The inclusion of this scene in the collection demonstrates the coexistence of fear and courage that often accompanies the navigation of queerness, especially when approaching queer spaces. Noel, in this moment, hasn’t dressed up in the same feminine way as the rest of his friends, but Ren crafts a space where Noel can still engage with the experience in his own comfort zone, subtly encouraging him to embrace his cuteness while remaining true to himself. This interaction highlights Noel\u2019s inner conflict: as he looks into the mirror, he sees a “creature of the night,” a birdlike, crow-like figure. Relating to the stigma of nightlife being something shame worthy. His discomfort with his appearance reflects a broader tension in queer identity, where the fear of not meeting societal standards of gender or beauty often battles with the desire to express one\u2019s true self. The compact mirror, traditionally a tool of self-reflection, becomes a symbol of exposure and self reflection which Noel struggles with. Meanwhile, Ren\u2019s gentle act of holding his chin and applying makeup, which may seem simple, represents a deeper intimacy and care. This small act of vulnerability contrasts with the looming fear Noel feels about potential violence from external forces, such as the threat of police brutality. This moment depicts the ways in which Queer people can craft spaces for one another. Ren creates a safe space for Noel to explore gender expression without the harsh judgment of the outside world, reinforcing how queer solidarity can provide the courage to move forward in the face of fear. Noel\u2019s refusal to let his fear “paralyze” him further emphasizes the resilience embedded in the queer experience\u2014courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the ability to continue despite it. Even with the threat of bodily harm through \u201cmeeting the baton\u201d of homophobic cops, Noel is encouraged by Ren\u2019s kindness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The inclusion of this scene in the collection demonstrates the coexistence of fear and courage that often accompanies the navigation of queerness, especially when approaching queer spaces. Noel, in this moment, hasn’t dressed up in the same feminine way as the rest of his friends, but Ren crafts a space where Noel can still engage … Continue reading It\u2019s giving face<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5321,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[346812],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2025-class-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5321"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/everythinginbetween\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}