During the making of the Theme Map, I found that most of my sub-themes connected to one another and managed to constitute the main essence of the perception of gay men on women. I also established those understandings on the text: “A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk”. Reading the text helped me feel sure about my direction for research and increased my passion for exploring more on it. Surprisingly, I found that the map talks in a coherent visual language. I wonder whether is it that my personal taste influenced my choices or that there are common visual attributes as well?
I am interested in exploring the campy way that women are portrayed by homosexuals. I find that many gay artists take feminine stereotypes and attributes and exaggerate them. I want to know why is it that gay artists and designers present women as eccentric and larger than life?
Another interesting aspect is the element of women being fearless and courageous. I found that it also connects to their daring sexuality. All of those characteristics lead me to my research questions I developed:
1. How do homosexual artists conceptualize women and why?
2. Among male fashion designers, how does a lack of sexual attraction influence their perceptions of women?
3. How is the homosexual gaze on women portrayed in the works of Federico Garcia Lorca and Pedro Almodovar?
