Because I was boy, I was told that I'm not supposed to cry or show weaknesses in order to be a "real man".
I was also told that I'm not supposed to have long hair, or like nail polish because anything that could be seen as feminine would lessen my identity as a man.
As I grew up, I discovered that if I was gay, I was allowed to like feminine things, but the problem is that I was attracted to women... and anything feminine would automatically make me gay.
Two years ago I started wearing women's clothes, and I thought I would receive a lot of hate and rejection.
I was ready to lose friend and be harassed in the streets.
But Costa Rica welcomed my gender fluidity with love and open arms, and all my friends gave me an unbelievable amount of support.
Not everyone gets the support and love I have received. Young boys and adult males who come out as gay, gender fluid, drags or trans often receive rejection, hate and a tremendous amount of violence.
Men who show feminine characteristics often get beaten up, killed and end up committing suicide because they don't have any support and they feel so alone that life isn't worth living.
Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the dead and la Catrina is its most inconic female figure.
That's why we chose this subject for a photoshoot to celebrate femininity in men and all the men who died so that we can live in a more free and more tolerant world.
If you're reading this, I'm curious to know:
What does femininity in men mean for you?
Love,
Noam
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This project took over 15 hours of work and wouldn't have been possible without wonderfully talented artists who created the scene for me to shine in.
Thank you to:
Kathy Monge for the makeup - https://www.instagram.com/kathymonge
Chris from Avanti Barbers for the bear and hair -https://www.instagram.com/avanticr
Eva Bolanos for the photography - https://www.instagram.com/evacristina_cr
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Photo taken in San Jose, Costa Rica on 30 Oct 2020
More info: elmundodenoam.com
