Iranian Men Cross-Dress for Freedom and Women's Rights

by Alex DiBranco · 2009-12-18 22:04:00 UTC
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Here's something you don't see every day: photos showing scores of Iranian men making eyes at the camera from beneath oh-so-stylish women's veils.

It all began when the Iranian government followed that age-old misogynistic gem that the best way to ruin a guy's image is to call him a girly. Photos (allegedly faked) of captured hot-stuff student activist Majid Tavakoli sporting a woman's veil ran recently in a state-controlled rag ... I mean newspaper. In a total rip-off of the centuries old tale of Achilles decking himself in drag to keep from being hauled off to the Trojan War, the Fars News Agency insisted that Tavakoli was using the disguise to sneak away from authorities.

Tavakoli is depicted in a lovely shade of blue that really sets off his eyes, but his supporters are taking a greener approach, the symbolic color of the ongoing Iranian protests. The photos have been published online in an attempt to take down the government's oppression with laughter, building off of Iran's first new-media-is-SO-cool victory, when twittering the Green Revolution opened up a whole new use for the 140 character demon.

While the unimaginative Iranian government might not have been able to think of any better insult than the assumed degradation of putting Tavakoli in women's wear, these men in veils are letting them know that such sexist tropes don't carry water anymore. In the words of one enlightened male blogger, "With great pride I will wear women's clothing, and I am proud to fashion myself as an Iranian women. Do you know why Dictator? Because they were the ones who demanded their rights from the very beginning." Cheers for feminist men, gender-bending, and giving Iranian women the props they deserve.

Hey American guys -- won't you dress in drag to support women's rights, too? 'Cause every girl's crazy for a sharp-dressed man.

Photo courtesy of Beverly & Pack's Flickr photostream.

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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