Friday, June 28, 2013

Monarchy as a Transgender Experience

photo of RuPaul by David Shankbone
A young woman’s experience of monarchy (also known to some as menarche) is one of the most important life development stages of his or her life. He may have dreamt of being a queen, but this is a time when he or she first realizes that he or she has royal blood. On the other hand many women who are born females may have always dreamt of being kings. As Mel Brooks famously quips in The History of the World: Part I, “it’s good to be the king.’"It’s important to realize at this point that all good things come with at a price. No pain no gain and the monthly cycle of monarchy with its cramps and mood changes is a roller coaster ride for some. Who knows if the repression of the Victorian age wasn’t the result of Queen Victoria having a rough time going through monarchy? And there were others like Cleopatra whose erratic behavior resulted in all kinds of turbulence. Remember Marlowe’s famous lines, “was this the face that launched a thousand ships/and burned the topless towers of Ilium?” For these reasons, it’s important that every gal have a good understanding of what monarchy means. Think of the Hohenzollerns, the Habsburgs, the Plantagenets, the Stuarts, the Tudors. When has monarchy occurred without bloodshed? A girl or guy can go through his or her monarchy, but she or he won’t come out of it unstained.

2 comments:

  1. jylle benson-gaussJune 29, 2013 at 10:41 AM

    I love this play on words. "When has monarchy occurred without bloodshed?"
    It has always seemed like cheating to me that transgenders get all the benefits of womanhood--not to mention all the best clothes--without the challenges of the monthly cycle that defines us biologically. I used to love going to the clubs near Weehawken, NJ to marvel at the cross-dressing lip-sync performers with the big hair, the beautiful gowns and perfect make-up. I'd go home afterward with an inner dialogue in full swing, a harrangue from my x-chromosome bitterly chastising me for my jeans and sandals and bad hair.

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  2. Yeah I agree the chicks with dicks have it all, literally. On the other hand...the grass is always greener on the other side.

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