"I had a guy on the train say 'You disgust me. Act like a man'" - transgender comedian Sarah Franken
By Kieran Guilbert
LONDON, Aug 10 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When transgender comedian Sarah Franken takes to the stage armed with an act full of quirky, satirical and often controversial characters, she first allows herself a moment of vulnerability.
"I'm Sarah, I'm going to do some character comedy for you, but I want you to know that this is not a character", she tells the audience while pointing at herself in a small London pub.
The American comedian - who formerly performed and won plaudits and awards as Will Franken - started living as Sarah earlier this year, at the age of 42, after leaving a serious relationship and recovering from a drink and drugs problem.
She returned to comedy in March certain of her identity, yet unsure and anxious about how she would be received on stage.
"I had a guy on the train say 'You disgust me. Act like a man' and kids yell 'Tranny, yo tranny'... no one says anything or jumps to your defence, and you feel so alone," Franken told the Thomson Reuters Foundation before a show in north London.
But Franken says audiences across Britain have been receptive, promoters have treated her with respect, and she believes that attitudes towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have improved in recent years.
From Barack Obama notching up a U.S. presidential first by using the word transgender in this year's State of the Union address, to the coming out of Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner, transgender rights are garnering worldwide attention.
When Franken does receive abuse, whether walking down the street, shopping or waiting for a train, she uses her shows to mock and move on from the insults hurled her way.
She recalls one occasion when a man stopped her to ask for directions, before realising she was transgender and shouting: "I'm not talking to you, you're a man".
"I was angry but used that reaction as a sketch and made fun of how he thought even my words would be tainted - it was my way of getting one up on him," Franken says softly.
"It got laughter and applause, I felt free from the abuse, the resentment disappeared and those words lost their power."
"GRADUAL PROCESS"
Growing up in a small town in Missouri, Franken did not feel like she was trapped in a wrong body or dream of living as the opposite sex - unlike many transgender people during childhood.
"Transitioning to Sarah has been an evolutionary and gradual process - but my sisters used to dress me up as a girl when I was a kid, so maybe they're to blame," Franken quips playfully.
"I thought I was a transvestite at first, but as I got older I picked up on little things, like the fact I didn't like being called 'Sir'... it became less about clothing and more about how I preferred to be accepted as a woman on an emotional level."
Living in what she describes as a household devoid of humour, under a "hyper-masculine" father who served in Vietnam, comedy afforded Franken an escape from a lonely upbringing.
After tasting early success as Will Franken in San Francisco, she lived as Sarah for three months in her twenties and even got married to a woman.
"We each had three bridesmaids", she adds with a grin.
But Franken returned to living as a man because she was building a reputation as Will, and was nervous of being labelled solely as a transgender performer with transgender material.
Despite a successful return to comedy as a woman, the comedian admits to having been wracked with dread and trepidation ahead of her shows as Sarah.
"I've had such dark thoughts, I told myself I'd have to go back in the closet if the show didn't work - my comedy is just as important to me as my identity and transgenderism."
Outside her comedy career, Franken has become estranged from her parents - her mother sent her an email saying God disapproved of her transition - and suffered gender dysphoria - discomfort due to a mismatch between her body and her identity.
"I feel good when I leave the house but then I remember that I am six-foot-five and nothing is going to change that."
Many transgender people take hormones to change their body, some undergo surgery while others decide against having any medical treatment. Franken says it is too early to consider surgery or hormone therapy while she adapts to life as Sarah.
Despite the doubts, the abuse and falling out with her parents, Franken is at ease, switching naturally between characters and adopting various accents, as she discusses her upcoming shows at Edinburgh's annual Fringe Festival.
"Performing now is more rewarding, it feels like I get to have my cake and eat it too," Franken says contentedly.
To see the video of Sarah Franken's story, please visit: https://youtu.be/xRpDjcvhIE4 (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, editing by Tim Pearce. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
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