Gender bender bends perceptions
Pride Centre volunteers bust the gender binary and open minds
Kaity Brown
News Editor
The second Gender Bender of this academic year took place at The Hub with an impressive line-up of performances.
A group called the Fake Mustache Troupe strutted their stuff on stage. Some of the performers were Alexandra LeStraight, Howie Feltersnatch, Tom Cat, Dmitri Star, DeVery Bess, Al and Dave and L.I.C King.
Andrew Neild, a member of the Pride Centre, said that it was more than just a fun night out — the performances and the meaning of the Gender Bender event can teach a lot to students and represent a voice that is not being heard.
“There are individuals here at the school who were either assigned the wrong gender at birth or who are intersex individuals who were actually born with both or neither in some cases,” said Neild.
Neild said that the Gender Bender Pt. 2 came about because of the popularity of the last one in October. Up to date, Neild said that he didn’t think there had been an academic year where two Gender Benders were put on. Pt. 2 was put on by volunteers at the Pride Centre.
“This is really the only opportunity for those who don’t confine to the gender binary to express themselves in a way where it is open. It’s also an opportunity for those who were assigned male and identify as male and those who were assigned as female and who identify as female to experiment and see how the other gender actually experiences the world.”