Gender Is Absolutely A Construct, Says Christian Wilkins
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It’s winter but Christian Wilkins raised the temperature at the 2022 Logie Awards when he wore a stunning backless gown, for which he copped online abuse and praise.
“I would describe myself as introvert parading as an extrovert that sort of loves anything shiny and sparkly. And having fun with my friends and petting my kitty. And that’s not a euphemism,” he says in an interview with Star Observer. (Wilkins has a cat named Kylie Meowgue and yes, he does use her full name, but “only when she’s being naughty”).
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All Of Us Are Non-Binary
The 27-year-old model, presenter, fashion podcaster, reality TV star, and porridge connoisseur (he adds coconut yogurt, some berries, and a bit of maple syrup if you’re wondering) believes that “gender is absolutely a construct” and that he “really loves sort of just challenging the concept of masculinity and the idea of what he/him is.”
When asked if he would identify as non-binary he says, “I would probably identify all of us as non-binary to be completely honest.”
Explaining his self-confidence, Wilkins says, “I really don’t put much weight in what the opinions of others are.” He attributes his “unshakable sense of self” to his upbringing and his parents, saying, “I was just very lucky to have parents that sort of never questioned who I was or what I wanted to do.”
My Parents Were Always Accepting
Giving an example of this parental acceptance, he talks about one Halloween when he was around 3 or 4 and all he wanted to do was dress like the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz.
“My parents went out there and they found me green glow-in-the-dark face paint and a little black dress so that I could dress as a witch and they were always just so accepting of me that I sort of never questioned myself,” he says.
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For those wanting to express themself, yet unsure of outside reactions or struggling with confidence, Wilkins has some advice.
Radical Fashionism
Recalling the days when he and friend Andy Kelly had a podcast together, called Radical Fashionism, Wilkins says, “the thing that we used to always quote was from Party Monster, which is, ‘who cares if you’ve got a hunchback? Throw a little glitter on it. Go dancing.’
“I think that that’s such a fabulous ethos because, in this world, there’s only one person that you can count on, and that’s yourself, and if wearing a little pink dress, wearing something sparkly, or wearing pants, or whatever, makes you happy, you should do it because your happiness is actually really what matters in this world.
“And I think that by being a happy person and operating from a place of love, and happiness, it actually creates an energetic transfer. And I think that that’s tangible and it creates visibility and a space for other people to do the same.”
