Model and activist Rain Dove plays basketball topless for an important reason

If nudity isn't your thing, you might want to look away now, because American gender capitalist model Rain Dove has made an important point in a video uploaded to Instagram.

Gender capitalist is a label used by some people who recognise that there are certain advantages and disadvantages to being a specific sex or gender. Therefore, most gender capitalists do not define as male or female. Rain Dove uses “they” pronouns, which are often used by non-binary or gender fluid people.

Rain Dove, who models in both menswear and womenswear fashion campaigns, uploaded a video which shows them playing basketball topless to make a statement about the censorship of bodies perceived as female.

The video, entitled “DEAR INSTAGRAM: THIS ISNT SEXUAL” shows Rain playing “a simple game of shirts vs skins” with professional basketball player Crissa Ace.

Accompanying the video, Rain writes:

Sure, I may have my DD Breasts out. Nipples shining in the sun. But this is simply a game of basketball between two humans.

Rain Dove goes on to question Instagram’s rules relating to nudity. Under the app’s current rules, “female nipples” are not allowed. But Rain sees this as exclusionary to people who do not define as female or male. They also questioned why female bodies are restricted more than male bodies.

Your guidelines say “Female nipples”. I do not identify as “female”. Or “male”. So I am not violating your guidelines. 

Even if I did identify as “Female”- “Females” can have Pecs. “Males” can have Breasts. And if You argue only people with pecs are considered “Male” bodied- Pecs can be bigger than Breasts and vice versa. Both can also lactate. Both can also be fetishized. What’s so different? 

Rain Dove has been vocal in opposing restrictive gender categorisation and norms throughout their career, as well as reflecting on the pros and cons of presenting as either male or female.

If I were alive during the time of the Titanic. As a male, I would get a job on the boat as men got paid higher and there weren’t really any women who got hired. But as soon as that ship was sinking, they said women and children first.

As people, we didn’t choose our bodies. Nobody called us up when the cells were dividing and said, ‘What skin colour do you want? What genitals? What size do you want to be?’ We came out as unique individuals and we’re getting punished for something we didn’t choose.

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