Someone on here criticized the Kurdish makeup artist on the basis of “it is not desirable in our culture for men to dress as women” but what’s interesting is that Kurdish culture is filled with ritualized/institutionalized cross-dressing traditions.

Now I don’t mean that Kurds were doing drag shows 100 years before Rupaul or that “cross dressing” was somehow accepted outside the context of the traditions but it’s interesting in regard to how people view the norms of “their culture”.

Most of these traditions have died out or been forgotten in our lifetime. “Cross-dressing” can be found in art, like literature (Mem û Zîn) or modern theatre (Heme Çawşîn in jin be jin).

Some of these are a product of cultural history, others are forged by patriarchy that limits women’s participation and therefore men/boys are used instead. Women “dressing up as men” have however been more socially acceptable (in almost all cultures) for the reason of the later.

Some of the bûke be baran (Rain Bride) traditions includes cross-dressing, for example women dressing up as men. The Rain Bride was a interplay between superstition and “children’s game” by the time our parents were playing it. You can read about it here: https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqba8h 

Other traditions including “cross-dressing” are the “Paşa Newrozî” (Newroz King - the king was sometimes played by a woman). There is also “the Newroz couple” in which two men dress up as bride and groom for entertainment. https://twitter.com/lawwwen/status/934479587580489734

A friend on here who is a Kurd from central Anatolia just told me that in their villages, men would dress up in women’s clothes towards the end of the wedding (for fun/entertainment?) as a form of tradition.

Another note: Not all “nêremûk”s (hermaphrodite”) we have heard of from elderly were biologically intersex, it’s likely that most individuals were people who did not act according to their designed gender. Problem; they were often “accepted” within the boundary of “madness”.