They cuddle unabashedly, show off
their long, lovely legs in floral dresses, and put on eye makeup with a
practiced hand.
With their flawless skin, shiny,
straight hair and porcelain looks they are the embodiment of the Lolita-esque
prettiness inspired by the Hello Kitty brand.
However, these are no teenaged
schoolgirls but young Japanese men who crossdress as women, some doing so to
serve as waitresses at a crossdressing bar and café.
The images have been put together
with love – and determination – by Japanese photographer Naoko Tachibana in her
photobook Yuri Danshi, released ceremoniously on 31 July.
Yuri Danshi means lesbian boys and
the book, priced at roughly $20, hopes to help eradicate the negative
perception that the world has of crossdressers.
“I’m a woman but I love people who
crossdress,” Tachibana told Rocketnews24. “To
me it’s clear that if they are cute or beautiful it doesn’t matter what gender
they are.”
Tachibana, who runs a studio with a
male crossdressing clientele and advocates against the ban on crossdressing at
some events in Japan, says the popular perception that men should be a certain
way is “disrespectful”.
“Don’t judge these (crossdressers)
from the viewpoint a man or woman is expected to have but by what naturally
moves your heart,” she says.
“Then you will see it a different
way.”
However, it reqired a tough struggle
to get a publisher for her book. After several rejections, the project was
finally accepted by My Way Publishing.
The launch was followed by a
promotional event in Tokyo Friday that was attended by the photographer as well
as some of the male models. Five of the nine models work in a crossdressing bar
and café.
Last year, Rocketnews24 reported
there was a mushrooming of people in drag. However, unlike the original drag
queens, who favored stylish clothing and pronounced makeup, the new breed
consisted of middle-aged men who simply wore women’s clothes without making any
attempt to hide their forms or features.
In 2008, the Daily Mail reported the
transformation of septuagenarian Malcolm
Murdoch, a former British Ministry of Defense official, who won permission
to dress as a geisha, and donned the identity of Mary Murdoch.
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