No labels for us!
In the first VPRO TikTok-based documentary series Geen hoekje voor ons (No Labels for Us), five young people define their own gender. Boy, girl, both, or neither: they decide for themselves who they are and how they want to go through life. In each episode, one of them is followed during an important step in his/her/their life. A step that contributes to who they are and how they want to express themselves.
Episodes
Patrick (14, he/him) goes to a concert of his favorite 80s pop group with his mother in an outfit in which he can be completely himself. Super exciting, but also super fun. He doesn't pay much attention to the comments or remarks he gets about it. Because make-up or heels really aren't just for girls, he thinks.
Charlie (15, they/them) is going to give a presentation at school about gender diversity to a group of teachers. Charlie is non-binary and notices that it sometimes raises quite a few questions or that people around them don't really know what that means and how to deal with it. Charlie would like to do something about that. Together with her friend Aimy, they are giving the presentation.
Chloe (16, she/her) is going to a convention for the first time. During the con, she hopes to find the same non-judgmental attitude towards gender that she experiences online. Chloe enjoys gaming; online is therefore the place where she feels safest. Online, she feels that she doesn't have to choose a box and can be whoever she wants to be. Chloe likes to decide for herself how she goes through life. But now that she is in transition, she quite often encounters the fact that her environment has certain expectations associated with the "girl" label. Chloe finds this difficult at times. She hopes to be able to be completely herself at the cosplay festival. Including a cool cosplay outfit.
Lucas (14, he/him) is going to work out for the first time at a gym where there are no gender stereotypes. Everyone is welcome: he, she, them, everything in between and beyond. Lucas really enjoys working out, but it used to be quite difficult that during gym class there was only a changing room for boys or for girls. Now that he is going to a gym without gender stereotypes, Lucas hopes to get the physique he has in mind that matches how he feels.
Pip (16, she/her) is going to demonstrate against gender inequality for the first time during the Women's March on the Dam Square in Amsterdam. Pip thinks it's just stupid, all the expectations and assumptions people have about boys and girls. She experiences all too often that she supposedly can't do something in the eyes of another person because she is a girl. She doesn't think that is fair.
