It seems as if all my friends, whether "normal" or transsexual are having a tough time of it lately. I blame the economy, geopolitical tensions or perhaps it is just the weather, a miserable arctic winter that refuses to release its death grip on Canada and much of the northern States.
Hope springs eternal and the weather forecast promises double digit temperatures by the weekend albeit accompanied by rain. As long as I don't have to shovel it, bring it on!
Being transsexual is no easy road, despite the advances our tribe have made over the last few years. It was much harder before.
Any regular reader of this blog will know of my interest in transsexual history, I hold the pioneers such as Coccinelle, Bambi and April Ashley in high regard (not to mention all those who were brave enough to make the same journey and to live successful lives out of the spotlight).
I recently had the opportunity to re-watch the 2010 documentary Beautiful Darling, the story of Candy Darling. A student of the outre I always had a basic knowledge of Andy Warhol's Factory and his female stars, Holly Woodlawn, Jackie Curtis and Candy.
The story is told by her friend and biggest fan Jeremiah Newton. There is nothing drag queen about Candy, clearly she was a transsexual. Excerpts from her diaries speak of her desire to start hormones and electrolysis. The photos from her youth in Forest Hills are even more telling, few could fail to see the girl staring back at them. Her school book sketches of fashions offer more proof.
By the mid-sixties she was already venturing into NYC, first as Holley Slattery (her family name) and then as her movie star self, Candy Darling. Risking arrest I might add violating the masquerade law.
I will leave it to you dear constant readers to explore the rest of her story from the Warhol films to Tennessee Williams and her untimely death from lymphoma at age 29.
Candy was truly a beautiful woman but her desire for fame meant she was little more than an oddity to most people, as a result both love and financial success eluded her.
Two things stuck with me from the documentary, first her incredible force of will to reinvent herself as a woman and as a movie star in a time when dreams of even simple transition were nearly impossible.
The second was a quote by Candy's contemporary and fellow Warhol alumnus, writer Fran Lebowitz. In her words “a 25 year old man who becomes a 25 year old woman is not a woman at all because a woman first has to be a little girl… Candy was never a girl, Candy was a fantasy she created for herself.”
Yes she created herself but it is obvious from her photos, movies, writings and sketches that Candy was female. If I can be bitchy for a moment, it is Ms Lebowitz who should take a long hard look in the mirror.
“I will not cease to be myself for foolish people. For foolish people make harsh judgements on me. You must always be yourself, no matter what the price. It is the highest form of morality.”
Hello April I always love the videos that you post you have wonderful taste in music. Your videos of other Women who have transitioned in the past I find very inspirational and informative as to what transsexual persons have had to endure.
ReplyDeleteIf you are wandering around YouTube look up the Israeli singer Dana International her song Diva in English she has many other good songs as well.
Glad your are back Peace and love
Hi April,
ReplyDeleteIt is great to have you back even if the Evil Empire is trying to keep you down. My blog has been having trouble with T-Central also (as of the last week).
Thank you for posting this video. I hadn't seen it before and it is definitely intriguing as heck. I used to skeeve that Lou Reed song for what I thought was a degrading of TS girls and of Candy Darling. Admittedly, I didn't know that much about her except of her acting in Warhol's flicks. It's pretty wild that she was on the cover of Cosmopolitan! That must have created quite the stir.
I must thank you for your scholarship here on-line of the Transsexual Pioneers we have had in the past. You have enriched me with a lot more knowledge and perspective of where things were and how they may head in the future. : )
You Rock, Girl!
Best,
Karin
Candy Darling was a friend of mine as was Andy Warhol. I first met her at Max's Kansas City Steakhouse in the "back room" where the Warhol people hung out. Candy was a beautiful but troubled young woman and was so unlike the rest of the "cadre" of characters surrounding Andy it was impossible not to notice the difference. She was actually a girl.
ReplyDeleteNYC in the years I was there, 1969-1972 was the wild west for transsexuals. One could be arrested just for being dressed and they put you into the male holding cells and looked the other way. She was a much more accomplished actress than given credit for and appeared in mainstream films like Klute etc. and made two films for Werner Schroeter in Germany.
I was only allowed back there because my friend Oscar was a close friend of Warhol's and they thought I was an XX girl and many were exceedingly rude to be honest but not Candy.
She had more than her 15 minutes of fame. The irony is Warhol knew about me and never told any of them. The only person he ever told about me was a very famous lead guitar player that I had met at a party on 5th Avenue who wanted to date me and I was scared shitless. I made Andy tell him because I had actually come on to him never expecting him to call me which he did. Did not phase him one bit although we did not have sex until after my SRS because that was not happening.
If Candy had been born a girl she would have been a movie star. She was born for the big screen but with the wrong bits. She actually tried to get the part of Myra Breckenridge but lost it. I hated that book and hated that movie.
I had a serious crush on Lou Reed but other than being reasonably friendly that is as far as that went. It was sad when Candy died in 1974 at 29.
To tell the truth I think I prefer those days to the world of today. Of course hindsight can be 20-20.
By the way April you look great sis.