Matt Bernstein is the 21-year-old makeup artist and queer activist you need to know.
BRICKS · BRICKS TEAM · 29TH MAY 2020 · 4 MIN READ
Matt Bernstein on queer politics and beauty
Matt Bernstein on queer politics and beauty
How effective is Instagram as a platform for LGBTQ+ activism?
There are definitely positive and negative aspects. The ability to reach so many people instantaneously is exciting, and I love how many opportunities there are to build community on the app. I know lots of people who follow me have found each other during my live streams and created group chats so that they can have LGBTQ+ support circles that aren’t there in real life. The thing that worries me most about politics on social media, in general, is that people tend to form ideological echo chambers by only following people who agree with their views. I do it too! It’s hard not to.
There are definitely positive and negative aspects. The ability to reach so many people instantaneously is exciting, and I love how many opportunities there are to build community on the app. I know lots of people who follow me have found each other during my live streams and created group chats so that they can have LGBTQ+ support circles that aren’t there in real life. The thing that worries me most about politics on social media, in general, is that people tend to form ideological echo chambers by only following people who agree with their views. I do it too! It’s hard not to.
There’s too much attacking, too much cancelling, not enough questioning.
What does the word queer mean to you?
To me, “queer” is an umbrella term for anyone who is a sexual or gender minority. It’s a term of pride and inclusivity and freedom. There’s still a lot of disagreement on the word — even within the community — and I can understand why. It was used as a pretty violent slur against us for many, many years. But I also know many people who use the word “queer” as their primary identity label rather than other terms under the LGBTQ+ acronym because they find it more liberating and less limiting. I think it’s important to respect that and understand why.
If there is one thing you could say to oppressors of queer people, what would you say?
To quote Harvey Milk, “It takes no compromise to give people their rights…it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom.”
Do you feel it is crucial as visible queer people to set boundaries so you don’t give too much of yourself?
I think everyone has to write their own script when it comes to this. I’m particularly open about my life because I still don’t think there’s enough genuine visibility in media for what it means to live as an openly queer person. Often times, media representation of queer people is glossed over and sugar-coated — why? Like, I think Love, Simon was important for visibility, but movies like that are also made to be digestible for mainstream audiences. So many aspects of growing up queer are still completely in the shadows. I mean, I learned about gay sex from a handful of WordPress blogs. I want to know how long it will be until that information is taught in health classes, and why that can’t be now. Until then, I’ll keep doing my thing on social media and hope I reach as many people as possible.
Are you optimistic about the future for queer people?
Yes — to the dismay of some, our community will only continue to grow. That said, I think we really need to vote Trump out of the White House in 2020.
What does the word queer mean to you?
To me, “queer” is an umbrella term for anyone who is a sexual or gender minority. It’s a term of pride and inclusivity and freedom. There’s still a lot of disagreement on the word — even within the community — and I can understand why. It was used as a pretty violent slur against us for many, many years. But I also know many people who use the word “queer” as their primary identity label rather than other terms under the LGBTQ+ acronym because they find it more liberating and less limiting. I think it’s important to respect that and understand why.
If there is one thing you could say to oppressors of queer people, what would you say?
To quote Harvey Milk, “It takes no compromise to give people their rights…it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom.”
Do you feel it is crucial as visible queer people to set boundaries so you don’t give too much of yourself?
I think everyone has to write their own script when it comes to this. I’m particularly open about my life because I still don’t think there’s enough genuine visibility in media for what it means to live as an openly queer person. Often times, media representation of queer people is glossed over and sugar-coated — why? Like, I think Love, Simon was important for visibility, but movies like that are also made to be digestible for mainstream audiences. So many aspects of growing up queer are still completely in the shadows. I mean, I learned about gay sex from a handful of WordPress blogs. I want to know how long it will be until that information is taught in health classes, and why that can’t be now. Until then, I’ll keep doing my thing on social media and hope I reach as many people as possible.
Are you optimistic about the future for queer people?
Yes — to the dismay of some, our community will only continue to grow. That said, I think we really need to vote Trump out of the White House in 2020.
"I think conversing with people who don’t agree with you on everything is often the best way to learn and grow — but that’s not the culture on social media.
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Zed - 2020
