Young movie star Jaden Smith (son of Will and Jada) is making news because of his experiments in gender fluidity. Smith’s experiments are mostly fashion-based — a skirt here, a handbag there — but his style choices are stirring conversation. Americans think more about gender and gender fluidity than we ever have — what with Olympic gold medalist Caitlyn Jenner‘s high-wattage transition and the way nobody bats an eye (though lots of long lashes) at reality shows about drag queens. But gender fluidity is hardly new. It’s not even a newly public sport, or new to the famous. Long before even Boy George came ashore in the 80s, the late great luminary David Bowie ruled the androgynous gender-fluid category with lean aplomb and a winking smile.
[If ‘Gender Fluidity’ Is New, What Was David Bowie?]
Smith, who is 17, will star in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Get Down” for Netflix this year. And to show his versatility as a 21st century personality — not just as an actor — he has been wearing some skirts for Louis Vuitton. But Bowie and — let’s see, Oscar Wilde and plenty more before him — practiced this “gender fluidity” business long before Jaden Smith — or even Will Smith — was a thing. Bowie also worked to advertise Louis Vuitton.
My Mood When They Try To Hate pic.twitter.com/VWRgQUSxUT
— Jaden Smith (@officialjaden) February 6, 2016
