Some feminists argue that participating in feminine beauty culture makes one complicit in misogyny. In “Trans Woman Manifesto,” Julia Serano defends the feminine beauty practices of femme trans women. She writes:
We must challenge all those who insist that women who act or dress in a feminine manner necessarily take on a submissive or passive posture. For many of us, dressing or acting feminine is something we do for ourselves, not for others. It is our way of reclaiming our own bodies and fearlessly expressing our own personalities and sexualities. It is not us, but rather those who foolishly assume that our feminine style is a signal that we sexually subjugate ourselves to men, who are the ones guilty of trying to reduce our bodies to the mere status of playthings. (“Trans Woman Manifesto,” 549)
What do you think?