大象传媒

On a brilliant yellow background, a person in Bozo clown makeup, wearing a big red moustache, aviator sunglasses, leather cap and pants, punches a white gloved fist in the air. Below the image is printed the words 'Normal? Never!'

This past month, I saw the Christmas TV special , watched the Julie Taymor movie Frida (about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo), read Simi Linton鈥檚 and hung out with my flamboyant friend Nathalie, who has CP. The link that connects these encounters for me is non-conformity.

We live in a society that pressures individuals to conform and be as close to the dominant paradigm of 鈥渘ormal鈥� as possible. Assimilation into the dominant group鈥檚 culture, mores and standards is what is expected of everyone. We鈥檙e taught it in schools, in the media and by our peers. The more you stray from 鈥渢he norm,鈥� the more you feel this pressure. Immigrants, people of colour, queers and people with disabilities feel the full force of this imperative to conform.

Rudolph鈥檚 parents try to hide his hideous glowing nose with mud in hopes that he will appear normal. The clay comes off and everyone in the playground is horrified. Rudolph finds a friend in Hermey, the Misfit Elf, who recognizes in him a fellow oddball; however, he doesn鈥檛 find acceptance amongst his peers until he becomes useful to them on a foggy night when his nose leads the way for Santa鈥檚 sleigh His newfound usefulness enables others to look past his disfigurement. This is his way 鈥渋n鈥� with the dominant group and away from the misfits and rejects.

A lot of people think this way, both those who are considered 鈥渘ormal鈥� and those who aren鈥檛 but wish they were. If someone can prove that they are useful to society, then difference can be ignored: we can 鈥済et past鈥� things like race and appearance and ability. A perfect world is one where these things don鈥檛 matter.

But to me, that鈥檚 not a perfect world, it鈥檚 a world where our uniqueness, our individual and collective histories, our distinct experiences are no longer valued. The African-American activist talks about each of us existing in our 鈥渟pecificity.鈥� She doesn鈥檛 dream of a day when her race won鈥檛 matter anymore; rather, she envisions a time when we will be able to acknowledge our connections and similarities and also recognize and celebrate our differences.

My other encounters spoke much more positively to the benefits of not 鈥渇itting in:鈥�

罢补测尘辞谤鈥檚 Frida highlights how fully embodied her uniqueness throughout her life. At a time when Mexican painting favoured the expression of populist social themes with large murals, she chose a personal path and painted small, intense images and explored deeply personal themes. She also refused to conform to the American and European art worlds鈥� expectations of her. She was flamboyant and loud and outspoken. Frida was an original and never deviated from her unique vision.

In her book, cultural critic and activist writes about some of the absolutely unique people she knows in the disability studies movement. They often have dance parties at their conferences and she writes about the peculiar ways in which many of the dancers move because of their disabilities. Someone without a physical impairment couldn鈥檛 move in these inventive, distinctive ways. They stand out, theses dancers, and Linton rejoices in their beauty.

And finally, there鈥檚 my friend Nathalie who is proud to be a queer sort of queer, an activist crip and an alternative thinker. Someone who doesn鈥檛 fit in and doesn鈥檛 want to. She has dyed red hair, wears a leopard skin coat and has an in-your-face presence. She and I don鈥檛 want to be like everyone else. We want to be ourselves, our best selves and not bend to other people鈥檚 expectations. The last time we had dinner together, we raised a glass to toast weirdoes everywhere.

The way we look or speak or dance, the way we draw or paint or sing might be very different from the norm. There鈥檚 beauty there. There鈥檚 difference to celebrate and not to hide away or fear. Many of us want nothing more than to assimilate, but I say, 鈥淲hy be normal?鈥� I don鈥檛 want to disappear. I am a part of a community of artists and thinkers who are doing it differently by highlighting diversity. That鈥檚 me in the Daddy Bozo photo above. That鈥檚 me at my best, I think, when I am loose and expressive. When I don鈥檛 give a toss. I just want to say that I鈥檓 with the misfits all the way.

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