are only meant for males. Blake: Whatever you guys say. Anyway, I gotta go, I have to pick up my brother from his dance class. I'll see you guys later. Rohan and Hosea: Bye Blake. Harry Styles Image Credits: Dazed Digital In a world that's ever changing, with new trends, styles and perspectives, the right thing to do is adapt and change with the times. The things which set each of us apart may be immeasurable, but there is one basic factor that links all of us- man, woman, transgender, together- and it is the fact that we are all HUMAN. We must all remember that it is personality and behaviour that maketh the man.  So, let's ditch the stereotypes and embrace our existence on this planet! Live and let live.                                         Ranveer Singh                                                                                 Neymar                          Image Credits: Pinkvilla                                                                                                                 Image Credits: The Sun              Image Credits: stephdey- Wordpress.com P.S: The point of this post is to drive home the fact that in a world that is ever-changing, and with people that are also constantly evolving, rigidity and intolerance is damaging not just to the self, but to others.  *Fairy-  A offensive term used for a gay person- meant as an abuse.  *Pizzazz-  attractive combination of vitality and glamour.