Woody Allen, The Maker of Modern Androgyny

Scrawnier men. Women in trousers. Snark as sex appeal. Intelligence as an asexual quality.

This would be the legacy of iconic film director Woody Allen (in addition to his films themselves, of course). In addition to creating what may be some of the most sarcastic films ever created (they include phrases like 'the gallery of the overrated,' for Pete's sake), Allen was a pioneer of androgynous culture from the 1970s onward. The works he wrote and directed introduced the idea that androgyny can not only be acceptable in modern society, but sexually desirous. For a community just coming out of the gender-queering days of the '60s, Allen's works gave androgyny a fresh new appeal.

Twiggy Made Androgyny HOT (Andy Jean Heroes Series)

Androgyny is finally starting to develop a general identity. A collective outlook, like how gay men can look to Neil Patrick Harris for a out-and-proud attitude and lesbians can look to Ellen DeGeneres for a so-what-I'm-happy attitude. We don't have that yet, but we Andy Jeans want one. We're looking for heroes to emulate, and a general attitude to use as their own.

That's partly why I'm doing this Andy Jean Heroes series: To point out people whose cultural contributions are helping to create the modern Andy Jean attitude. One of those people was Twiggy, the legendary model of the 1960s. She was 31-23-32, had eyelashes out to there (fake, by the way), and a shortly-cropped haircut that every little boy dreams of...

Marilyn Manson, Androgynous Bada*s (Andy Jean Heroes Series)

Anyone from the 1970s knows Marilyn Manson. The darkest of the dark rockers, who scandalizes people to this day. People petition to keep him away from having concerts in their town. He was one of the societal forces that were blamed for the Columbine massacre.

He screams. He croaks. He's openly blasphemous. He destroys hotel rooms and is then sued for thousands of dollars.

But  the man can rock makeup like no one else.

Frida Kahlo, La Andrógynista (Andy Jean Heroes Series)

Being androgynous is a hard thing in today's world. It's not like being intersex, where at least you can see proof of being caught between genders in your own body. In some ways, it's seen as even more strange by society—being born XY or XX, but feeling like your behavior is really from both ends of the cultural spectrum. You can't be just masculine or feminine. You're a perpetual mixture in your heart, something your body does not express in a way obvious to the world. People don't get you. You don't even get yourself half the time.

So to help out all the little Andy Jeans who are just figuring out what you are, I'm compiling a series of profiles of famous androgynous people. Like I've said before, it helps to have some role models. And I'm here to help you find some.

Let's start with Frida Kahlo, the legendary Mexican artist known as The Dove.

We All Fell In Love With Freddie

Songs from the band Queen was one of my first musical memories. Unable to fully comprehend the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody, I came up with whole stories in my head about what could potentially be going on in this song (a good amount of them were violent, I was a dark little kid).

But above all, I fell in love with the lead singer's voice. The sound of a defiant young man, wretched and tortured but also out of his mind with artistic appreciation for life. I pictured someone like Anthony Rapp, long-haired and brimming with more musical energy than an overly zealous middle school band. A young, straight rock god in leather pants who would take me away.

I ended up with a Indian-Tanzanian who was "gay as a daffodil." But he would still transport me to beautiful states of mind.

The Power of Pictures, Or Androgyny Explained

Her face was blank. “What’s ‘androgynous’?”

This was the millionth time I’d had to explain my identity. It still kinda bugged me. “It’s like I’m both a guy and a girl inside.”

“Huh? Are you bi?"

"No, I'm straight."

The lady I was talking to in the bar continued looking confused. So I pulled my go-to example.

"Have you ever seen the movie Manhattan?"

"Yeah."

"Diane Keaton in that. That's how I am."

"Oooooooh, okay!" Bingo.