Gendered Pictures. I LOVE to eat. I'm a big fan of food. And this passion for eating usually means I become a gender suspect as I tend to eat more than the guys at the table or as I pose for pictures while stuffing my face with food. 
I've taken these three pictures off of my facebook album and the only comments under them are all about my friends doing gender to me. "Anj, you pig!" "I can't believe you ate more slices than me." "Who are you??" etc. The girls in the hip hop dance picture are smiling all "pretty" and I'm trying to swallow the last bite of pizza.  Heres a picture of me at the food fair in Chicago. I pretty much made it a point to pose with every type of food dish I could. My friends nicknamed me "hungry man" or something to that effect which I didn't understand. 
Heres a picture of me in my awkward 7th grade stage when I didn't really look like a "girl". In this picture I come across as a refugee but in general, I wore the most conservative boy shorts and tshirt swim suit to that party and I just remember standing out so much because I didn't want to expose my "girly" body just yet. I used to envy the girl on the right with the super soaker. She had a boyfriend, wore the "cool" type of swimsuit, had long flowing hair, and the list goes on. She was a "girl". 
The next set of pictures are show how my Indian culture genders me. 
This is the "typical" Himalayan chorri outfit that I put on in Haridwar, India because as a little tourist attraction they dress you up, snap away, and sell you the enlargements. I can't even imagine what would have happened if I had wanted to wear the "men"'s outfit instead. People would have gathered around I'm sure. Lots of gossiping. It would have embarrassed my family to no end. 
Here is how my religion genders me as only women would be allowed to cover their heads with their dupattas even if we're in the Himalayas and its 20 degrees and freeezing. Women in Hindu culture also wear the "red dot" in a certain way. My brother is seen wearing the powder in an upright position that signifies his Brahmin stature and that he is a man. 
The picture above is of me at a movie shoot where I danced as an extra. It was filmed at 4am and it was SO COLD that I kept putting a beanie on in between shots. This was not very "girly" behavior and the other girls commented on how flat my hair would be. I think the worst time to gender police me is when I'm cold. I don't CARE when I'm cold. I will add 20 layers to my outfit and look homeless if I have to in order to stay warm. Gender goes out the door. Here is a picture where I'm actually doing all the "girly" things and yet it doesn't seem like it. I'm wearing a feminine night gown that no male would be able to get away with, my roomate is applying henna/mendhi to my hand in a pretty flowery design, and my braid + glasses look somehow make me seem very domesticated and house-wifeish. Gender norms are funny because I would Not go out like that. 
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