FIL YOUR BOOTS
ARMED WITH KILLER HOOKS AND QUEER LOOKS, BRITISH-CHINESE INDIE POP PROVOCATEUR LE FIL BREAKS DOWN STEREOTYPES AHEAD OF HIS 24/7 LIVE SHOW
INTERVIEW
WORDS: ADAM DUXBURY
{ Q & A }
Your new show is about how we package ourselves for consumption. Do you think this is something gay men are particularly aware of?
Being raised in a heterosexual patriarchal society means that we gay men are inherently aware of how we are perceived and how to fit in, either to avoid homophobia as a child, or, in contrast, to seem desirable when an adult. Gay men are bombarded with imagery and advertising that encourages us to shape ourselves into a specific category such as bears, cubs, otters, twinks or jocks. It’s as if we shop for men, especially on dating apps where there’s just a little square window for you to sell your goods. Even being Asian is just a category, where people can write “no Asians” or “I like Oriental boys” as if an entire race is some sort of sexual object.