On Female Impersonators

Initially, I was wondering if I should actually blog about my experience watching the Simon's Cabaret show. As a show, I find it very entertaining. Most of the fascination came from the fact that the performers were all guys once upon a time. But I was hesitant to blog about it because it may seem to indicate that I was endorsing the lifestyle that the performers choose to live.

I think that drag queens, transvestites or transgendered folks are looking to be something that they think they are meant to be. They want it badly enough to go through the very painful sex change operation. Sally, our tour guide told us that a complete operation would require 6 months of complete bed rest for the patient. And they are also saying goodbye to the way they were born and treated all their lives. They also risk hurting their loved ones because of their decision to be true to their feelings.

My personal opinion is that we should appreciate what we have been given. Our talents, our body shape, our personalities, etc. We are fearfully and wonderfully made, for a reason. To alter our original design is like telling our Maker that He doesn't know what He's doing.

Having said that, the people who decided to go through with a sex and identity change mostly have a different belief system. To them, to live another day as the 'wrong' sex is akin to torture. And the sex operation procedure is such that only the most serious and determined folks would actually go through it. It weeds out those who are just curious and wanting to try out something new and different. In short, it takes a lot of thought and contemplation for someone to decide to live life as the opposite sex. And I can't even begin to comprehend the emotional trauma that they go through before and even after the sex change.

We can choose to boycott them, not support them and jeer them when they walk past our streets. But that would not stop them from dying a little each day living the life of a lie as they perceive it. We can preach to them, telling them to hold on and to appreciate what they have, but all they would feel is rejection. That you are trying to mould them to be something they are not. Some of them may even see the reasoning behind your arguments and decide to try living life the socially acceptable way. Others will not.

The way I see it, we are each entitled to make our own choices. We can try to force our viewpoints down others' throats and some of them may outwardly comply - just to keep the peace. But we can't win their hearts through force. Through disrespect.

In this sense, if your conscience tells you not to support transvestites by not watching shows like Simon's Cabaret, then you should heed it. To thine ownself be true. It's like a good friend of mine who disagrees with the inhumane way that sharks are killed for their fins. So she quietly refuses not to eat shark's fins soup during dinners and such and didn't make such a big fuss to the rest of us who guzzled on the divine dish. At the end of the day, we all have to stand firm on the principles that we are personally convicted upon and yet, not sport a holier than thou attitude. Although her actions did make me think twice before consuming my all-time favourite wedding dinner dish. Hmmm...

So my blog post about Simon's Cabaret is a recording of a show that has entertainment value in it. Something I thought was tastefully and professionally done. Nothing more. Nothing less.

And yes, I still think that they are absolutely gorgeous