Abstract

This article attempts to explore the role of various sociocultural and religious factors at play when an individual cross-dresses. The article examines how the act of cross-dressing is perceived differently by the Malayalee populace in Kerala. The ritualistic cross-dressing practiced during the Chamayavilakku festival is compared with the secular cross-dressing of Riyas Salim. The study, ultimately, questions whether the Chamayavilakku festival and its positive reception hold the power to truly disrupt the highly entrenched gender binaries of the state or whether it simply reinforces the gender norms by keeping this subversive act of dressing confined to a religious, sacred space, reducing it to a mere performative act. Interviews were conducted with the participants of the Chamayavilakku festival to gain a firsthand understanding of their experience of cross-dressing as women and how they negotiated the notion of masculinity. YouTube comments under the videos featuring the Chamayavilakku festival and a gender-neutral fashion shoot uploaded by Riyas Salim were also analyzed. The analysis reveals that ritualistic cross-dressing practiced during the Chamayavilakku festival is accepted by the people of Kerala because it is part of one’s religious faith and does not tamper with essentialized gender binaries. In contrast, the secular cross-dressing of Riyas Salim is heavily criticized as it overtly challenges gender norms, androcentrism, and gender polarity.