[Esme nha Maire]

I agree with the commenters above. I also have never seen the show and am only vaguely aware of RuPaul. I agree that the point of drag is of how well a male person can present as and imitate a female one, or vice-versa.

One of the things that bemuses me though is comments to the effect that an MTF has necessarily had large amounts of surgery anywhere other than to have their genitalia amended. That is absolutely NOT the case. I had no surgery other than the adjustment to my genitalia. My breasts are what grew naturally under the influence of hormone replacement therapy, and whilst they're small and I would've liked them to be somewhat larger, I know that I'm hardly alone amongst tall women in wishing I had slightly larger breasts and a cleavage instead of a clear gap! That just tends to go with the territory of being tall. And one of mine is slightly higher than the other, one is a bit perkier, and they seem to 'point' in different directions... perfectly normal, in other words. I was far from alone in being thus amongst MTFs in the UK that went through the system around when I did.

Sigh... but there y'go, most of us have to live with less than perfect bodies., and I wouldn't have wanted to have breast implants unless my body hadn't developed breasts at all under the influence of HRT. Some don't, and do need implants to achieve a feminine chest, whilst others respond so well to oestrogens that folk probably assume that they have had implants even when they haven't. But I don't knock any MTF for having had extra surgery in order to feminise this or that about their body - ultimately, it's whatever makes them feel free of the bodily dysphoria and comfortable in their own body, so they can go on to live as normal a life as possible.

However, I've recently become aware that nowadays some use the term 'trans' to include some who clearly do not have the kind of bodily dysphoria that I did. It staggered me to learn that some even wish to retain their penises - and do! That is to say, they are not prevented from having the surgery I had by any medical conditions, such as heart problems or obesity. They are, quite simply, perfectly happy retaining their penis.

I cannot comprehend that mindset. I do not understand how anyone identifying as female could be happy having a penis. It's a difference in kind of dysphoria, rather than degree, in my opinion. I do not deny that they must have (had) some kind of dysphoria, but whatever it was/is, it ain't what ailed me. I'll use whatever pronouns they like of them, but I do not understand them (but then, I do not need to in order to be civil to them). And I am deeply disturbed that ,notionally, I am supposed to be part of a 'trans community' that has attitudes I do not identify with one bit.

Anyway, to get back on the topic - I've never been particularly into drag acts, but I recently became aware of one called Courtney Act, who clearly identifies as male, but looks utterly amazing as a woman - because he has a slender body as a starting point (and I would imagine must work at it to keep it that way) and also puts a lot of effort into his appearance when he does drag. Lads like that (and their female drag-king equivalents) are what drag is all about IMHO. If you allow MTF's on RuPaul's show, then what's to stop the likes of those who have had extensive feminising surgeries to take part? Supposing Courtney Act were on the show and an MTF that looked just like Courtney but that pretty much just woke up that way each morning? Who should win of the two? My vote would go to Courtney, because of the effort put in.

I'm just now gone and read the article linked to. Interesting. But again, I am staggered to learn that, apparently, there are MTF's who perform drag - that is to say, their performance is to present as female. Now, don't get me wrong - I do not condemn them in the slightest for doing so. Hey, so long as it's all consenting adults, whatever makes you happy! I simply do not understand their mindset. RuPaul clearly was out of touch with regard to using a term like 'shemail' and not understanding that 'tranny' has been used as a painful form of verbal abuse - I've been called both, in the past, thankfully not often, but unfortunately always when my self-confidence was at a low ebb.

But it's become evident to me recently that I, like RuPaul, am a bit of an old dinosaur - neither of us quite comprehends just what has been going on 'out there' with regard to how terms have changed in use, and clearly there are more people coming out about their particular issues related to sex and gender and gender role than was the case when I went through surgery, let alone when I was growing up. It's only fairly recently that I finally lost that slight sense of 'otherness' that I had long felt compared to other women - and whether you feel that that should or should not be the case, I can tell you that losing that feeling has been a boon to my mental health - and I no longer identify as being 'trans-' anything. I'm a woman, a lesbian, that's it.

I do not see being MTF as something to celebrate - it was a horrible life-threatening condition that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I do not see being MTF as something that defines me socially in the way that my being female or lesbian does. It affects my social life, due to individuals feelings about folk such as me, but it doesn't define it. The very concept of a 'trans community' is alien to me, and as strange as the notion of a 'community' of folk who've had appendicitis, for instance. The nerdy part of my psyche has never been quite comfy with the T in LGBT for that reason, though I do understand in practical terms how that came about and am glad that it did, else we'd still be in the situation we were when I was a kid with regard to public attitudes toward the gender dysphorics in society.

Discovering what the current 'trans community' is like and how utterly alien it is to my mindset - it's been a shock though. I wish them well, and much happiness at the end of their various and particular journies. Just don't assume that I necessarily share their particular vision or feelings, though, please!

In summary, I think RuPaul was on the money in general, but erred in the detail. Life is complicated, and we all make mistakes, sometimes because we don't know any better at the time - all we can do is try to learn from them, and do better in future. Let's move on.