Actor Billy Dee Williams rocked the entertainment world this week by announcing that he is gender fluid and identifies as both male and female. However, hold the presses. His statement wasn’t exactly what it seemed.
Lifestyle
The 82-year-old Billy Dee Williams is best known for appearing as Lando Calrissian in the hit 1980 film “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” for starring opposite Diana Ross in the films “Mahogany” and “Lady Sings The Blues,” and for his Colt 45 commercials during the ’90s.
In a recent Esquire interview, Williams explained that he does not exclusively embrace just his manhood.
“I never tried to be anything except myself,” Williams said. “I think of myself as a relatively colorful character who doesn’t take himself or herself too seriously.
“And you see I say ‘himself’ and ‘herself,’ because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine,” he continued. “I’m a very soft person. I’m not afraid to show that side of myself.”
However, Williams has since backpedaled on his remarks and said that at the time he didn’t fully understand what the term “gender fluid” actually meant.
“Well, first of all, I asked last night. I said, ‘What the hell is gender fluid?’ That’s a whole new term,” Williams said. As for his comments to Esquire, he said he was misunderstood.
“I was talking about men getting in touch with the female side of themselves. I wasn’t talking about sex, I wasn’t talking about gay or straight. I’m not gay — by any stretch of the imagination. Not that I have anything against gay people. But personally? Not gay.”
The concept of being non-binary and gender fluid has seemingly become “trendy” or, at least, openly embraced by a modern generation.
The thought is this: we are all both male and female because we all have both a mother and a father and because we all identify as either male or female only because of our dominant gender and recognizable genitalia. Therefore, many within today’s generation have begun to refer to themselves as “non-binary” or, of no single gender.
Interestingly, the term has been adopted by more males than females because they dislike and/or are uncomfortable with what is traditionally considered “masculine” and would prefer to embrace their feminine as well as masculine sides.
“Toxic masculinity,” or the belief that all males must love sports, be able to work on cars, chug beers, and act as a womanizer has given rise to more people choosing to dump single genders in favor of a fluid one that can go one way or the other at any given moment.
Now, although the 80-something Billy Dee Williams has embraced his feminine side, he wants it to be crystal clear that he is neither gender fluid or non-binary.
With that thought in mind, today’s question is this: is it possible for someone to legitimately be non-binary and gender fluid? Or, are the terms merely a convenient “cop-out” for males and females of a modern generation to give themselves permission to act outside of “traditional” gender norms?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
However, Williams has since backpedaled on his remarks and said that at the time he didn’t fully understand what the term “gender fluid” actually meant. [..]-DJ
When I first heard about this story, my initial reaction was ‘Say what?!’
And the fact that he’s now backpedaling doesn’t surprise me at all. He’s 82 yrs old and appeared to be living a good life. Why he felt the need to *go there* in the first place seems a bit crazy to me.
Whatever his “gender” I’ll just chalk his decision to needlessly open himself up to ridicule and scrutiny (especially given his age) as a lapse in judgment.