Shattering gender taboos in Gabriel Baur's Venus boyz

Abstract

The representation of female masculinity is a relatively new cultural phenomenon that started in the mid-1990s, mainly in Anglo-American contexts and which was highly influenced by the tenets of queer theory. As part of the recent renaissance of drag within gender and sexuality studies, the drag king phenomenon has not received the academic attention that it should, especially when compared to representations of femininity by men. Thus, the present contribution will analyze the film Venus boyz as one of the most influential visual vehicles through which to foster visibility onto different embodiments of female masculinities. Venus boyz has the merit of being the first documentary feature film that portrays the drag king phenomenon and other queer FTM transgender persons, a pioneering task whose merit should be acknowledged. As will be seen, then, by dislodging masculinity from maleness, the social and cultural codes of gender identity can be altered and troubled, not only to shake the foundations of orthodox configurations of gender, but also to articulate new paradigms of identity configuration.