December 21, 2005, - 3:49 pm
New Feminist Discrimination Claim: Gay Male Designers Too Dominant; Not Enough Chicks
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I used to think that gay men were the one sacred cow of feminists–the one group of men that they didn’t totally hate and maintain as a target of their attacks. Straight, masculine men, bad; gay, effeminate men (who act like women), good–was the philosophy of the Gloria Steinem, bra-burning (and now sagging) crowd.
But now, I’ve been disabused of that notion.
Fashion designer Tara Subkoff is whining that fashion “is a gay man’s profession” and that women are somehow discriminated against. The New York Times reports on Subkoff’s further claims that Vogue editor, Anna Wintour, only supports young, gay male designers.
I think I smell a push for a new brand of feminist affirmative action–this time in the fashion industry.
I’m no supporter of gay rights, but puh-leeze. The fashion industry is capitalism. It’s purely market driven. If you’ve got it, you’ve got it. Subkoff’s own clothing line–the blasphemous, sacrilegiously named “Imitation of Christ”–is one of the hottest lines of jeans in fashion, today. It has nothing to do with her gender or her sexual preference. Ditto for Juicy Couture, run by two straight, married women.
The Wall Street Journal recently ran a front-page story about struggling new designers, focusing on Derek Lam (ostensibly gay and definitely male). Despite having the Bush twins wearing his designs, he is struggling–a lot more than Subkoff and her “Imitation of Christ” Line. Most of the others profiled were gay males, who were barely surviving.
So, if feminist whiners like Subkoff have their way, what’s next–quotas for feminist women designers in Manhattan’s “Fashion Week” fashion shows? Or special set-asides for straight, female designers on Seventh Avenue and at Bloomingdales?
Like most wines, this is one fine whine that doesn’t look good spilled on fashion. I suppose next we’ll be hearing complaints by feminists about gay males in the cosmetics, hairstylist, and flight attendant fields.
Tags: Anna Wintour, Debbie Schlussel, fashion designer, Gay Male Designers Too Dominant, Tara Subkoff, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Vogue editor, Wall Street Journal
What nonsense! It IS Capitalism.
Can you imagine a bunch of guys going on the offensive because there were no male strippers dancing at Scores, or because there weren’t any guys wearing tight, skimpy midriffs exposing their chests at Hooters?
C’mon!
Thee_Bruno on December 21, 2005 at 4:25 pm