TG BOOK REVIEWS




BY MARIA LEE


RuPaul, Letting it All Hang Out. (New York: Hyperion, 1995) Geri Nettick and
Beth Elliot, Mirrors: Portrait of a Lesbian Transsexual, (New York: Maquerade, 1996).
Ok. So neither of these books are hot off the presses. In fact, while our
local bookstores are experiencing a burst of "queer studies," books on the
transgender experience are relatively few in number and uneven in quality.

These two autobiographies, however, give valuable insight into transgendered lives
that follow drastically different paths. They help us to understand not only the
diversity within the transgender community, but also the points of solidarity. When
people comment on the growing public awareness of transgendered persons, arguably
the most visible TG person in the world is RuPaul Andre Charles. With a long list
of accomplishments including numerous movie appearances, hosting a television show,
hit records, and concert tours, RuPaul stands at the pinnacle of show business success.
She has taken drag to heights undreamed of by the poor souls that risked incarceration
during the Pre-Stonewall era. But even as RuPaul seems to be symbolic of transgendered
individuals' rising prominence, she is publicly more out-spoken about being a gay male.

But as Ru makes clear in the conclusion, she is much more than any of the categories
that people use to define her. Born to a relatively poor black family, RuPaul grew up
in California and early on was well- aware of her female side. Always a performer and
crossdresser, Ru saw her first drag queen performance in 1978. This critical
event set young Ru's mental wheels a-grinding. Determined to be a star, most of Lettin it
All Hang Out chronicles RuPaul's slow rise through show business and highlights her
perseverance. (It even includes a detailed chapter describing Ru's beauty secrets that
will be insightful for anyone interested in beauty culture.) Frequently hilarious (check
out the story about her doing an expose on transvestite prostitutes) Ru provides a
plethora of information on herself and taste in music, movies, actors and actresses.
But Ru's story is really about transcending drag in gay bars and becoming in many ways,
a national icon. While Ru became an "overnight" success to most of America, her book
makes it clear that she put a lot of work and effort into becoming a star. As such, Lettin it
All Hang Out is similar to the classic American biography that captures a rags to riches
story, such as Booker T. Washington's famous Up From Slavery. And like that
genre, RuPaul's book has much to tell us about her outlook on life.

Like the classic autobiography, however, Ru's gaze and memory is often selective.
She omits much about her relations with other drag queens, crossdressers,
transvestites, gays and lesbians. Nevertheless, it is clear that Ru is a positive
person, always planning ahead, never focusing on small battles, but keeping larger
goals in sight. The insightful story behind Ru's confrontation with aging drag queen
Milton Berle at the MTV music awards proves that you can only push a girl so far!

While drag queens like RuPaul are often the most visible members of the TG
community, transsexuals are also an important part of the gender movement. A
growing number of transsexuals are male to female persons who consider themselves
lesbians before and after sexual reassignment surgery. Geri Nettick was an early lesbian
TS and her book offers a window into one woman's struggle to find peace with herself.
Even at a young age Geri knew that somewhere there had been a "mistake" and that
she was really a girl. Her path was similar to that followed by many transsexuals: therapy’
hormones and eventual surgery. Particularly poignant is when Geri describes the
hoops that transsexuals had to jump through in order to get treatment at the famed
Stanford clinic during the late 1960s and early 70s (Unfortunately, many of those hoops
in the sexual reassignment process that bedeviled Geri still exist today). In addition, Geri
lost her family when she transitioned, but in many ways, she perhaps never had them
anyway. Her alienation from her family began at a young age and only intensified
as Geri became more openly transsexual. Thus Geri's experience has important similarities
with most transgendered persons. The alienation, risk of losing family, the secrecy, the
feelings of not belonging were all aspects of Geri's experience that probably mirror
many of our own. But Geri's story diverges from most because she was part of the
vibrant feminist scene emerging in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite her deep
commitment to women's issues Geri had a difficult time finding acceptance within
the lesbian community. Ultimately during the militant feminist 1970s, Geri was
"blackballed" from most women's groups in California. RuPaul and Geri's books are both
provocative reads and useful additions to one's transgender library. Both books are not
without their weaknesses though, particularly when dealing with the transgender community.
RuPaul is largely silent on her relations with others outside of the drag community and
even there is only superficial. Geri, on the other hand, gives excellent insight into
lesbian groups in the radical 60s and 70s, but seems to have very little to say about
others like herself. If anything, she seems to have avoided contacting other transgendered
people. So one must ask the question: Why have both of these transgendered persons
downplayed that aspect of their lives? RuPaul is clearly intent on being a mainstream
star and her book is carefully sanitized to appeal to a broad audience. In contrast, Geri
spent so much of her time and energy becoming a politicized lesbian that she seems to
have not cared to seek out others like her. It seems especially odd that she did not look
for others like herself when she was expelled from the lesbian community. While we
perhaps know a bit too much about Geri's commitment to lesbianism, RuPaul
never really deals with her gayness in a convincing and thorough manner.

Although RuPaul highlights her participation in the gay rights march on Washington,
we never really understand how gayness fits into her life. She gives little precise
information concerning lovers, past, present or future. Nevertheless, Ru mentions her
homosexuality even if in a very vague manner. To be fair, RuPaul is insistent that she
is not simply one aspect of her persona: drag queen, gay male, African American, etc.

Instead, she argues that she cannot be reduced to one category. While this is certainly
a valid argument, her autobiography could use a much more balanced exploration
of the many parts of RuPaul, rather than an emphasis on the star-making process.

Ultimately these books remind us that our community is broad and our interests and
influences varied. Our strength is in our diversity and tolerance. While Ru and Geri
had difficulty defining themselves as transgendered, the contemporary TG movement
is pushing for increased self-awareness, pride and politicization. As RuPaul says so
eloquently "you got to love yourself before you love somebody else!" Can I get an amen?