Breaking the Gender Mold: Art Project!

[Frost Indri]

Hey there. A friend of mine from my community studio is doing a project focusing on gender identity. She's making little statues of people based off of surveys they fill out, and is trying to make a large installation piece about people who do not fit our cultures gender molds. She's a pretty interesting person herself and she's very passionate about the project. Lets get some bi women represented! The survey doesn't take to long to fill out (though the artist would appreciate more than a Yes or No answer).

Information on the project and how to participate:
http://projectgender.blogspot.com/

Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/projectgender

[Bryony]

I filled it out and emailed it! This is something I have been thinking A lot about lately and I had just become a fan of theirs on facebook!

[Deasal]

I did the survey, too. It was an interesting bit of self-reflection, I enjoyed it.

[Persephone]

I am doing it too

[Frost Indri]

awesome! Glad to see the bi-dykes being represented. Anyone feel up to sharing some answers?

I managed to describe myself image of woman as being a cheetah-- strong female hunter. Sleek and powerful. (subtext of hot bitchness!)

[Bryony]

Here is the email I sent in.. word for word...
What is your name?
Bryony
How old are you? 27

What do you do for a living?
Caregiver
What do you do for fun?
Dancing, video games, boards games, reading, baking desserts

Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where do you live now? Born in Ashland Or, Grew up in Portland/Vancouver moved away for college and had to come back, am living in Portland now.

Do you feel like you belong/fit in there? Why or why not? I am beginning to feel I am fitting. I feel it is ok to be who I am am or who I am not. It is due to age, a good supportive community and the fact Portland is full of like people who follow no general guidelines.

Are you or have you ever been married? What are your thoughts on marriage? I have never been married, right now I am not interested, I know I wish to one day but right now is definitely not the time.

Do you have kids/ Do you plan on having kids? I have no human kids, I am on the path to not having kids, as my job is taking care of people who act like children. I do however have a Cat whom I care about and react to as a Parent would a Human child. I worry about him and do everything in my power to give him a good life, make sure he has a roof over his head, and food and water.

Were you raised in a religious household? Are you religious now? I was not and am not, I am more spiritual, and have my own ideas on how God works and how it effects my world.

What is your sexual orientation? I would say bi, but am steadfastly approaching lesbian

How do you identify your SEX? Male, female, neither? Is this the sex assigned to you at birth? I know physically I am female, and I appreciate my boobs, but mentally I feel I relate and think more like a guy. I am more comfortable in jeans than a skirt and I love low cut shirts... when I truly think about it, I identify with neither.

How do you define your gender? How you think this differs from your Sex, if it does? Gender definition is hard, found that gender queer fits best as definer as I don't have to choose who I am everyday, and if I feel one way I can go that way and the very next day, I may be completely different. This at this point does not differ from what I see my sex as, due to I don't see it, everyday is possibly different, and one answer may never fit.

Tell me about your schooling. Did you go to public or private school? What is the highest level you
completed? What was your high school experience like? I went to public school, and attended 4 years of college, but I burned out and quit about a year and a half before my degree was complete.

What are some things you remember doing as a child to "fit in", if any? Do you still do any of this today? I played sports, wore pink clothes, played with dolls. I do NONE of this today, most I do to "fit in" is be myself and not let anyone else define me, in PDX that is kind of fitting in...

How would you describe your "style"? Clothes, hair, etc? What do you think this style shows about your personality? I am enigmatic, eclectic. I tend to stick with jeans, but have low cut shirts, boots, sometimes baggy clothes and sometimes you may catch me in a skirt. My hair is short, A frame, cute and works for me. I put on mild make up. I feel this style shows I care, but not over done. And somedays it shows that I just don't care.

How did you feel about your body when you were growing up? I felt weird, different, unsure what to do with it.

How do you feel about your body now? am starting to be ok with it, get to know it and work with it.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? Flat out, my thighs, am trying to be ok with them, but still hate them!

What is your favorite thing about yourself? I love my eyes but my boobs are a very close second!

Do you know what you want to be when you "Grow up"? I have no clue... still searching.. but I know it is close...

[Deasal]

Since we are sharing, here is mine

What is your name? Deasal

How old are you? 48

What do you do for a living?
Sales, wholesale power tools and hardware

What do you do for fun?
Medieval armored combat, spear fighting is my specialty. I am the #1 female war fighter in the Pacific NW and western Canada. I also hang out with my dogs, ride a Harley, paint, write, embroider, make tooled leather armor, and cook.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Forest Grove Oregon, then a smallish farming community. Moved to Portland as a teen and lived the rock and roll lifestyle for a while. Now I live in a secluded little house in Canby, Oregon.

Do you feel like you belong/fit in there? Why or why not?
I never feel like I quite "fit in" anywhere, but have chameleon-like skills.

Are you or have you ever been married? What are your thoughts on marriage?
Divorced after a decent 15 year marriage to a nice guy. Not sure about re-marrying though.

Do you have kids/ Do you plan on having kids?
I have 2 awesome sons, ages 21 and 24. They are the best part of my life.

Were you raised in a religious household? Are you religious now?
I was raised Conservative Baptist. I am now a solitary Hedge Witch.

What is your sexual orientation?
Bisexual

How do you identify your SEX? Male, female, neither? Is this the sex assigned to you at birth?
I don't really identify myself with either sex, I prefer to classify myself as "tomboy", more of an asexual mentality (though people insist on telling me I am sexy and sensual.. I don't feel it)

How do you define your gender? How you think this differs from your Sex, if it does?
I do define my gender as female, more because I identify very strongly with my earth mother persona than anything sexual.

Tell me about your schooling. Did you go to public or private school? What is the highest level you
completed? What was your high school experience like?
I went to your basic small town high school for the first 2 years then was able to go to the Metropolitan Learning Center in Portland (the "hippie school"), it was a freeing, mind & eye-opening experience. I completed 2 years of college when I was younger, and am now back to it part time as a Criminal Justice major.

What are some things you remember doing as a child to "fit in", if any? Do you still do any of this today?
I did follow the crowd when I was younger in an attempt to not feel like an alien, but was never one to submit to peer pressure to the point that I would act against my own morals or standards. Today I only do what is neccessary to fit into the workaday world to make a living, but I live my life the way I want to.

How would you describe your "style"? Clothes, hair, etc? What do you think this style shows about your personality?
Tomboy-punk-hippie-biker chick. Long red hair in braids, Levis, Doc Martins or Converse high tops, tee-shirt and hoodie is the basic uniform, leather jacket when I ride.

How did you feel about your body when you were growing up?
Awkward, too tall and too big for a proper girl. I've been 5' 10" since I was about 14 years old.

How do you feel about your body now?
I love my height and body and all the miraculous things it does for me. I do wish I hadn't abused it so much when I was younger though.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would love for my joints to be as strong as the muscles and bones connecting them, I have chronic pain in most of my joints and a knee that is pretty wonky. But it doesn't stop me from going out and kicking ass.

What is your favorite thing about yourself?
My artistic nature.

Do you know what you want to be when you "Grow up"?
A published author, or a Criminologist, or both.

By the way my grandparents are George and Pearl Wright, I don't know if you have heard of them? I though maybe as a ceramics artist you might have. My grandpa Is "The Clay Man" and used to provide most of the clay used at the various art schools in the Pacific Northwest and has been witten up twice in Pottery Magazine. My grandma was a founder of the Tualitan Valley Art Assoc, and used to show paintings and sculptures regularly at the Blackfish Gallery. Just name-dropping