Let’s look at, for example, the controversial 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry. The film explores the struggle of Teena Brandon/Brandon Teena, a biological female who identified as male. She decided to dress and “act” like a man, presenting herself in such a manner despite the extreme difficulties she faced. Her story ultimately ended in tragedy, but for a short while she was able to be herself, or rather, act in a way that fit in with her desired identity.The real-life implications of living a trans-gendered lifestyle are often frightening. We are not beyond bigotry and condemnation in this day and age, especially when it comes to alternative lifestyles which have not yet gained a degree of tolerance in the mainstream.
In her book Life on the Screen (for an online summary of her chapter on gender passing, click here), Sherry Turkle comments that:“In the physically embodied world, we have no choice but to assume responsibility for our body’s action.” (Turkle 254)This is to say that in real life, our bodies and the biological sex they imply dictate how we interact with others. We are expected to act in accordance with the social norms associated with our sex, acting in such a way as to reflect the gender role of our sex. The anonymous nature of the Internet, however, allows users to don the trappings of another gender without the real-world consequences.
This type of trans-gendered activity online is called “passing”. The Internet offers countless opportunities to pass. Anything that requires a user profile could potentially be used as a forum for exploration into another gender, however, to do so requires more than just setting gender to “male” or “female” (or in some cases “other”). Turkle notes that:
“To pass as a woman for any length of time requires understanding how gender inflects speech, manner, the interpretation of experience. Women attempting to pass as men face the same kind of challenge.” (Turkle 212)But passing is more than just understanding and applying the differences between men and woman. While Turkle acknowledges that passing can result in self-discovery, she does not delve into the motivations of those who choose to pass online, nor does she talk about what their decision to pass may mean.
But is passing just a form of online fraud? It really depends. For example, the desire to pass may stem from curiosity about the opposite sex, an attempt to be funny or impress your friends or play a trick, or to try out a new identity without facing the condemnation or unwelcome curiosity of others. This is especially true during adolescence, when any deviation from the norm is seen as shocking and taboo.
Looking at these motives, we can see that while many may try to pass for a while, any sustained attempt at gender passing online may imply an identification with the opposite sex that may speak more to suppressed desires or gender identities than mere curiosity. This is not a bad thing. Exploration is one of the ways we learn and grow, and may have the effect of establishing sympathy or a shared understanding between the genders, increasing tolerance and cooperation.
Theorists today need to open up more of a conversation regarding online passing and talk about the implications—both positive and negative—it may have on Internet users. Perhaps by taking away the stigma of online passing, we can also make it easier for trans-gendered people to find acceptance in real life.
Tune in next time for the second part of the passing phenomenon—race.
Also, don’t forget to participate in the poll on the sidebar, and as always, leave a comment and tell me what you think.
For further reference, see:
Turkle, Sherry. Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York: Simon and Shuster, 1995.
Formatting fixed 20/01/08.
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ryc - I'm not talking about having a dual identity or anything like that, that's a whole 'nother animal all together, I'm talking about whether or not your identity is self formed, or is it taken by how others see you as?
ReplyDeleteI would say that most people get their identity from their parents at a young age, and as you said, when reaching older ages, they tend to be more like their friends
the question is - what kind of friends do they keep?
I really think this goes back the old "identity informs our actions" vs. "actions inform our identity" debate. Our identity could inform who our friends are as much as our friends influence our identity. After all, we chose them as friends for some reason in the first place, didn't we?
ReplyDeleteAs for dual identities, well, many cultural theorists believe that we all have multiple identities--that it's impossible to have only one identity. It's not so much another animal as a related and very important one. One's identity with one's parents can (and probably will) differ from one's identity around one's friends. You act differently in either situation, and if identity equals performance, your environment necessitate having multiples identities for multiple environments.
I think most people online aren't too certain about a person's gender through writing style.
ReplyDeleteFor example, I've never passed before, but once I made a female character in an online game (I always switch back and forth for each character I make). For a long time, everybody in my guild (pretty much a group of players that help each other) thought I was a girl for that reason. Then I caught somebody referring to me as "she", and I said "uhm, I'm a guy you know. :0".
I've also seen many instances of online writing that seem very gender-neutral. These days I try not to guess whether somebody is male or female until they claim one or the other. :D
Hm...I think maybe that constitutes passing anyway. Just because you're not intending to give everyone the impression that you're female does not mean that people don't believe it anyway. Passing is really more of a performance than an intention.
ReplyDeleteAnd another great point--gender neutrality. In my opinion, this is just another form of passing. Actual (biological) gender neutrality is very rare, so people who construct online identities as "other" or "none" is making a conscious choice not to represent themself the way they are. Does this make gender-neutrality a form of "passing?" I don't know, but I think you could make a case for it.