Okay the traditionalists won't like it but I do and I love people who break the mould.
Below is Mary Murdoch. Born Malcolm Murdoch. She claims to be the first transsexual to become a Geisha.
Okay so she isn't the most aesthetically appealing person (to me) but live and let live and if she appeals to Japanese men (for whatever reasons), then game on to her and, anyway, I am not in the Angelina Jolie camp of stunners. More like - 'nice legs, shame about the face' also runners!
Full story available here : http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/3752663.GREENWICH__Resident_is_Japan_s_first_transsexual_geisha/
It certainly takes all sorts and if he/she has found happiness in pleasing Japanese men as a Geisha then all power to her. I am more concerned about the men seeking her services though.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Lareve
ReplyDeleteThe history of Geisha women is not about empowerment but slavery.
I liked the story because it was about a person breaking tradition and also a sister doing it for herself. Fact she will be doing it for men...well...as one of my favourite quotes from a movie is "If I don't get 5 thousand dollars then I give it away", I can see the funny side of it.
Sometimes, I am as warped as warped can be!
As far as I'm aware geishas really weren't hookers - there were plenty of actual hookers available in medieval Japan.
ReplyDeleteThey were the equivalent of the modern-day hostess bars, where it's all batting eyelashes and serving drinks but, apparently, no special selection in the back room. (That's also available - check into a Love Hotel and order the chiropractic service, I'm told, the chiropractor is invariably female and wearing a LOT of makeup, and not much under the lab coat)...
Japan is weird that way.
BTW I can imagine that her being a foreigner is a much bigger deal for the Japanese than her gender history. Many other countries don't get so hung up on transpeople as we do in the West.
ReplyDeleteBTW Mandy: that journalist that Stonewall has nominated for an award - Julie Bindel - she's anti-trans, not anti-gay. She's a radical queer lesbian who thinks the whole idea of gender should be done away with. Transpeople are an inconvenient reminder of the fact that it's not that simple - gender is obviously a big deal and determined partly biologically, as if it were wholly a social construct, no-one would be trans.
Plus, the bulk of her comments concern transwomen, and the fact that - oh my! - they once had male body parts! So they can't be "real women" or have a "female experience" and should be considered male exploiters of female identity etc etc.
I don't think she has much to say about transmen.
Anyway she is entitled to be a numpty and even to have her crap printed in the Guardian, but a queer organisation REALLY should know better (as 2/3 of all transpeople are queer anyway). Hence why I am numerous trans and queer friends are going to the protest. If it was the Telegraph everyone would just shrug their shoulders and say " oh well what do you expect".
More power to her elbow - doing what she wants!
ReplyDeleteHi Deedee
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarification on Julie Bindel. I had never heard of her. No loss, really!
Raving queer lesbian eh? Am I a raving stange sort of bi-sexual (who is too lazy to do anything about it)? I can see another sub gender forming as I write!!! Ha!
She might as well be anti gay if she is anti trans. Wonder if she despises both transexuals and transvestites? Write that because of the dangly bits and then lack of reference.
She would most probably hate me cos I am not pure gay (and too lazy to be radical about sexuality) but as my Em's fella puts it 'Greedy'. And no insult was intended by him...was a mickey take.
Oh how sensitive and precious people get about their sexuality, more so other people's. I have much more pressing things to be dealing with like what will be the next colour I have put in my hair!
Superficiality has it's uses.