“On Trans Women and the Male Gaze”, an article by Cammila Collar, brought light to the trans women’s involvement in the beauty industry. Collar discusses that the beauty industry is as large as it is so that women can satisfy the patriarchy. Makeup is not only for women, but it is what men expect of women and women are to fulfill those unspoken standards. Men want a woman with full lips, long lashes, bright cheeks and clear skin. If men didn’t expect these things of women, would women still meet these standards for themselves? Or, do women unconsciously wear makeup entirely for the benefit of the patriarchy?
Makeup can be used as personal expression, art or a love for beauty, but it can also feed into the patriarchy and give men what they want to see. The patriarchy has been around for centuries, yet it’s only been in recent years that society has found a way to separate the beauty industry from the patriarchy. The one thing that breaks the patriarchy’s beauty rules is the use of makeup by trans women. Trans women who wear makeup prove that makeup is not simply for the patriarchy. Makeup’s sole purpose can be as an art form and a way to express who you are and who you want to be. Collar said, “they (transwomen) piss off the establishment.” The establishment didn’t plan for makeup to be used by trans women; it was simply meant to be used by women for the benefit of men. It’s a power move, a strong move and an independent move for trans women to wear makeup. Women are in a battle against the patriarchy and we can work with trans women to fight against the establishment.
If women want to wear makeup for the benefit of their own beauty, they should be able to without the worry that they are feeding into the patriarchy. We need trans women to continue to push the boundaries until makeup is no longer a piece of the patriarchy’s puzzle.
Collar said, “By banding together with trans women when we engage with beauty (after, hopefully, we’ve already banded with them on everything else), we take it to a place where the patriarchy can’t follow. That’s how we change the cultural notion of who beauty is for. That’s how we shift the gaze.” It proves the power that we have as women if we band together with trans women.
This article proved the power we have as women and as trans women. Makeup is an art form; it’s not just a tool used for male pleasure. If we work together with trans women we can defeat the idea that makeup isn’t for our own benefit.
Collar said, “The patriarchy wants her to live as a him; the patriarchy wants everybody to stay in their fucking lane.” Let’s work together to get out of our lanes and be independent individuals who deserve more than satisfying men and following the rules. This is a powerful generation and it’s about time we realize it. There is no set of rules. If you don’t want to wear mascara but you want to wear a big, bold red lip, go for it. If you want to shave your head and still wear extravagant makeup, do it. It’s time we get out of our lanes and live for ourselves without the voice of the patriarchy steering our decisions.