Working title

‘Warning: explicit content’

What is it?

A project using painted portraits to highlight the ongoing censorship of non binary people and content on social media platforms. It will also seek to directly challenge queer- and non binary-phobia that exists within the LGBT+ community, as well as cishet audiences.

This is part of a joint exhibition project with Etienne Sheidegger – a Swiss non binary photographer who is producing a series of photographic portraits of non binary people claiming their power through visibility and affirming clothing.

The issue – censorship

Non binary people are targeted by trans-, queer-, and non binary-phobic algorithms and people on social media every day. Tactics differ across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook – but the effects are the same. Accounts are frozen or shadow banned, images flagged by transphobic users, or the app themselves.

Our bodies are reported as ‘promoting self-harm’, ‘sexual’, our content ‘not suitable for under 18s’. For showing non binary bodies (e.g. transmasculine nipples are misgendered as female and removed, transfeminine crotches are deemed ‘unacceptable’ embodiments of femininity and removed). For queer expression (e.g. removal of trans feminine people’s images whilst wearing the same clothing which cis women are not policed for) or for talking about issues relating to our community (e.g. calling out transphobia).

It is often our most joyful moments of self-expression and authenticity that are targeted most heavily. This is not accidental. And it particularly affects gender non conforming, non binary people. People of colour, racialised people, sex workers are additionally targeted (e.g. for raising issues of racism, for talking about racial and social justice, for linking to onlyfans).

These actions amount to the censorship of non binary people, stemming from a root belief that our existence is innately sexual, extreme, for adults only. And they extend into the physical world. The same attitudes which underlie this online censoring of queer expression and non binary people also drive the (micro)aggressions we experience in public places and some queer spaces too. For being visible. For existing.

This has implications for broader attitudes in society. We have seen the impact of censorship of LGBT+ content in the UK historically with Section 28, and are currently witnessing attempts to revive such narratives in discourse around trans rights.

This trend is echoed in Switzerland too, which is currently on the cusp of non binary identities becoming visible within the national consciousness. But Switzerland also has a rising anti-trans movement. The link between challenges being faced in the UK and the progression of narratives in Switzerland is something this project wants to draw out, and find opportunities for dialogue and to share learning between non binary artists and communities in Brighton and Bern.

The work

The work will consist of a series of painted portraits depicting non binary people, showing their pride and gender expression in ways that feel affirming and/or authentic. These will be painted onto large acetate sheets which will be suspended, so that viewers can walk around them. On the reverse of each portrait will be printed images of cisgender people in similar poses to the non binary person from social media (which have not been censored).

Directly echoing the poses of each non binary portrait with the cisgender person on the reverse is about directly challenging internalised homo-, queer-, trans- and non binary-phobia, but in a gentle way. To bring any hidden bias viewers might have into the light through direct comparison. Prompting them to reflect on why they might hold these internalised narratives.

Social change

There is a social change goal here; trying to subtly shift attitudes amongst people we might think of as belonging to a conflicted middle. These are people who might hold conflicting views or be unsure about what it means to be non binary. They can be people within the trans, LGBT+, and cishet communities.

The portraits are intended as a space of freedom to express ourselves without censorship, in our messiness, as our whole selves and in our diversity as kinky, faggy, queer, polyamorous, non-sexualised, genderfull, disabled, and more. They are also offering a non-judgemental way for people to understand what it means to be non binary and the challenges we face.

We know visibility alone is not enough. We have visibility for the socially/morally ‘acceptable’, but this hasn’t secured us rights or dignity. This project hopes to contribute to changing attitudes in a small way, by building familiarity with non binary people, whilst not compromising on who we are.

Heading this under the working title of ‘Warning: Explicit Content’ nods to the misleading and biased labels used to brand queer content on social media. Alternatives could echo similar phrases used to justify this censorship – ‘This violates our community guidelines’, ‘Users flagged this as inappropriate’ etc. Titling in this way serves to draw attention to this issue amongst the general public who may be unaware of the specific and ongoing nature of this censorship. With the audience in mind, something more descriptive might also be considered.