THE ROMAN IS COMING
Will someone please tell Nicki Minaj who the eff she is? NME.com
reports that the rapper's gone and got herself an alter ego; a gay
guy by the name of Roman. Who knows, perhaps he'll get it on with
Lady Gaga's twin, Joe Calderone? That would be interesting.
I love gender play. It's wonderful that Nicki and Gaga feel able
to follow pop pioneers such as Annie Lennox, who performed Sweet
Dreams at the 1984 Grammy Awards looking decidedly like a young
Elvis Presley. But, every time I see a woman appropriate something
"male", I feel sad that the gender exchange programme is so bloody
one-sided. I mean, can you imagine Jay-Z busting out a femme
friend? True, Eminem has dragged up before, but usually only to
mock women. Fingers crossed that Roman has bit more depth - and a
fabulous wardrobe, natch.
THAT PESKY OLD MEME
I don't remember "coming out". I recall expressing my sexual
preferences, and I also have a distinct memory of presenting my
gender identity to others. But this was less about coming out than
Correcting Other People's False Assumptions About Me, or COPFAAM,
for short.
Nevertheless, the closet analogy has widespread currency. It
facilitates a culture of compulsory heterosexuality; which
automatically assumes people are straight unless we elect to
actively "out" ourselves.
Cynicism, then, as I read about former Roseanne star Sarah
Gilbert, who was photographed holding hands with rocker and
lavender gal Linda Perry. Daily Mail coming up: "Sara came out as a
lesbian last year during a press conference at the Television
Critics Association."
This was not in fact Gilbert's experience, as the article itself
soon reveals: "When asked if she was comfortable being 'out' on The
Talk, she said at the time: 'This is a whole new world for me. I'm
not an expert on this, or I don't analyze these things,' she said.
'I'm just sort of living my life.' COPFAAM!
Indeed, she continues: 'I don't think [being out] will be a
problem... I don't ever really think of things as being out or in'
Adding: 'I just think I am who I am, and when topics come up that
are appropriate, I'll talk about them and share when it seems
right.'
Gilbert's viewpoint is clear. And yet this is the photo caption
under her image: "Out of the closet: Sara, who also co-hosts talk
show The Talk, only admitted she was a lesbian last year"
Banging your head against a wall yet?
Let's get it straight shall we? Gay people don't "come out" -
straight folks put us in. Reject this at every opportunity and grab
back your freedom to just be. Without anyone trying to build a box
around you.
MY TRANSSEXUAL GOODBYE
Watery eyes last night? My Transsexual Summer was short and sweet
but, in just four weeks, who hasn't warmed to loveable Lewis - the
young man on a quest for a chest? And who didn't sob during Drew's
speech, as she reflected on the self-respect she's gained over the
summer? "These are my streets too," she insisted through the tears.
Indeed they are Drew. But what about poor old Sarah getting turned
away from the room she wanted to rent? You can hardly blame her for
soaking up that sexism in Episode 3, when a man in the pub
patronised her. In the sometimes impossible quest to have one's
gender identity accepted by others, trans people may occasionally
feel misplaced gratitude. Don't judge her too harshly. The
important thing is the wonderful journey which she, Fox and the
rest of the gang took together, and the support they gave each
other. I watched, and I wept.
