Samuel Riggs | Editor
Trinity Fashion Society have issued an apology via their official Facebook page after last night’s fashion show. The show, which aimed to “revel in the bravery and vigour of once-marginalised people”, was sponsored by Eversheds and was held in The Generator Hostel in aid of Samaritans Ireland. During the show, both male and female models wore clothing intended for the opposite gender, and fake moustaches. This, coupled with the inclusion of the section under the shows’ general title of ‘Insubordinates’, has caused college groups, including Student2Student, to call on Fashion Society for an apology.
According to a statement posted on Fashion Society’s official Facebook page, the moustaches were not used in order to create a “false stereotype”, but were instead intended to promote the raffle in aid of Movember that was taking place later on in the night. They further stated that “we have come to understand that such a use of the term and depiction could be construed as offensive to those of the Transgender community, and for that Trinity Fashion Society would like to deeply apologize for causing any upset.”
Speaking to The University Times, Damien McClean, the LGBT Rights Officer for TCDSU, stated that he was “appalled” at the conduct of the Fashion Society. “For the trans community, gender and clothes can be totally indiscriminate of each other, and TFS clearly do not understand gender.”
Robert Milling, Auditor of Q Soc, Trinity’s LGBT society, added that there was confusion between ideas of androgyny and gender. “Trans* people are not something ‘once marginalised’ in society, considering we don’t currently have gender recognition legislation in this country, and placing trans* people in a category with things like ‘military’ and ‘goth’ is bizarre and offensive.” Milling further spoke out, saying that Fashion Society should have “chosen their words more carefully”, and that “the term transgender as a category for a fashion show in which a number of presumably cisgender people wear clothes of the opposite gender belittles and misrepresents trans identities.”
