‘Woman on a Mission’: Paris Lees

Patrick Cash speaks to Paris Lees, the transgendered journalist/presenter for Vice, The Guardian, Radio 1, Attitude and other platforms, on her work building a mainstream voice for the modern trans community in the UK. 

 


Tell us a little about yourself.

My goal is to raise awareness about transgender issues and to help me do that I’m building a platform for myself. It’s no good just complaining about the things we don’t like. Trans people are truly a minority and we need to find ways to connect with the mainstream in a voice that will be heard.

When did you ‘come out’ as trans?

I remember I first got a mobile phone when I was 14 and it must have been obvious from the way I’d get so excited over text messages that I was sweet on someone. My Mum asked me if I had a girlfriend. I said no. Then she asked me if I had a boyfriend, and I said yes. After that, everyone assumed I was gay. They saw me as a boy who liked boys, so what else was I supposed to be? A few years later I told my mum I had something to tell her. “Mum, you know how I told you I like boys? Well, I still do. But I’m not gay”. Then she knew I was a girl. I don’t think it was a surprise for her or anyone else, really.

Did you know of any positive trans figures when growing up? 

The only person I can think of was Nadia Almada. Her appearance on Big Brother was certainly in my mind when I finally bit the bullet and decided to transition a few years later. Before that, when I was very little, I vaguely remember people talking about Dana International.

For people who know nothing about transgender issues, do you identify as ‘trans’ or ‘female’?

Well, I’d say that I’m a girl but I am also transgender. So, I’m a trans woman, or a transgender girl or however you want to phrase it. But ultimately I don’t even know what that means. Am I a woman in the same way that my sister is? No. Am I a man? No. We can’t know what it feels like to be anyone other than ourselves, so really it comes down to the fact that this is just how I express myself. I don’t really know what that means or what it makes me other than happy.

“I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing if I wasn’t brimming with cautious hope.”

Do you feel surgery is important? 

I think it’s easy to think that being transgender or transgender issues is all about surgery, but actually the more profound change is when we change our social role. Obviously, surgeries and hormones can make a huge difference to how you look and therefore how you are perceived, but it’s not the be all and end all. Some trans people don’t have surgery, for any number of reasons. Maybe medical, or financial, or maybe it’s just not that important to them.

Have you experienced transphobia yourself? 

Like many people when they first transition, I didn’t blend in so well at first. I’d get abuse on the streets, people shouting “are you a tranny?” and so on. It didn’t happen often, but it only takes once or twice to make you completely insecure about being out in public. I’ve suffered family rejections too, and that’s pretty common for trans people. Luckily, I have a great relationship with most of my family now and I work in an industry where I can turn being trans to my advantage – but that’s not the case for everyone. And family support is key.

How do you feel the gay community responds to transsexuals as opposed to straight society? 

Honestly? I don’t want to generalise about all gay men, but I have experienced a lot of transphobia on the gay scene. I remember walking into a gay bar in Brighton a few years back with my boyfriend. One guy shouted “Oh look, straighties!” Then his pal looked at me and said, “Oh yeah, are you quite sure about that?” The thing I notice about the gay scene is that people seem to be less likely to hide their bigotry.

And finally, do you feel positive or negative about the future for trans people in the UK?

I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing if I wasn’t brimming with cautious hope. I am a woman, on a mission.

 

• Twitter: @ParisLees

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