Transgenderism in Cabaret and Culture
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obtain erotic pleasure from behaving like a woman). His work supports the
popular view Aat transgenderism is an abnormal behavior and sexual fetish.
Furthermore, negative attitudes towards the transgendered have spread
to groups that once were free of prejudice and discrimination against them. A
recent Associated Press article published in The Oregonian (Hoffinan, 2003),
reported that the Navajos, as with other American Indian tribes, have a tradition
of acceptance towards the nadleeh (transgendered). However, the sentiments of
the younger generation today are reflecting the hostility of the wider American
culture, in stark contrast to the tolerant views of the older members of the tribe
(Hoffinan, 2003).
The social status of the transgendered is reflected in the subjects
covered and images presented in public entertainment showcasing female
impersonation. In a recent study, Rupp and Taylor (2003) describe the
performances of “drag queens” (transgendered gay men) in the 801 Cabaret
located in a gay neighborhood of Key West, Florida. The audiences include a
mixture of straight and gay tourists, along with gay locals. The show involves
the drag queens lip-syncing songs and interacting with the audience, including
audience members brought on the stage. The authors classify the performances
of the drag queens into three categories: those that embrace traditional images of
femininity and heterosexuality; those that mock or reject traditional femininity
and heterosexuality; and those meant to spotlight the fluidity and futility of
gender grouping (Rupp and Taylor, 2003, 116). Many elements of the
performance attack gender boundaries and question the meanings of gender
labels. They challenge conventional understandings of male and female, straight
and gay. A prominent theme that ties together the three categories of
performances is what Rupp and Taylor called “performing protest.” A major
part of the show involves coaxing members of the audience onto the stage where
they are put through embarrassing experiences. The performers use sexist, racist,
and ethnic slurs, and routinely use slang words for body parts and sex acts that
might be termed the “politics of vulgarity” (140). There is a lot of hostility in the
show directed at straight men (191). The authors, a lesbian couple themselves,
claim the shows are profoundly political. The show, they contend, is about gay
life, and the performers reflect solidarity with other gay men and women who
suffer from the homophobic male dominance of American society. The drag
queens are “performing protest” (112). Apparently, the jolting style found in the
801 Cabaret is not an exception in American transgender theatres. The highly
acclaimed “Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted,” a one-woman show that plays in gay
and lesbian venues, has been described as “acidic” and “laced with barked
expletives.” In a Los Angeles Times (10/31/2003) theatre review. Miss Coco was
quoted to say, “Pm sorry I write shows to work out my issues and then charge
you to see it” (Foley, 2003).