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CHAPTER 11 My Words to Victor Frankenstein above the Village of Chamounix: Performing Transgender Rage
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C H A P T E R 1 1 My Words to Victor Frankenstei n above the Village of Chamouni x Performing Transgender Rage SUSAN STRYKE R INTRODUCTORY NOTE S The followin g wor k i s a textua l adaptatio n o f a performanc e piec e originally presented a t "Rage ! Across the Disciplines," a n arts , humanities , and socia l sciences conference hel d June 10-12 , 1993 , at Californi a State University, San Marcos. The interdisciplinary natur e o f the confer ence , it s theme , an d th e organizers ' cal l fo r bot h performance s an d academic paper s inspire d m e to b e creative i n my mode o f presentin g a topic the n muc h o n m y mind . A s a membe r o f Transgende r Nation— a militantly queer, direct action transsexual advocacy group—I was at the time involve d i n organizin g a disruptio n an d protes t a t th e America n Psychiatric Association's 199 3 annua l meeting in San Francisco. A good deal o f th e discussio n a t ou r plannin g meeting s concerne d ho w t o har ness the intense emotions emanating from transsexual experience—espe cially rage—an d mobiliz e the m int o effectiv e politica l actions . I wa s intrigued b y th e prospec t o f criticall y examinin g thi s rag e i n a mor e academic settin g throug h a n idiosyncrati c applicatio n o f th e concep t o f gender performativity . M y ide a wa s to perfor m self-consciousl y a quee r gender rathe r tha n simpl y tal k abou t it , thu s embodyin g an d enactin g the concept simultaneousl y unde r discussion . I wanted th e formal struc ture o f th e wor k t o expres s a transgende r aestheti c b y replicatin g ou r abrupt, ofte n jarrin g transition s betwee n genders—challengin g generi c Reprinted b y kind permissio n o f Gordo n an d Breac h Scienc e Publishers, Inc., from GLQ 1:3, 237-54 . Copyright © 1994 by Gordon an d Breach Science Publishers, Inc. 1 9 5 196 S U S A N S T R Y K E R classification wit h th e form s o f m y word s jus t a s m y transsexualit y challenges th e convention s o f legitimat e gende r an d m y performance i n the conferenc e roo m challenge d th e boundarie s o f acceptabl e academi c discourse. During the performance, I stood a t the podium wearin g gen derfuck drag—comba t boots , threadbar e Lev i 501 s ove r a blac k lac e body suit , a shredde d Transgende r Natio n T-shir t wit h th e nec k an d sleeves cu t out , a pin k triangl e quart z crysta l pendant , grung e meta l jewelry, and a six-inch long marlin hoo k danglin g around m y neck o n a length o f heav y stainles s stee l chain . I decorated th e se t b y drapin g m y black leather biker jacket over my chair at the panelists' table. The jacket had handcuff s o n th e lef t shoulder , rainbo w freedo m ring s o n th e righ t side lacings , an d Quee r Nation-styl e sticker s readin g SE X CHANGE , DYKE, and FUCK YOUR TRANSPHOBIA plastered o n the back . MONOLOGUE The transsexual bod y is an unnatura l body . It is the product o f medica l science. It is a technological construction . I t is flesh tor n apar t an d sew n together agai n i n a shape othe r tha n tha t i n which i t was born . I n thes e circumstances, I find a dee p affinit y betwee n mysel f a s a transsexua l woman an d th e monster i n Mary Shelley' s Frankenstein. Lik e the mon ster , I am too ofte n perceive d a s less than full y...