Op-Ed: Plain Janes and Glam Dolls
This editorial does not make any statements about transgender people. It examines what seems to be a cross gender phenomena —people of either sex who love glamor.
Chinese Glam Doll Crom Moe.
I’ve been observing humanity for many years and I’ve noticed there are two types of people. One type enjoys expressing feminine glamor; reveling in high heels, sexy dresses, dramatic makeup and all the other things that go with a glamorous feminine presentation. They read fashion magazines and visit websites that focus on high fashion; watch endless YouTube videos about makeup and beauty, and love all that high fashion glamor embraces. I call them Glam Dolls.
The other type of person eschews makeup, wears sensible clothing, never would put their feet into high heels, and keep their hair short so they don’t have to “fuss” with it. These people I call Plain Janes.
The amazing thing is that being one or the other of these classifications has nothing to do with people’s genitals and birth sex. There are males who doll up (at least part time) and there are females who show no interest in glamor. Take a look at the lesbian community. Many women who find themselves attracted sexually to other women adopt the Plain Jane style. Some go very butch. But there are other lesbians, often called Lipstick Lesbians, who buy into the whole glamor lifestyle. And, straight Plain Jane women also wear little — if any makeup. Never wear dresses, hate pantyhose, and like to be cozy and comfortable instead of sexy.
A Pinterest Glam Doll.
In the gay male world many men express themselves as butch, or even ultra butch, wearing leather and growing beards. Other gay men look and act like average guys and they fall right into the Plain Jane category. But some, who are most often labelled Drag Queens, are full-on Glam Dolls more familiar with applying makeup and styling their wigs than any manly pursuits.
Male bodied Glam Dolls have been around for a long time. In all periods of history there have been males who presented themselves to society in feminine attire. Before WW II drag shows were popular entertainment. Then in the 1950s many cities passed laws against being crossdressed in public. The authorities associated the practice of dressing up with sex workers.
Makeup social media influencer James Charles.
Called “transvestites”–and that name associated with sex workers at first– prompted Glam Dolls to introduce the milder sounding term “crossdressers”, and the movement to inform the public that men who dressed like women were not dangerous weirdos got underway. Activists like Virginia Prince went on television talk shows to spread the word. By the 1980s there were support groups, magazines for crossdressers and more crossdressed men were appearing in the media to promote understanding. By the 1990s it became semi-common to see Glam Dolls out and about whether at the mall looking for bargain dresses or at the hippest nightclubs. Most often increased visibility was seen in big urban areas.
Another Glam Doll from Pinterest.
Now in the 21st century young males who want to be Glam Dolls post photos of themselves in makeup, wigs and women’s clothing on sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. They flounce around on Tik Tok and many go out into the real world to have glamorous fun. Some dress androgynously but wear full makeup. Some wear dresses and heels but don’t use makeup or wigs. There is now a large variety of feminine expression to be explored.
A Glam Doll from YouTube.
Why do male bodied people get attracted to and excited by the whole idea of expressing feminine glamor? Why be a Glam Doll? No one knows for certain. If you ask the average crossdresser why they go through the long and sometimes painful process required to present as female they will have answers like, “I just feel good in a dress” or “I feel sexy and more alive when dressed”. The Instagram beauties might say they were inspired by the female Glam Dolls they’ve seen on social media or reality TV shows. Whatever the reason, the male Glam Dolls are there blurring the gender borders and expressing themselves just like their female partners in fabulous glamor. Do some of the male Glam Dolls turn out to be trans women? Sure. That happens. Crossdressing can be a gateway to understanding one’s true gender. Others may crossdress till they are old and gray with no medical or surgical enhancements, while some give up glamor as they get older and settle down. Whatever the reason the Glam Dolls, both male bodied and female bodied, are with us, are having fun, and that’s what crossdressing is all about.
Category: crossdressing, Transgender Opinion
About the Author (Author Profile)
Angela Gardner is a founding member of The Renaissance Transgender Assoc., Inc., former editor of its newsletter and magazine, Transgender Community News. She was the Diva of Dish for TGF in the late 1990s and Editor of LadyLike magazine until its untimely demise. She has appeared in film and television shows portraying TG characters, as well as representing Renaissance on numerous talk shows.Subscribe
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