Since childhood I’ve had a fondness for superheroes. The live action choices were poor, mostly decades-old television shows or poorly constructed cartoons. Still, I learned scattered pieces of superhero lore from these and the occasional comic book. However, these were the days before internet or even VCRs, so any such programming I’d need to track down from meticulously scanning the TV Guide.
On days when I travel, I’ll often wear a Superman or Captain America shirt that I’ve earmarked for precisely this reason. An occasional flight attendant will give a nod of recognition with a comment like, “Thank you for flying with us!” I don’t remember quite when I started this tradition for traveling, but it makes me happy and doesn’t hurt anyone.
Naturally, having always worked in positions where I may dress casually, I’ve worn these superhero shirts to work. On one particular day, as I walked through our building, a development manager looked at me quizzically, stopped me, and asked me to follow him. Next, he led me to Reuben’s office, who turned around to greet us. And there we both were, two of us wearing Green Lantern shirts. We were all very amused.
Only days later, did I reflect upon the fact that we were pair of Mexican and Chinese superheroes.
Dress-like-a-superhero Day
As the years pass, I note the colleagues that similarly wear superhero branded shirts. Furthermore, our common fascination and amusement may bleed into some of our other interests, and we may compare the list of characters for which we have shirts. This is not uncommon; we’ll often chat about different interests as we go about our engineering tasks.
On one particular day, I finally floated the idea, “We should coordinate a Dress-Like-A-Superhero Day.” It would be fun. First, people can pick their favorite superhero and get a shirt. Next, we’ll collectively pick a day. Finally, on that day, we’ll get lunch together and pose for a picture. Yes, the idea was whimsical and silly, and strictly optional. One colleague really liked the idea and committed to driving it. As an incentive, I responded with, “If you get enough people to participate, I’ll even come in as Wonder Woman.”
Before you get wild ideas in your head, this was not cosplay. We didn’t come to work dressed in spandex; we simply came dressed in shirts with superhero brands. Our team at the time consisted of around twenty people; my threshold was thirteen. That is, I agreed to wear a red Wonder Woman shirt that came with headband and Velcroed red cape. Having gotten enough people, we did it and got a group photo. If we’re friends on Facebook, the picture was posted in June 2016. And no, I’m not posting the picture here. 😉
It was great fun.
A great fondness for Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman was one of the few live action television shows that I enjoyed in my youth; the Incredible Hulk with Bill Bixby was another. Naturally, this led me to having a childhood crush on Lynda Carter. However, being secure in my manhood, I have no reservations about wearing a Wonder Woman shirt. Meanwhile, I’ve worn Superman, Green Lantern, Captain America, The Flash, etc. shirts. Why should the gender of the superhero matter at all?
Our little event predated the release of the Wonder Woman movie with Gal Gadot (2017), which only amplified my fascination with the character. While I’d like to think that everyone who participated had fun, this even was strictly optional. To my knowledge, our little event distressed no one.
Only recently did this idea cross my mind… Does my wearing a Wonder Woman shirt, complete with headband and cape, qualify as cross-dressing?
New legislation banning drag performances
Decades ago, I had a fellow colleague that cross-dressed to work. He occasionally wore a skirt and heels into the office. I had no qualms about what he chose to wear; occasionally I questioned his approach to engineering problems, but that’s true about any peer.
That said, several states proposed new laws that ban drag performances. My state and former employer don’t pass judgment on cross-dressing. However, would conducting our Dress-like-a-superhero day precisely the same way be criminal in other states? As absurd as this sounds, can the authorities arrest me for simply wearing a Wonder Woman shirt?
In our haste to criminalize everyone who looks or behaves differently than we do, have we gone too far?
“You’re overreacting. That’s farfetched.”
First, that’s one of the most common microaggressions… to respond with the words, “You’re overreacting.” It demonstrates that you’re not listening and minimizes how people feel. Do you want to work in these circles honestly? Strike that phrase from your vocabulary.
Second, is it really farfetched? Let’s go back to that Dress-like-a-superhero Day. However, suppose a parent had brought their child to work that day and they saw us posing for a picture, including me in the Wonder Woman shirt. If that child then proceeded to ask, “Why is that man dressed like Wonder Woman?” This is a question that they’re not yet prepared to address. Have I harmed their child?
A county in Florida recently fired a principal for allowing 6th graders to see pictures of Michelangelo’s David. Let’s put this in perspective, the most famous sculpture by arguably the greatest artist in history was labeled as ‘pornography’ by parents. That was sufficient to fire the principal. Why should I believe that my shirt wouldn’t be a bigger incident for a high-strung parent?
Given the right time, circumstances and environment, had someone similarly lodged a complaint about the shirt, I could’ve easily lost my job. I don’t think this is an exaggeration.
Are we overreacting with this legislation?
The world constantly evolves; some changes are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I get that. However, I’ll ask you to reflect on this simple idea:
Just because something makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t mean that you’re in danger.
Change is inevitable; you can’t improve anything without changing it. However, historically there are a myriad of situations that we found unfamiliar and uncomfortable:
- Sharing a school with black students
- Sharing a bathroom with black people
- Seeing a mixed (white and anything else) couple
Did any of the above legitimately pose any actual danger? When it comes to drag shows, I understand that they’re unfamiliar and uncomfortable to you, but specifically how are they putting you or your family in danger?
While conservative parents legitimately fear drag shows, it has little to do with indoctrination. It has to do with your children growing up without inheriting your hate, and subsequently looking upon you as a bigot.