Thinking of the children

To start with, how dare you tell me that you want me to role model for your trans kids at the same time as perpetuating all the old-school stigma about my gender expression?

The next point to make is simple: the kids are mostly 'non-binary' rather than binary trans. For example, my last student started on T, but wasn't aiming to become a boy. Apparently I have a large fanbase of teens and young students, and they're all dressing much like me. So, to the parents, I'd like you to explain this hypocrisy: how is it that you're ok with your son or daughter borrowing fashion ideas from me or my friends, yet you're unable to handle a 29-year-old who has spent years developing her style? - Oh, wait, it's because I'm old. I think a lot of parents are hoping that their kids will straighten up eventually. One of my favourite quips is that 'lesbian until graduation' has been replaced by 'non-binary until graduation'. 🤣 I was 25 when I came out. I knew who I was, I knew what I'd lose if I did so, yet I came out anyway and faced all my friends and family avoiding me for years. -

People read what they wanted to read into that Tina script. It was NOT an apology to Michelle, and it was NOT a manual as to how I want to live my life. She was a character I invented; she's not me, and I'm not toning down my fashion for the burbs or for another country... while I might not be in a relationship with a Māori girl, I'm far more advanced in my journey than Tina. My square, secretly bigoted friends keep on pointing to my first two musicals as a sign that Michael was a better composer than Amanda, but honestly Pan's Preludes and the best of my new songs are better than those shows. I'm not performing those new songs live as pub rock or a lame one-person show. Not ever. I'm making a musical: this is how it is done, and everyone from that world should understand why it is that I'm being such a stubborn piece of shit: most of the process (in my experience) is years of people laughing at your musical idea, then being very surprised that it came out well. I'd hate to be like Lin and make everyone listen to my mediocre singing and acting when I could cast better people. Tim Minchin is a competent performer, yet he doesn't perform in his own shows... The next opportunity to hear the songs live will come after I've finished a first draft and assembled the people to put together a reading, just like with Portrait of a Knight and These Words Are Meant For Someone. - If anything, if you don't start treating me a lot better, I'll go to Aussie like John Clarke did. I'd love to be able to say 'you can't treat me like this, it's illegal' rather than being triggered into fight mode constantly because people know it's not illegal to razz me in Aotearoa. Even Labour are aware of how much stick trans people cop on social media (and IRL). Change the laws to protect trans people, and perhaps there'll be dozens of people like me in newsrooms across Aotearoa, rather than one prick.👍