Charlie Craggs is a triple threat. She’s savvy, she’s smart and she’s stunning. She’s a 21st century businesswoman, a streetwise London lass and a formidable purveyor of shoes.
Why do we love her so much? Because the work she does for the trans community is true activism. Not thinkpiece-for-the-Huffington-Post activism or let’s-all-babble-on-Twitter-for-five-hours-but-not-actually-do-anything activism. No, this is thoroughbred, proper stuff!
She takes people out of their comfort zone and perhaps most importantly, she takes HERSELF out of the bubble – reaching the people who really need to be reached, who have no idea what trans people are like, think Galdem Zine is a Nicki Minaj song and have probably never heard phrases like “non-binary” or “cultural appropriation”.
With her initiative Nail Transphobia, Charlie goes to public spots like universities and music festivals, sets up a stall, and offers to do people’s nails for free. When they sit down opposite her, she engages them in calm, educational chat about her life as a trans woman, and the wider trans experience. Most of them have never met a trans person before.
Of course, she also engages in a different kind of activism – living her best life as a proud fab woman. She’s had more free bottles of champagne than you’ve had hot dinners, and we’ve heard The Dorchester are still trying to get her lipstick stains out of one of their exclusive 500-count Egyptian cotton bathrobes. AND we’ve heard her hair is insured for $10,000.
Have YOU ever met a trans person? Well you have now! And she’s not taking any prisoners.
Charlie! You are a very busy woman. What do you do to relax?
Well it takes me like an hour to get ready, at least. So if I want to do something chilled, I’m not leaving the house. You can come to my house. I’ll be in a tracksuit, with my hair in a topknot, no makeup…I’m that girl.
Ugg boots?
Yeah, very that. Ugg boots in bed. I’m always like that on Sundays. Saturday is the day for going out and eating with my friends. I’m not big on clubbing.
You seem like a party girl!
Do I?! I’m really boring. I dunno, I just don’t enjoy it. I like a house party. When I go to a club I’m always like “this isn’t cute.”
Maybe you’ve just been there, done that.
I haven’t done it though! I used to go out sometimes, but I never enjoyed it. It’s sweaty, I don’t like the music…and also I couldn’t do it during my transition, because I didn’t feel comfortable enough. Even now it’s like…do I go to a straight club? But what if a guy starts grinding on me and then feels something…it’s dangerous. Or do I go to a gay club where no-one’s interested in me? Where do I go?
Are there a lot of guys who fetishize trans girls?
Of course. I get guys reaching out to me on Facebook, saying “where can I meet trans girls, what clubs should I go to?” and I’m like, don’t fucking ask me, I’m not your pimp. If you want me to hook you up with my friends, pay me.
It must make you feel like shit because it makes you feel like…ok so all it takes is for me to be trans.
They want to have sex with you, but they don’t want to date you. They don’t want to tell their guy friends they’re dating a trans girl. They don’t want to bring a trans girl home to mum. Eighty per cent of straight guys would have sex with a trans girl, but only ten per cent would admit it. It will change when guys are more honest about being attracted to us.
For people who don’t know…tell me what you do with your organisation, Nail Transphobia.
I offer the public free manicures, with the chance to sit down and have a chat with a trans person. The nails are an icebreaker for that conversation, and a way of engaging them in it.
That’s so great. I think the reason a lot of people are transphobic is because they’ve never properly spoken to a trans person.
It’s the reason anyone’s anything! Islamophobia…if Islamophobic people sat down with a Muslim, they’d realise they have a lot in common. Like, they both watch Eastenders. That’s what it’s about for me. I want that conversation to happen. If I was sat at a stall with brochures yelling “trans people are being murdered!” no-one would listen. Whereas if I engage them with nails, I can get through to them.
Doing someone’s nails is quite intimate as well.
Yeah, holding hands basically. And most of them have never met a trans person so it’s quite powerful. Nails are a really good talking point. It’s a great way of making the conversation even bigger.
So how do you do it? Do you set up shop in different places?
I have a pop-up salon, and I’m brought in by galleries, museums, festivals, pride events, universities…it’s always public spaces because I want it to be accessible to everyone. If I only did pride events, obviously only certain people would come. Whereas if I do a university, you’ll get straight boys coming over, or people from cultures that might not agree with trans issues.
What’s the response been like?
It’s been amazing. It’s been my full time job for three years now.
It’s such a good idea!
I don’t know how I came up with it. Like honestly, I’m shook.
That’s how the best things always happen though. It just comes to you somewhere.
I was in bed watching a Tyra Banks montage.
I bet there have been moments where people have said questionable things when you’ve been chatting to them…
Of course. I encourage it though. Every time there’ll be that one person who’s like “have you had the surgery yet?”
Whoa! Jesus.
No no, it’s good. It’s bad, but it’s good. Because it means that I can then say to them “baby, we don’t ask that question.” And I’ll explain why. And they’ll go away, and they’ll never ask that question again.
Have you found that YOUR views have changed towards trans issues through doing all this?
Pre-transition, I used to say “tranny”. It was on the front of the Daily Mail, so I didn’t realise it was a bad word. The media tells people it’s ok.
Speaking of the media…why is it so bad?! Why is the mainstream media being so transphobic?! What’s happening?!
Oh my god I know. Why you mad sis?! Why so much anger? I do not understand. The people I don’t understand the most, is the TERFs. I’m actually gasping at these people, they should know better. It’s more dangerous because they’re doing it in more subtle ways. They’re writing articles for The Telegraph, acting like they’re unbiased. It’s very clever.
They’ve hidden the transphobia, but it’s there.
Exactly. And it’s actually getting threatening now. I’ve had women – TERFs – messaging me telling me not to come to events. Saying “don’t come, we don’t want you here. We’ll get you.” I’m like “bitch please, I’m not scared of you. I went to an all-boys school in a fucking council estate, I’m not scared of some middle class white woman. Please.”
They’ve got a lot of power though.
They do. They’ve got good jobs, they work in the media, they’ve got connections, they’ve got money and resources.
So what’s your family like with it?
Really good. Which is surprising because I’m working class – I’m from a council estate in Ladbroke Grove – and I’m Irish Catholic. So I’ve had the odds stacked against me. And I have a very masculine, macho family. My dad’s a bodybuilder type, my brother’s a bodybuilder type. I’m very lucky. Most of my friends aren’t accepted by their families. So I feel very blessed.
What was it like growing up in London?
People are shocked when I say this, but it was really hard. People say, “oh you’re so lucky to have grown up in London!” I’m like, bitch I had bricks thrown at me. I was sexually assaulted. Verbally assaulted every day. It’s not easy being visibly LGBT.
Well, London is big and dangerous
Yeah, it’s tough. You’ve got to be a bad bitch to survive in this city.
Let’s talk EMOJIS. What’s this emoji thing you’re doing?
So this seems like a really silly fight, but I want there to be a transgender flag emoji.
That’s not silly! Emojis have become such a part of everyday language.
Every year they choose new emojis, and they always ignore ours – even though it’s the most requested one. They chose a soup can over ours. Like, who is ever gonna use a soup can emoji?! The organisation is Unicode, which is made up of board members from Google, Facebook, Instagram…they choose different emojis to go in the new update every year. The transgender flag has been the most requested for two years running now, but instead they choose sad poos, soup cans and toboggans. They’ve also chosen a lobster. So because we don’t have a trans symbol, we’re gonna hijack the lobster to make it our own symbol. Lobsters can be gynandromorphic – some of them have male and female characteristics. So they’re kind of trans. Until we get our own trans symbol, we’re gonna make that ours. It’ll show Unicode there’s a need for a trans symbol. We need to fight for everything! Even if it’s an emoji.
Find out more about Nail Transphobia and Charlie’s emoji campaign at nailit.co/lobster. Follow her on Instagram @charlie_craggs
