If you’ve noticed more carabiners and dog-eared copies of Stone Butch Blues than usual on your TikTok For You Page—you’re not alone.
A “performative masc lesbian” contest was held in Toronto this weekend. Organized by content creator Zhané, the contest called for butches, studs and mascs of all kinds to meet up at Trinity Bellwoods Park and compete to be Toronto’s ultimate performative masc—and win a $50 prize.
It wasn’t the only contest of its kind to take place this weekend. Several college campuses across the U.S. held their own versions—including Smith College, Bryn Mawr College, Florida State University and Mount Holyoke College.
The contest had all the usual suspects you’d see at any gay bar or The L Word viewing party. Several contestants donned baggy jeans and white tank tops and accessorized with tote bags and Labubus on carabiners. The event’s winner, Jezzie, came out on top after passing out flyers with their Hinge profile on it.
These contests parody the viral “performative male” trend, which critiques men who adopt a “soft boy” aesthetic to be more desirable to women. But performative masculinity is obviously not exclusive to cis men. The “performative masc” contests are a fun way to reclaim—and poke fun at—the performance of gender among queer people.
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