Gender: Unexpected
For trans and non-binary people who are pregnant, and for couples who are not heterosexual, engaging with pregnancy and birthing healthcare systems can mean facing various forms of discrimination. ‘Gender: Unexpected’ is a banner artwork marking the experiences of LGBTQ+ families.
Sophie Neville is a textile artist who often uses uses crochet, embroidery and text in her artwork. Her work frequently features themes related to feminism, resistance and rights. Dr Mari Greenfield is an expert on LGBTQ+ experiences in maternity care. She has published and lectured widely on the subject. Together, through a series of online workshops, we developed the idea of a tapestry crochet piece which contained embroideries of real LGBTQ+ families. The idea was to promote acceptance of the whole range of ways in which LGBTQ+ families are configured and to advocate maternity policies that respect this.
In ‘Gender: Unexpected’, Sophie used a technique called tapestry crochet. This requires the crocheter to simultaneously use at least two contrasting coloured yarns, threading one behind the other and swapping threads according to the desired pattern. Patterns are created graphically, each square representing one stitch. This makes the technique perfect for producing text within the artwork. The text in ‘Gender: Unexpected’ reads:
Gender: Unexpected
Just an ordinary family
LGBTQ+ people are not the problem. The problem is systems that do not expect LGBTQ+ people to exist within them.
The blue and white colours reflect those associated with the NHS, while the title text stands out in the colours of the progress pride flag. This, combined with the scale of the work, serves to make an impact on the gallery space. The composition is loosely based on those of trades union banners – an art form that exists to represent a community and send a message of solidarity. The presence of LGBTQ+ people in birthing healthcare systems should not be ignored or treated as a problem – it should be expected.
Banners have been used for centuries as a form of activism and to promote rights. Beyond trade union banners, a notable example is the Suffragette use of banners to fight for women’s right to vote. ‘Gender: Unexpected’ plays with this idea and builds on this legacy.
