The Many Awesome Ways to Be Androgynous

February 1, 2017 / M. Slade

What does androgyny look like?

Maybe a certain image comes to your mind – like being thin, white, and masculine. But it’s way past time to expand our ideas beyond this narrow picture.

So here’s a comic that celebrates the many ways to be androgynous! Does this help open up your idea of what androgyny really means?

With Love,
The Editors at Everyday Feminism

Click for the Transcript

Panel 1

(Two thin, able-bodied white non-binary people pose fashionably. One is DFAB with a Ruby Rose look and the label “White Tomboy Chic” above them. The other is DMAB with some glam rock make-up and the label “The David Bowie” above.)

Text: When we think of androgyny, specific images always come to mind.

Panel 2

Text: And those looks certainly are cool. But there are a lot of other great ways to be androgynous.

White Tomboy Chic: Wait, what?

The David Bowie: There are??

Panel 3

(A pear-shaped non-binary person and an hourglass-shaped non-binary person walk together holding hands.)

Text: For instance, you can be androgynous and curvy.

Panel 4

(A fat DMAB non-binary person is proudly wearing a pink crop top that says “Crybaby” on it.)

Text: Or androgynous and fat.

Panel 5

(A suave hijabi is wearing a tuxedo while holding a pink rose.)

Text: Maybe you want your androgyny to be a big, grand statement.

Panel 6

(A wheelchair user with limited control of their arms looks off to the side. A friend with cerebral palsy who uses crutches sits nearby.)

Text: Or if you need it to be a bit more subtle.

Wheelchair User: Aaaaaand guardian’s gone. Let’s get those pins on.

Crutch User: (Putting a pin that reads “they/them” on the underside of Wheelchair User’s jacket collar) I’m on it!

Panel 7

(A male-presenting non-binary person wears a skirt.)

Text: You can be androgynous and femme.

Panel 8

(Panel is split into two sides, one that says “Girl Day” and one that says “Guy Day.”)

Text: Even when stereotypes about race try to gender you in certain ways.

Panel 8a (Girl Day)

(A thin Asian DFAB wears a pretty dress and some white guy swoons in the background.)

White Guy: (heart eyes) How submissive!

Asian DFAB: (To screen) I’m still non-binary…

Panel 8b (Guy Day)

(Asian DFAB is now wearing attire traditionally associated with masculinity and is suplexing the terrified white guy.)

Asian DFAB: (To screen) …both days!

Panel 9

(A butch transfeminine non-binary person leans on a motorcycle drinking from a mug that says “Cis Tears.”)

Text: You can be trans and androgynous.

Panel 10

(A transmasculine non-binary person who isn’t on testosterone is wearing a drag queen outfit and waiting backstage with a bunch of DMAB drag queens at a drag show)

Text: Even if you’re not on hormone therapy.

On-Stage Announcer: And now our next performer: Miss Gendered!

Panel 11

(All the non-binary people from the previous panels – including the first two – are chilling together.)

Text: There are so many awesome ways to be androgynous.

Text: The only limit is your imagination!

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M. Slade is a Contributing Comic Artist for Everyday Feminism. He is New York-based cartoonist and illustrator. Aside from creating artwork for EF, he also has a weekly webcomic about his experiences realizing he’s a trans man: Adventures In Genderland. M.Slade also works as Co-Head Editor for the Independent Publishing Section of ComicsVerse.com, and you can find his articles here. In his spare time, he can be found nerding out about video games and cartoons, or crying while petting his cat. You can check out his website here or his Tumblr here. Check out his EF comics here.