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Joanne Clarke is a woman on a mission. When she’s not
strutting her stuff in stilettos and flamboyant frocks as one third of the
fabulous drag act PIaygirls,she can be heard livening up the airwaves on the weekly
radio show Women on Air.
As if that wasn’t enough to
fill Joanne’s downtime from her nine-to-five day job as a patternmaker, spec
tech and graphic artist, there’s her role as a CMI union celebrant; her cook
book Never Trust a Skinny Cooki which. although published in 2000, is still
in hot demand; and her latest undertaking — chair of the Christchurch-based
support group for the transgender community AGENDA.
“It is a bit of a juggling act. I’m never home,’ says 43-year-old Joanne.
“Perhaps that’s why I’ve been single for so long,” she laughs.
But Joanne, who is a post-operative transsexual, wouldn’t have it any other
way. And if being involved in all these things helps give people a better
understaiing of the transgender community in New Zealand, then it’s all worth
it, she says.
Joanne’s life and career reads like something out of a novel or a Hollywood
movie.
Born in Gisbome and raised in Auckland, she underwent surgery to change her
gender when she was just 22 years old. Operations were not carried out in New
Zealand at the time, so she and her mum Beverly had to travel to Hove in
England.
But it is her life as an entertainer which she’s gained notoriety for.
“I’ve been doing shows for 26 years. I was 17 when I started.” she explains.
Many will remember her from her days as a showgirl working some of the Mojo
showgils in the very early 80s or when she partnered up with her brother,
under the management of their mother, to form Las Belle Boys. They toured the
Country in the mid 1900s and it was during this time that she first worked
with Georgina Beyer, after meeting her while filming the short film Jewel’s
Darl in which Joanne had a small role. And while in England Joanne enjoyed
great success working in the pub and club circuit.
Nowadays, Joanne — who says she technically can’t be classified as a drag
artist because she’s had surgery - is based in Chnstchurch and has swapped the
bars and clubs of Auckland and the UK for stages in the Cathedral City and
smai town New Zealand.
“The Playgirls (starring The Divine Miss Joanne Clarke. Dawn breaker and Mai
Slapper have been doing shows in Blenheim for tow years, once a month -
sometimes twice a month,” says Joanne “and we are very excited to now be
performing monthly at Heavens Above in Chrlstchurch.”
Blenheim might seem an unlikely spot for a drag act, but Joanne says the
response has been amazing.
“People tell us we’ve changed Blenheim. We have given the town something
they’ve never seen before and many lesbian and gay people tell us we’ve made
it easier living there,” she says.
Joanne explains that the Playgiris give people the chance to see and
experience “queerdom” in a “non-threatening way”.
“We are not pushing sexuality down their throats. It’s a fun way to see queer
people. We go and talk to people after the performances. We do It in a fun
and friendly way — and on a safe level for the audience,” she adds.
Understandably Joanne says she still gets asked the same questions — “Do you
live like this all the time?” “Who does your make-up’?” “How old were you
when you first knew”...
But she’s not bothered by the questions. Rather, she says being open and
honest with people has lead to what she believes is more acceptance of the
transgender community.
She admits, however, there is still a long way to go. It’s for this reason
that Joanne is involved in so many committees and organisations, from AGENDA
to the Working Out Trust, which aims to help young LGBT people find jobs in
which they feel comfortable.
“If there are these groups out there representing the LGBT community, I feel
their needs to be someone from the transgender community on the committee,”
she says.
And Joanne is their woman!
“It’s not an easy life being a transsexual woman,” she says. “But life is
what you make of it and part of my life is to be out there helping to educate
people.”
Joanne says she’s a firm believer that all experiences lead you to the person
that “yOu are today” and it you like who you are today that’s a good thing.
“And I like who I am today,” she Smiles.
express
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