Bad Ass Women of History: Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy

 Jacqueline Charlotte Dufresnoy was a French actress, singer, and activist. She was born Jacques Charles Dufresnoy in Paris in 1931. Using the stage name Coccinelle (French for ladybug), she was a transgender showgirl working at Chez Madame Arthur in 1953. She also performed regularly at Le Carrousel de Paris, a club which also featured April Ashley and Marie-Pier Ysser, two other prominent transgender performers.

She began to take hormones in 1952. In 1958, Dufresnoy underwent a vaginoplasty performed by Dr. Georges Burou, the first French person to undergo this operation. Upon her return to France, she became a media sensation but would continue her work as a performer and actress working on six films between 1959 and 1968. In 1963, she starred in the revue “Cherchez la Femme” at the Paris Olympia.

In 1960, she married a sports journalist, Francis Bonnet. This marriage set the legal precedent establishing transgender individual’s right to marry in France. It also made her the first transgender woman to be officially recognized by the French state according to her identified gender. She would marry two more times: Mario Costa in 1963, a Paraguayan dancer, and Thierry Wilson, a fellow transgender activist, in 1996.

In 1994, alongside Wilson, she launched the Association Devenir Femme (To Become Woman), a foundation designed to provide emotional and practical support for those seeking gender reassignment surgery. She also established the Center for Aid, Research, and Information for Transsexuality and Gender Identity. Jacqueline died as the result of a stroke in 2006.

There seems to be very little information about Dufresnoy’s life, but this is perhaps a reflection of the time in which she lived and not of her importance to the issue of transgender rights. She is an important figure, and her contributions cannot be underestimated. I think the reason that she is such a bad ass is because she lived authentically in her own truth. 

For every story like hers, there are a lot more of transgendered individuals who suffered in silence. We need to see these stories as equal to our own cis-gendered experiences. There are many speaking out for the rights of the transgender community to be able to live their lives like everyone else. We have beautiful women like Laverne Cox who isn’t afraid to be authentic and live her truth for all to see. I think that is the greatest message that any woman can learn. Be who you are and not who society tells you to be.

Sexual Harassment and the Geek Girl

Each year as con season hits its height, we see more and more information and stories regarding sexual harassment within the nerd community. Sometimes, it takes on serious and dangerous tones when comes to behavior towards cosplayers, but other times it can seem more innocuous. I want to talk about the more innocuous forms of sexual harassment that can take place. 

Sexual harassment is by definition “any unwanted or uninvited verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature.” Most often when we think of sexual harassment, we tend to think in terms of the workplace, but it probably occurs more frequently in everyday interactions than it does in the workplace. Not that it isn’t still a problem in the workplace, but the recent discovery of prevalent and pervasive sexual harassment at a place like Fox News seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Of course, this could be in part to something that I will discuss shortly rather than the fact that the issue has been resolved. 

Women face some form of sexual harassment almost on a daily basis. We don’t often think about it because dealing with these situations have become second nature. How many times have you experienced or heard someone else tell a woman to smile more because she would be prettier? This seems like it is harmless, but it is a form of sexual harassment. I know that I have experienced this on numerous occasions in my life. Perhaps not daily, but at the very least several times a week. Then we have the more aggressive cat-calling that can happen. This used to be stereotyped construction worker behavior, but we are seeing it more and more from people of all walks of life.

Sometimes, this behavior escalates from the verbal to more physical advances. I can’t count the number of times I have been harassed in a public setting, usually when out at a bar or club, by a guy who simply wouldn’t take no for an answer. That is until I would say I have a boyfriend (sometimes true but most of the time not) in order to get him to leave me alone. The only way to avoid this type of harassment was to make it seem as though I “belonged” to another man.

In any of these situations, women are taught to deflect or ignore. The key thing is to not engage. Saying what you think about the harassment that you are receiving can be dangerous. We don’t want to come off as a bitch, so we may politely smile and move more quickly to our destination when approached on the street. We may seek out other women to move in groups in order to protect ourselves. We walk down the street with our keys between our fingers, just in case.

This deflection and ignoring of the situation can become even more complex in a con sort of environment. The issue of consent can become murkier. Of course, any cosplayer wants to show off their hard work and act in character. But when does that cross a line? With the increased sexualization of comic book, anime, and other characters in the realm of nerdom, the lines can be even more blurred. The key thing to remember is to never assume consent. If you want to take a picture with that Harley Quinn cosplayer when you’re dressed as the Joker, don’t assume that physical contact is appropriate unless you ask permission. 

I think the best option is to follow President Obama’s example. A former staffer who worked with him once told a story about a massive picture that the President was going to take. In the picture, he was standing next to this women. Now, it was a group picture, so a certain amount of touching was likely. However, Obama did not just assume that because of the situation, he could put his arm around this young woman next to him. Instead, he asked for consent to do so.

The "Problem" with Female Superhero Films Pt 3: Objectification and Female Sexuality

Another issue closely related to the idea of relational power dynamics is the sexual objectification of female superheroes. When we look at the characterization of female superheroes on the pages of comics, we are presented with women in revealing costumes. These costumes are designed in such a way to show off their physical features. Women are depicted with large breasts and small waistlines. It’s that stereotypical Barbie doll figure.

These costumes when put into the real world are wholly unworkable and impractical. The costume is not designed for any other purpose than to present the female hero as a sexual object. Let’s take, for instance, the comic book costume of Scarlet Witch. Her costume is basically a strapless body suit with a cape, knee-high, high heeled boots, and head piece.

As anyone with large breasts can attest to, in reality, a strapless any piece of clothing presents the possibility of popping out of said garment. That’s just with minimal movement. Add in the physical demands of being a superhero, and it’s a recipe for a wardrobe malfunction. Therefore, when added to the MCU, there were some complaints about the changes to the costume. This costume was less revealing and ultimately more practical; however, it did retain an element of sexualization in as much as the costume was a form-fitting corset, black “leather” pants, knee-high boots, and long tailored jacket with tails.

The problem of transferring comic costuming for women to the big screen is more than just the practicality issues of making the costumes work in the cinematic world. There is also the issue of the rating system as it relates to female sexuality. As previously discussed, the MPAA views depictions of female sexuality with greater scrutiny than depictions of male sexuality. A sexually-empowered female character is more likely to be seen as requiring a more strict rating than what the typical comic book-based film looks for. 

While the objectification of women is problematic, there is something to be said for genuine portrayals of female sexual empowerment. This does not necessarily mean that women wearing revealing clothes is objectification. It really all depends on the reason behind the choice. It is possible for women to wear tight or revealing clothing purely as an expression of their own sexuality. However, when it becomes something that is solely for the male gaze, it becomes less about female sexual empowerment and more about the objectification of women primarily for male satisfaction.

This issue is at the heart of the depictions of female superheroes. When we look at the target demographic of comic book films, they are typically geared towards cis-gendered, straight white males age 18-34. It is also often the case that the writers and directors of these films are cis-gendered, straight white males as well albeit often outside of that 18-34 age demographic. As hard as they may try, and to be fair there are some male feminists at the table, it is impossible for them to really understand the complexity that is female sexuality just as it is impossible for me to really understand the complexity of male sexuality. As a result, female sexual power is boiled down to the lowest common denominator and created for the satisfaction of the male gaze. It isn’t about the choices a female superhero might make for herself but rather looking at what would make her attractive to the target male demographic. Thus it ceases to be honest in its depiction of female sexual expression. 

With the news that the second season of Jessica Jones will be directed by all women and have a mix of male and female staff writers, I am hopeful that this series will have a positive impact on the problem of how female sexuality is depicted in the superhero world. Although it will be helmed by a woman, I am less hopeful about the upcoming Wonder Woman film as it was written by an all-male writing team that includes Zack Snyder, someone who has been at the forefront of the depiction of female comic book characters in terms of fulfilling the male sexual fantasy.