Jaden Smith: If he was a local gay, you would be wearing him out.

So, by now we know that Jaden Smith is a model for Louis Vuitton and has embraced some semblance of gender fluidity. Well, first let me go check his age before I make any further comment. Hold on.

Ok he's 17. So on account of not wanting too much backlash, I won't talk about how attractive of a person he is and how he looks a lot like his dad-- even though his dad seemed to be cuter older than he was younger to me. But cool, yeah I won't talk about that. I will also say that I have always been intrigued by his sense of fashion. The only thing that gave me pause was when he was doing the flowers in his hair- thing. It had nothing to do with respecting his gender fluidity; I just didn't like the look. It looked stupid to me. But either way, he is very fashioned to me. He has also stood by his heterosexuality or at least has not been active in saying he's otherwise. He is a pretty talented kid, from a wealthy, Hollywood family, with a beautiful sibling and very open minded parents.

So, this is the thing.

If he was gay, you would be wearing him out for having on a dress.

I'm just saying because of the fact that he is a man with money, he can afford to make it look like a high fashioned man. I mean, not only can he afford the most expensive of clothes and if he is a thrifter, he isn't thrifting at the Thrift Store next to Fallas Parades or Palais Royale, but he is the MODEL for Louis Vuitton, so that's acceptable.

Now, let a cute dude you are interested in walk into your local Bella Noches with a dress on and watch how fast you turn to your friends and act as if you don't see him or know him.

It's as if mainstream culture is constantly evolving, but we in our local communities are not being progressive at all. I can remember a couple years ago here in Houston before the force that is known as Joshua O. Johnson (pictured above) started really making a name for himself. I'll never forget being in the club and walking through with my friends looking at him crazy because he had a bald head with dress and heels on. Now, he has made such a name for himself in the fashion community and around the world, that it matters not what people say. I don't think much has changed in regards to our community's understanding of Josh's fashion sense and inspiration as I still watch Josh still today defend himself and his fashion on social media. It still goes to show you that this would be treated as absolutely derogatory if this happened in our local communities.

Further, I would present an argument that if he was to come out as gay, then he would really lose all respect from us- us meaning the gay community and the world as a whole. Right now what is protecting him is some connection to the heteros and wealth privilege. No matter if he puts roses in his hair, wears knee length skirts and mesh midriffs, he will still be a presumed straight child of Will and Jada Pinkett- Smith.

If he was to come out as a homosexual man, he would loose what bit of credibility he has because, as of right now, he is doing something "cool". I think of it in the same way it's funny and cool that Channing Tatum got in drag on the LipSync Challenge, but Odell Beckham can't do a runway walk. Even though Jaden has more of a wealth privilege and Channing has white privilege, it is relative in terms of being able to do something that would be generally bad based upon what popular culture has ranked them at in society: Channing is funny because he is married to a beautiful woman, Odell has to be gay because he isn't married and is always with men versus Jaden is cool because he's straight and popular, Josh is weird because he is mixing "being a boy and a girl". Different types of privilege, but privilege just the same.

So, why does it matter? Why is this important for us gays?

It is concerning to me that we can be so homophobic in our own communities. I know that sounds harsh-- but to me that is exactly what it is. Homophobia. We don't like anything that doesn't look like a heteronormative human being: you need to either be a "masculine looking male" or a "passable woman". Further, don't let you be a self-identified masculine male who likes to wear "the other gender's clothes" in the homosexual community. We don't see that. The moment you start to experiment with fashion, we are placed in a box and considered to be feminine. Even using terms like "gender fluidity" is a cop out to me in relation to this particular situation. All that is saying is because he picks clothes that is flowy and whimsical, he has to be questioning or unsure of his gender. That dude is not "gender fluid", he is simply wearing the clothes that he likes. He is enjoying fashion.

I just think that, if we are going to be open minded enough to adore Jaden Smith's fashion choices-- as we should-- then we need to be more open minded in our communities. Call it gender fluidity, non gender conforming, agender or whatever you like, but just let people be themselves. Stop our internalized homophobia especially if we want the stigma of being gay or LGBT to go away within our general black community. That's all I'm saying.

- The Normal Anomaly