tuckandtape

Winnipeg’s Transgender Magazine

More than
cosmetic surgery.
Discover the steps one
must take to transition.

A night in drag
drag.
Let tuck and tape
take you on a drag
adventure.

Is top surgery
for you?
Find out if it was
right for Mark.

Make sure you’re

safe in bed.
Using the best sex toys

LGBTTQ - What
does it mean?
Do these letters belong
together?
 tuckand
Tuck andtape
Tape
5 inch heels
every night.
Janet’s Closet, go out in
style.
My feet are big. I know,
I wasn’t meant to wear
heels, but they’re so pretty,
and I look damn fine in
them. I know that I wouldn’t
be half the performer that
I am without the heels from
Janet’s Closet.
If you saw me on stage,
you’d never know I was a
ladies size 13.
www.janetscloset.com
tuckandtape
Welcome to
tuckandtape
They were both beyond beautiful. Corset-clad Satina wore confidence as effortlessly
as her five-inch pumps, and statuesque Jynx simply shone. It was eye opening. The
shoot exuded everything that we wanted our magazine to represent; confidence in
self, vivid, thriving life, and a sly, seductive wink of the lashes.
We knew what we wanted to express with this magazine, we knew that we wanted
to display the individuals and intricacies in the transgendered community. We wanted
to support those who play with the most basic separation between individuals, gender.
But we didn’t know just how astounding this community is.
We walked into this project wide-eyed and eager. We had an idea,something new,
something current, and something that affects a lot of people in a big way. Even
more, we knew that there were thousands of stories about people who identify as
transgendered that have never been told, maybe will never be told. We wanted to share
these stories. We wanted to build something to connect this community, something
it can share, and something to help people understand just what it means to be
transgendered.
That was only three months ago. It’s astounding how much we’ve learned since
then. Learned about adoptive drag mothers and the process of transitioning. About
the challenges and prejudices transgendered individuals still face. And about the
incredible strength and spirit it takes to be founded and fearless in your identity,
regardless of what others may say or do.
We understand that one magazine will not change a community, but we want to make
a difference, we want to be bold and make in impact on a community filled with vigour
and spirit. Our simple desire for this magazine is for it to mean something to people who
identify themselves as transgendered or know transgendered individuals. We want this
magazine to exhibit our respect and reverence for this community.
So, to all the transgender people of Winnipeg; we love you, exactly as you are.
tuckandtape Mother Earth Seeks BFF
Editor Judy Braun
Assistant Editor Daniella Ponticelli
Creative Editor Chuka Ejeckam
Copy Editor Laura Kunzelman
Contributing Editor Duncan McMonagle
Jynx DeCosmo
Apply Within.
Columnists
Photographers Judy Braun
Mother Earth is looking for a
Daniella Ponticelli
Best Friend Forever
Chuka Ejeckam
to enjoy long bike rides through
Laura Kunzelman
the rainforests, morning jogs in
Publisher Design Type
the prairies, and watching the
sun set on a daily basis.

tuck and tape is Winnipeg’s Transgender Magazine BFF must enjoy eating hummus
Coming Up in our NEXT Issue – wearing hemp and
spending hot summer days
PRIDE DAY
The good, the bad, and the downright nasty. protesting for her protection.

You Lost Your Son

A transgirl talks about having the talk.
The Wheat KING
What it’s like being a prairie drag king.

For upcoming news and content, check out

tuck and tape magazine on Facebook or follow on
Twitter @tuckandtape.
tuck and tape magazine
160 Princess Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada, R3P 2S4 A friendship with EPIC benefits
All images are original, royalty free, or provided by a consenting party. tuck and tape is
produced at Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology. tuck and tape is
Vegan Nails by SPARITUAL
bound and printed at Design Type. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or
personal use, is granted by tuck and tape magazine. Provided the base fee of $2.00/copy, SOLD EXCLUSIVELY AT VIXIN SALON
plus .20/page is paid directly to tuck and tape magazine. vixinsalon.com
 Spring 2011 tuckand
tucktape
andtape 07

Inside
03 Editorial
Our photoshoot with two of the
sexiest drag queens in Winnipeg.
19 Mother Queen
Meet the drag relatives that take the
nightclub scene in Winnipeg. The Female Mask
07 The Female Mask
Kaitlyn Jones always felt like she was wrong in a 21 Make-Up Tips to Save Face
Jynx Sharelike Lamour DeCosmo
by Laura Kunzelman
female body. Read about her transition to a male shares her queen beauty tips.
FEATURES

body.

10 Academic Androgyny
23 LGBTTQ WTF?
M
old.
arkus Harwood-Jones was born Kaitlyn Jones. It was summer
when he realized he was a transman; Mark was just 15-years
found himself wondering what life would be like without breasts or
how it would feel to be seen as male.
“Something is wrong with my head,” Mark wrote in his
What professors are teaching their students Judy Braun shares her opinion of the LGBTTQ “I was enthralled by the idea of a person born female journal. That night Mark put on a tight sports bra and baggy clothes
about sexual identity, and what needs to change. community and how it’s hurting our society. transitioning to male, but it also scared me so I hid it in the back of to look male. “I looked in the mirror and felt a rush of adrenaline.”
my mind with all my other ‘strange’ thoughts,” Mark explains about In Grade 11, Mark became aware of challenges presented

13
Don’t Be a Drag, Just be a Queen
Kerry Dale, an ordinary 19-yr-old boy by day and
drag queen entertainer of the year by night.
17 Sex Toy Safety
Are being safe while using your sex toys?
24
daydreaming about his female classmates. to him that he never thought about before, challenges like gendered
A Person in Progress Mark would creep out of bed to stare at himself in the washrooms, changing for gym, and hearing his teachers and peers
What does it take to transition? An in depth mirror, “I wondered why I hated my body,” says Mark. He soon call him by his female name.
look at the steps for Gender Reassignment
Surgery.
“I wondered why I hated my body.”
26 One Good Tuck
Tuck yourself in with a sexy story and a late
night cocktail. Clothing optional.
08 tuckandtape
Mark starting living a double life, “At school, I was the
semi-masculine semi-lesbian, the butt of many gay jokes and
jeering. But I was still a girl,” says Mark.
One night, dressed as a boy, Mark asked himself why
this was happening to him. “After collapsing to the ground a very
dramatic fashion, tears rolling down my face, I had a moment of
complete silence. And then I knew. I was a boy,” explains Mark.
Mark sent an email to his friends telling them he was a
transgendered person, female-to-male, and he wanted to go by
Mark and asked they call him ‘he’.
“People ask me how I knew I was a man, and I tell
them it’s like knowing you’re right or left handed. It’s like you’ve
been forced to write with your right hand for 15 years and then
someone says, ‘hey, try doing it with your left!’ That’s how it felt
for me to realize I was a transman.”
Wearing loose clothing and binding his breasts with
bandages, Mark slowly started dressing more masculine and he
got the courage to go to a youth group for queer/trans people
at the Rainbow Resource Centre. “It was incredible to me how
many other people my age, people just like me, lived in my city
(Winnipeg),” says Mark.
Mark’s family became frustrated with him, his mom
told him to ‘stop pretending to be a boy.’ “It hurt,” admits Mark.
“I was told I was sick.” Mark ran away that night, but came back
when he realized that he was only 16, and had nowhere to go.
“The next few months were some of the worst of my
life. I was constantly monitored by my parents, I was assigned
‘female’ chores, and all outfits had to be approved before I wore
them out of the house,” tells Mark.
“I was told I was sick.”
Not long after, following a fall out with his mom, Mark
went to live with his dad, but that only lasted a few days. Mark
then moved in with a friend, but that too didn’t work.
Luckily for Mark, this is when his grandparents found
him.
Mark’s grandparents, Bill and Cheryl, were driving
along a Winnipeg street when they saw Mark and offered him a
place to stay. With nowhere else to go, Mark accepted his
maternal grandparents’ offer when it seemed no one would ac-
cept him.
“We believe that every human life has value and that
every person has the right to pursue happiness and fulfillment in
their lives. If transitioning to a male gender is what our grand-
child needs in order for this to be possible, then who are we to
question it?” says Cheryl.
“We recognize that our grandchild is still the same
person we know and have always loved. None of this changes
because of a change of gender,” explains Bill.
Grade 12 was going great for Mark, with his
“I think I’m finally getting
the body I want.”
grandparents supporting him as best they could, Mark found
the confidence he’d been looking for. Sort of. Mark struggled
with depression and saw a gender therapist. Mark legally
changed his name when he turned 18 and the only thing he
was missing was the body.
After being diagnosed with gender identity disorder
by his psychologist, Mark began taking testosterone and look-
ing into top surgery, a procedure which removes breasts. Mark
kept a blog to document his journey: Youtube.com/ftmark1.
Mark’s body changed everyday.
“My muscles became clearer, my hairline receded
slightly, my eyebrows thickened and darkened, my voice
cracked and then dropped several octaves,” explains Mark.
Throughout this all, Mark’s grandparents accepted
him. “It is an ongoing process of learning, acceptance and
understanding on our part. Because we love Mark, we have
decided that we will do whatever we can to assist. When Mark
needed a home and adult support, we didn’t hesitate because
of our love for him and our realization that he needed our help.
We are so thankful for Mark,” says Cheryl.
“My nipples were crusty and looked like
pieces of pepperoni stuck to
my swollen chest.”
Working 12 hour days at a Winnipeg call centre, and
saving every penny, Mark had the $6,300 to go to Toronto for
the top surgery to remove his breasts. He stayed with his new
friend Sean, a gay man he met over his YouTube channel. After
Mark’s surgery, Sean helped him to recover before Mark would
have to come back to Winnipeg; they fell for each other.
Sean was with Mark the entire time: “When the
stiches were taken out Sean was there. When my chest was
purple, yellow, and green, he was there. And when my nipples
were crusty and looked like pieces of pepperoni stuck to my
swollen chest, Sean was there,” explains Mark.
“I love him for who he is. He is passionate about his
painting, as well as various sci-fi shows and Tyra Banks. I can’t
blame him for the Tyra thing though,” says Sean.
Sean says he has no doubts that Mark will progress
through life with an ability to excel in whatever he chooses to
do, “I will support him in whatever decision he makes and will
be there to back him up. Unless I am presented the chance to
go out with either Queen Latifah or Pink, but if that happens
we’ll still be friends,” Sean jokes.
Now back in Winnipeg, with plans to move to Toronto
to be with Sean, Mark is still finding his way. “Passing as a man
is new to me, and I am always taken aback a little bit when
people tell me they ‘never would have guessed’ that I was
trans. I don’t regret anything for a second. I love my life.”
What Does tuckandtape
It All
Mean?
It is not uncommon for someone to feel confused and
overwhelmed by all the terms out there regarding the
transgender community. I will attempt to decipher some of
them so the waters aren’t as muddy.
When I first heard a friend say he was FTM, I was unsure what
that meant, but was too embarrassed to ask what that meant.
I felt that because he was my friend, and belonged to that
particular community, I should know what that meant. That
somehow, I wasn’t a very good friend. He later did explain it
to me and I found out that there are more people out there like
me who get confused with some of the terms.
FTM stands for female-to-male trans person; a trans man. And
MTF stands for male-to-female trans person; a trans woman.
Acronyms can be confusing to someone just learning about
transgender if they aren’t used to them. Example, GID can lead
to SRS.
Gender Identity Disorder or GID is a term to describe the
mismatch between the gender assigned at birth, and one’s
internally felt gender identity.
SRS, sexual reassignment surgery, also known as genital
reassignment surgery (GRS), or bottom surgery, are the surgical
procedures that transform the body to the point where legal
change of sex designation can be accomplished.
Top surgery: The surgical removal of breasts, and chest
contouring.
Some other terms you may be struggling with:
Trans
An umbrella term that suggests many forms of gender
boundary crossing, whether in terms of behavior,
self-presentation or identity; or in terms of how such crossing
are experienced and understood. Not all people who fit this
definition will self-identify as trans.
Transition: The process by which a trans person moves from
birth gender role and presentation to chosen gender and
presentation. This can involve elements such as name and legal
document changes, full-time living in the new gender role and
possible medical interventions such as hormones and surgery.
Passing: Passing is the ability to go unnoticed as a particular
gender. Some gender clinics use passing as a criteria for
granting treatment. Not being able to pass is known as “being
read.”
10 tuckandtape
Dr. Green holds a bachelor’s degree in
sociology and anthropology, a master’s in
women’s studies, and an interdisciplinary
PhD in education, sociology, and women’s
and gender studies. Green says her ideas
and ideals were always in the vein of
feminism, even before she had the words to
articulate her opinions. She now regularly
raises issues of gender when they are being
overlooked. “I was invited to be part of a
discussion about the new human rights
museum around gender, and I continually
brought up the issue of trans experiences.
Because, the thinking of that group was
this narrow, male and female. And it was
like, ‘no, no, no, we have to
broaden it and think about it
much more richly.’”
In class, Dr. Green
teaches the idea of gender
on a continuum; male at
one end, female at the other,
Academic Androgyny and innumerable identities
throughout that are each as
legitimate as either endpoint.
She says that while this
Transgender issues in post-secondary education notion aids in the study of
gender and gender identity,
By
it still is not all-inclusive.
“We talk about language,
and we talk about bodies,
that have penises, and
vaginas, and breasts, or no
breasts, and that’s a physical
Chuka Ejeckam manifestation. But what do
we call that body, and how
do we identify that body, and
what expectations do we have of that body,
In a time of HAM policies banning the discussion of homosexuality, abortion, and masturba- and what of the person who is inhabiting
tion in schools, at least one educator doesn’t quiet her concerns. that body? I don’t think that there is a mind-
Less than four years ago, Dr. Fiona Green, professor at the University of Winnipeg, body split, but some trans folks feel that
worked with her colleagues to change the title of her department from women’s studies to they’re bodies don’t match how they feel.”
women’s and gender studies. Green cites the reason for this change as the evolving under- Having published 12 essays since
standings and ideas in feminism. Understandings concerning a plight of gender performativ- 1999, Green is an accomplished academic,
ity (the notion that individuals ‘perform’ to align with societal constructions of gender) that and teaches several courses relating to
men and women alike endure, as well as the exclusivity of definitions of gender. Green says feminism and gender. She notes that in her
both men and women are forced into stereotypical gender roles, a realization which opened teaching, discussions of gender and gender
her initial view of feminism. “I would say in the 90s, there was a recognition that we’re not identity arise often. There are portions of her
necessarily in these two compartments, in terms of gender. Through doing work concerning respective curriculum, questions and
femininity, we recognized that men also are socialized. There are masculinities, there is pa- comments from students, and external
triarchal pressure on those who are identified as male to perform their identity in a particular
way. And along with that also came an understanding of a continuum of gender, a continu-
um of sexes, or sex. So that’s where, now, trans issues, transgender, trans concerns, realities,
experiences appear. The name change came in 2007 I think.”
information she chooses to discuss that
directly concern transgender issues. Green
says the discussion of trans identity has
come up in introduction to women’s and
gender studies courses, courses on feminist
mothering, on feminist theory, and even in
more biologically-concerned study. “I teach
a course called sex, sexuality and science,
which is very critical of science and the
constructions of biology. Again, we are
embodied agents, and one of the primary
identifiers for us is gender, so it comes up all
the time.” treatments at a young age to fit into fixed
Opposition to the continuum idea,
Green says, stems from solidified opinions,
perhaps prescribed by society, that define
gender in fixed terms. In Green’s eyes, not
only do these immovable opinions on
gender encourage prejudice and
misunderstanding, they can determine the
course of an individual’s life before that
individual becomes completely conscious.
“When we get into talking about folks who
are born with ambiguous genitalia, there is
pressure there for parents to make a
decision. So, if a male child is born with
what they would deem a micro-penis, there
is pressure there to have surgery almost
tuckandtape 11
immediately, not to enhance that penis, but
change that penis into a clitoris and change
that male into a female.”
Green says such forced decisions
can only come from an urge to adhere to
the basic definitions of gender. She says that
an understanding of gender as a continuum
allows for all embodiments of sex, and
therefore grants each individual the
opportunity to find their own identity and
decide for themselves, rather than
being subjected to surgery and hormonal
categories.
Green says she’s been impressed
with how the UW
administration has
handled gender-
related issues on
campus. “I was part
of a committee, a
trans student came
to me and said they
were having trouble
with washrooms on
campus. And so, I
approached the dean,
who initially was a
little taken aback
because it was a new
issue for him. But we
worked on that, and in
the new buildings that
are being built, there
will be gender neutral
washrooms.”
Green feels a positive shift is
occurring in Manitoba in terms of
understanding and accepting trans
identities. While it isn’t happening
overnight, she believes it is definitely
happening. “I mean, there are communities
where it would be very difficult to be trans,
just as it would be very difficult to be gay
or queer in some places. It would be very
difficult to live with someone outside of
heterosexual marriage in some communities
in Manitoba. But I think there is a general
shift that’s happening for the positive.”
Release.
tuckandtape

don’t be a

D rag,
just be a

Q
by
ueen
Judy Braun

One night of hedonism can’t hurt

Gio’s Club and Bar

155 Smith Street.
gios.ca
 “My Nona (Dale’s grandmother) thinks it’s great that I’m a
drag queen” says Kerry Dale, a 19-year-old male, “though she has
no idea I’m gay.” Dale’s grandmother is a traditional Italian woman,
steadfast in her Roman Catholic faith and steadfast in her idea that it
is wrong to be gay.
Dale has known he was gay since he was a young child,
constantly teased about being different. When he was 7 or 8, Dale
realized that he had more than just an attraction to other males;
he also had an affinity for dressing up as a woman. “When I was
younger I would always tell my mom she looked pretty. I would wear
her clothes and walk around in her heels.” Dale’s parents divorced
when he was zzyoung and Dale says he and his mother had a good
relationship.
Kerry Dale is the name that he was given at birth, but on
Saturday nights you will meet Satina Ariel Sonya Loren, a drag queen
and frequent performer at Gio’s Nightclub.

“I like being a boy, I like being a girl, but I don’t want to be

a girl 24/7. I like being a girl for 3-5 hours”

Dale and Loren have many similar traits, though they are
definitely not the same person. “I’m Kerry when I’m Kerry, and Satina
when I’m Satina,” says Dale, “I can’t just switch any time, I don’t
wake up and decide ‘I want to be a girl today’” Dale says that he
performs as Loren because he is good at what he does, helps raise
money for charity and goes home to take it all off and go back to
being Dale.
“I like being a boy, I like being a girl, but I don’t want
to be a girl 24/7. I like being a girl for 3-5 hours” he says with a
sparkle in his eye. Dale has a masculine face, with a defined jaw
line and unshaven face. The only feminine feature visible would be
the sculpted eyebrows created by a professional esthetician. “My
eyebrows used to be so thick,” says Dale as he used his thumb and
index finger to demonstrate a measurement more than half an inch.
Dale tries to make sure that those who meet Loren also meet
Dale. “I’m not Satina, Satina is a character I play,” says Dale.

“To my Nona, I’m the granddaughter she never had,”

Dale has thought about a sex change. He says that if he

was a girl it would make so much more sense. “Getting dressed up
and putting on makeup – it’d be seen as normal.” But he also says
that he feels happy with who he is now. “I’m a boy, I just dress as a
girl on certain days,” says Dale, “Some people were born as a boy
and feeling like a girl and a girl feeling like a boy. I just unleash that
feeling a little bit every weekend.”
Loren was crowned Entertainer of the Year for the Snowy
Owl Monarchist Society, a chapter in the second largest LGBT
organization in the world known as the International Imperial Court
“I always wear a corset - it’s my System. The main goal of the organization is to raise funds for local
thing” charities through events. Loren is very involved in supporting this
community by hosting and performing at multiple events throughout
the year.
“To my Nona, I’m the granddaughter she never had,” says
Dale about performing drag. To his mother’s side of the family, Dale
is an actor who likes the attention of performing, though will one day
realize that he is not really gay and will stop performing drag. “My
dad doesn’t even know I’m gay,” says Dale.
Although Dale’s drag life is not one he shares with his
family, he does want to share it with someone. “It’s really hard to find
“I can’t do my own makeup, people who are O.K. with it. People are totally fine with drag, though
when you’re in a relationship with them – they want a guy,” says
I always get together with my “I watch The Little Mermaid Dale. Dale sees his brothers involved in many relationship over the
friends before we go out” almost every day” years and Dale just craves the same. “I can’t really pick and choose
who I am. Satina is a small part of my life, though she’s a part and
she’s not going anywhere.”
 tuckandtape
Don’t let him get away with it.
SEX TOY
It’s the third time this week.
safety
You don’t like to repeat yourself.
You told him to take out the
trash, but he didn’t.
Sex toys, like any other sexual
contact can bring sexually
This is unacceptable. transmitted infections. It is
important to keep all of your
toys safe. This can be done
You know what you have to do. simply:
•Clean your sex toys before and
Teach him a lesson. after use with antibacterial
f dish soap.
•Air dry your sex toys.
The dishes can wait.
f
•Store your sex toy with corn
starch.
•Keep your sex toy in a soft
towel.
•Do not store your sex toy in
a plastic bag, sex toys need to
breathe.
•Do not store sex toys together,
newer ones, particularly
silicone or skin-like material
can melt when they are with
similar sex toys.
•Do not use toys in water.
Unless they are specifically
designed for aquatic play.
Discreet Boutique Enter to win a naughty sex toy pack
from Love Nest!
Send a twitpic of this article to @tuckandtape for your chance to win. Contest ends August 30,
340 Donald Street - Winnipeg, MB R3B 2H7 - (204) 947-1307 - www.discreet.mb.ca
tuckandtape
By Judy Braun Dental Dams come in a variety of flavours
The lights are dimmed, your bodies
touching; you are in the heat of the moment.
You reach for the vibrator, stored in a plastic
bag, sitting in the drawer next to your bed.
It has been there for two weeks. You do not
remember the last time you washed it. It does
not matter; you wipe the toy on your bed
sheet and continue on with the night.
In the above example, you have
just committed an unbelievable number of
faux-pas. Things that are not just disgusting,
but may also be harmful to both you and your You can always purchase cleaners for all of your toys
partner. I recently spoke with Linda Zuzanski,
the owner and president of Love Nest, a local
sex toy shop; and asked her about sex toy
safety.
“There are basic things that everyone
can do, you don’t need to purchase fancy
cleaners and powders, you can use household
products,” Zuzanski says. Everyone who shops
at Love Nest is sent home with information
about how to clean and store their toys.
Although sex toys come in a variety
of different colours, shapes, sizes and textures
there are some that are more appealing. “I
use the Frisky Finger; it’s tiny and gets the
job done. Though it does use batteries fast,
it’s waterproof and quiet – those are usually
the main selling points for me,” says Sirissa
Rawlins-Sabourin, a frequent user of sex toys. The We-vibe and Lolo, the most popular sex toys
To find out information or to purchase sex
toys you can visit Love Nest (lovenestonline.
com), Discreet Boutique (discreet.
mb.ca), and Aphrodite’s Whisper Boutique
(aphroditeswhisper.ca).
Rawlins-Sabourin’s favorite toy
tuckandtape tuckand
tuck tape
and tape 19

Mother Queen by Daniella Ponticelli

In order to be queen, you need royal blood. Three Winnipeg

queens talk about their drag families and life with lipstick.

Lita Takeela holds a bottle of beer in her gloved hand and

crosses her legs gingerly, her six foot two frame casually
draping the small couches at Winnipeg’s Fame nightclub.
Her eye makeup extends far past her natural brow while
her painted lips kiss the bottle for another swig, “some
nights, I feel like big mama.” In the past two years, Lita
has adopted three drag daughters, who add to a long line
of local performers.
“I don’t know my family as well as my drag family –
they’re like my best friends”
The drag community is made up of different families
namely the Burlesque, the DeCosmo, and the White. Some
drag queens are chosen by a drag mother and adopted into
the culture, while others set out alone and eventually make it
into a family – if she’s good.
“I was kind of forced into it,” says Jynx, a six foot two
blonde whose slender body complements her tight black
leotard and stockings. At 19, Jynx Sharelike Lamour
DeCosmo joined the family in May 2010. Jynx, who got the
nickname from friends in high school, was given the last
names of her drag mother and grandmother – a sign of respect
and an honour for a new family member.
“It’s always been adopted down. My drag mother has
three children, and they’re my sisters – it works like a family,”
says Jnyx. Her mother, Cheron Sharelike Lamour, is Lita’s
sister; thus making the two performers sitting casually in the
club lounge aunt and niece.
“I don’t know my family as well as my drag family –
they’re like my best friends” gushes Jynx, before playfully
snapping at a waiter, “bite me Aaron!” It’s permissible since
Aaron is her drag cousin and Lita’s daughter.
“In my third year I just became loose, and started
adopting,” says Lita, adding that a friend jokingly teased, “I’m
going to tip you in coat hangers.”
When Lita considers adopting, she looks for a daughter
who “wants to perform, it’s all about being playful.” Despite
the stereotype that drag performers are homosexual, some
performers are heterosexual and married with children.
The most important part about being a queen is getting the
crowd involved.
Five
A family will perform individually at different clubs. A
typical solo performance includes a musical number either
sung or lip-synced. Each girl struts onstage and performs
her song with actions, gestures, and some dance moves. For
For Jamie West, 22, a member of the White family,
the drag lifestyle goes beyond making money. He sits
cosily at the Fyxx, with Ishmael pushed to the side, and
talks about Foxy Boots.
“I’m the same person as Foxy,” says West, a nursing
Tips
To Save Face
larger events such as Winnipeg’s Mardi Gras and Pride Week,
student by day and makeup store employee part-time. By Jynx Sharelike Lamour DeCosmo
1
the girls get together and choreograph a group number.
“Anyone can do it but they’ve got to want to.”
Tonight Jynx works her strut to Lady Gaga’s “The Fame”
West explained that he too was chosen for drag
in seven inch heels, a group of giddy gents tipping neatly
because his adopted mother saw potential for his BRUSHES
folded bills, while Lita shows off her veteran moves in her
“face.” And potential is everything for someone Brushes are boss when it comes to make-up, sponge tip
“kicking whore boots,” swinging with ease around the pole in
climbing the ranks. applicators can go right in the trash (you’re better off
her gloved hands.
“We’re all at different levels on the hierarchy,” says using your fingers).When applying eye shadow, don’t
Lita is no stranger to the club scene; she started at Club
West, as he scrolls through Facebook pictures press too hard to transfer the colour onto your lid,
200 four years ago on her own, having never applied makeup
of drag royalty. In Manitoba, there is an annual especially when it comes to blending – the lighter the
before.
coronation where the community crowns an emperor hand the better the results. You should use a brush for
“I just went tshh-tshh and then went,” she says while
and empress, a prince and princess, a duke and just about everything from foundation to eyeliner. Wash
spraying imaginary hair spray. “I was tragic. I just sort of
duchess, and an entertainer. your brushes after every use.Brushes are a breeding
experimented from there and got used to it. Now I like to
2
Each of these positions requires campaigning and ground for bacteria, and nothing is cute about that.
switch up my makeup.”
with the title comes a lot of work in the growing
She admits that early attempts at painting her “face”
community. Pride Winnipeg reports on their website
showed her amateur status, and has a tip for new performers:
that over 30,000 people were involved with the 2010 BLUSH/CONTOUR
“if you don’t use high quality makeup, you’re fucked.” Contouring your face will help make it look slimmer.
Pride week festivities, a staggering growth from the
Her evolution cemented a reign as Miss Club 200, When applying contour always remember to start from the
250 who started the march over two decades ago. Even
where she performed a cabaret style show every week for a about the middle of your ear, and gently bring it down about
though gay bars host the girls, the drag community
year – unpaid. half way to the corner of your mouth.For blush you don’t have
focuses on performance appeal and leaves out sexual
“It’s great fun but, after four years of doing this every to smile, simply apply it above your contour, but focus more
orientation, to take care of one another.
week, it ages you,” sighs Lita, who often has a guessed age of on the centre of your face. If you apply too much blush,go in
“If I need to borrow China’s hair, she’ll lend it to
26. The lifestyle, however, has grown on Jynx; “you get to be with a damp foundation sponge and GENTLY rub some off.
me. Or sometimes Lita needs my eyeliner; we all share,
3
a human being during the week, but on the weekend – you’re
we’re a tight knit group,” says West. “In the end, we’re
a celebrity.”
all sisters.”
RED LIPSTICK
Not all red lipsticks are created equal, some have a cool
undertone (blue-ish hue), and others have a warm undertone
(orange hue). Wearing a red lipstick with the same undertone
as you will instantly brighten your complexion.
The jewelry method, what looks better on you?
Gold or silver? Gold is warm, and silver is cool.
The white clothes method, what looks better on you?
True white or off white? White is cool, off white is warm.
EYE SHADOW PRIMER
A good eye shadow primer will make your eye makeup
last all day long ’cause it gives your shadow something to
4
grab onto. If you tend to have oily lids it helps control oil,
helps your eye makeup from creasing and slipping all over
the place, and it also brightens your eye shadow colour.
5 BLOTTING PAPERS
Blotting papers are a must have to carry around with you, especially if
you’re wearing your makeup for a long time. They just remove excess
oil and shine on your face, keep your makeup looking fresh without
removing any of it, if your skin tends to get a little shiny through out
the day, you don’t want to go in straight with a powder, that’s going to
end up looking caky, you want to remove the oil first.
 tuckandtape
LGBTTQ WTF?
LGBTTQ. Just another acronym – meant to represent
an entire community. Does anyone even know
what each letter means? It started out with just LGB
in the 80s – lesbians, gays and bisexual. Simple
enough. The acronym made sense, it only included
sexual orientation. In the 90s, they added the first
T. Transgendered. This is where things begin to get
awkward – how can you add gender to sexuality?
Aren’t they different? Should gender and sexual
orientation be placed in the same acronym?
Sexual orientation as described by
Oxford is a person’s sexual identity in relation to
the gender to which they are attracted; the fact
of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.
Sex is important in determining this, though ones
Virtuous Vanity
physical sex doesn’t change to determine their sexual
orientation.
Gender as described by Oxford is the
state of being male or female (typically used with
reference to social and cultural differences rather
than biological ones). To determine ones gender, it’s
not physical; it’s determined by the individual.
It isn’t self indulgence, it’s therapeutic. It isn’t caring too The next T stands for two-spirited, a term
from our aboriginal people. This once meant that a
much
about
your
appearance,
it’s carefully
constructing and person was born both male and female. It was seen
customizing confidence. It isn’t hiding your flaws, of course as a privilege to be two-spirited. Rainbow Resource
Center event coordinator says that in current day,
you have none, it’s expressing your inner emotions with color, aboriginal people are still finding people being born
tone, shade. It isn’t painting your face, it’s displaying your
personality. It’s telling people who you are at first glance.
PCOSMETICS
ROVICI It’s truth. It’s genuine. It’s Provici.
Enrich your appearance
www.provici.com
Opinion
tuckandtape
by Judy Braun
as two spirited – there are even people who suggest
that there are more than just two genders (male and
female).
The last letter Q has two meanings –
queer and questioning. This is meant to encompass
everyone else who wants to fit into this community.
If this acronym is truly meant to envelope
the entire “alternative” community – perhaps they
should also have the letters F and S; to represent
family and supporters. And hell, why not add another
F and A for friends and allies. Or perhaps, an E for
educator. The list of letters that could be added to
this acronym could be unending.
Now comes my opinion. Fuck the acronym.
There is no point in creating the jumble of letters
which ultimately mean nothing. People are people.
What does it matter what a person’s gender is? What
does it matter what a person’s sexual orientation
is? What does it matter that a person is queer or
questioning? I don’t go around telling people that I
have certain behaviour because I’m straight. I don’t
saying that I’m a part of a straight community. I’m a
part of the human being community, everyone is a
part of this community.
The term LGBTTQ should be destroyed.
There is no need for it. I know that several people
will disagree with me, and I hope one day this take
on creating a modern day cast system will end.
24 tuckandtape
A Person
In Progress
Life Under The Knife
O
ne common misconception about
transgender individuals is that their
undergoing gender reassignment
surgery is an elective operation, one
that the individual desires for aesthetic purposes.
However, just as gender identity disorder is
catalogued as a serious psychological condition
in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, gender reassignment surgery is
treatment for that condition.
Reece Malone, education program
coordinator for the Rainbow Resource
Centre, says every province has its own set of
steps individuals must undergo prior to gender
reassignment surgery. Malone laments that there
isn’t a national standard for the procedure, and
says that in Manitoba only certain operations
that are part of a complete battery of gender
reassignment surgeries are covered by Manitoba
Health.
The process begins with the
psychological diagnosis. “They first would need
to require a diagnosis called gender identity
disorder, and that is a condition that is in the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders. In Manitoba you could be diagnosed
by either a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Once
you obtain your GID diagnosis, you can then
be sent over for plastic surgery. If someone just
wanted hormone treatments, the GID diagnosis
By
Chuka Ejeckam
isn’t a prerequisite, but for surgery it is.”
The diagnosis, however, isn’t one easily
procured. The person must feel “incongruence
with their birth gender,” as well as, “a desire to
associate with activities that are relegated to the
opposite gender.” There is also psychological
screening done to determine if the individual’s
desire to change their physical gender is a
symptom or product of a mental illness or a
different psychological condition.
Natalie Mulaire, president of the
Rainbow Resource Centre, argues that the
beginning of this process is internal, rather than
institutional. Mulaire says the individual who is
thinking of transitioning has innumerable factors
to consider. “The first part is understanding what
you are undertaking. Understanding it socially,
physically, financially, and everything else.”
Once an individual has received
the GID diagnosis, they can then undergo the
surgeries. However, many of these surgeries
are not available in Manitoba, and those in
need of them often travel to private clinics in
Quebec or Ontario. “Only certain surgeries can
be undergone in Manitoba. For a trans man, a
physical woman who identifies as a man, there is
hysterectomy and double mastectomy. For trans
women there is the removal of the phallus and
an orchidectomy, which is the removal of the
scrotum.
Those are covered. But most trans
folks in Manitoba are sent over to
Montreal, to a private clinic. For breast
augmentation, and for vaginoplasty,
the creation of a new vagina. Montreal
also does other surgeries, such as a
tracheal shave (where the size of the
Adam‘s apple is reduced). For the
most part, trans women are also sent
there for vaginoplasty. Trans men who
want to undergo a phalloplasty, or
metoidioplasty (a clitoral elongation)
are also sent to Montreal.”
While only certain surgeries
are available in Manitoba, it is only
within the last few years that even
the psychological evaluation required
for the GID diagnosis was available
in our province. Prior to that, people
were required to go to Toronto for
assessment. However, Mulaire says
the clinic in Toronto, which she
won’t name, was inadequate. “The
problem was, the clinic in Toronto
that saw Manitobans was very rigid in
it’s procedures. Many trans folk were
denied the diagnosis. People were
humiliated,emotionally damaged, and
often gave up trying to transition.”
Another issue for
transitioning individuals is that of
expense. Surgeries at private clinics
must be paid for out of pocket. As
Malone notes, the cost of a full battery
of these surgeries is startlingly high.
Not only would a transgender have
to pay for all of the treatments, but
they would miss work due to their
recovery, and may lose their job as
a result of transitioning.“The prices
are pretty exorbitant if they’re not
covered. For a trans woman, if she’s
going to go to Montreal to get her
surgeries, she’s looking at $17,000,
and that doesn’t include top surgeries
which can be $5,000 or $6,000 each.
For the full surgeries, a trans woman is
looking at $100,000. For a trans man,
he’s looking at $40,000 for the basics.
tuckandtape
And in both cases, these don’t include
hormonal replacement therapies.”
The province covering the
complete surgeries for a transgender
individual isn’t unheard of, but it
rarely happens. Malone can recall
only six or seven cases of this
happening. Generally, the people
who require these surgeries cannot
afford them. “This is where you see
desperation of people entering sex
work or the sex trade.”
“I want to underscore that
these surgeries are not elective
or plastic. These are treatments
for transgender people”
In Malone’s opinion, the
most pressing issue about gender
reassignment surgeries isn’t the
availability (or lack thereof), or the
high price. It is the misunderstandings
of people outside the issue who think
these surgeries are utterly elective,
are physical preferences rather
than medical treatments. “I want
to underscore that these surgeries
are not elective or plastic. These are
treatments for transgender people.
Because there is a lack of education
on transgender issues, and because
of transphobia, that impacts people’s
perspectives. We need to provide
more awareness that these surgeries
are medical treatments and not
elective or plastic surgeries.”
Despite the reality that
transgender individuals are often
ostracized or targeted, this is not
always the case. Natalie Mulaire,
who herself has transitioned, says
positive transitioning experiences are
becoming more common. “I know a
lot of people who have transitioned
without being rejected by their family
and friends. In my case, my whole
family is happy with me. Everyone has
adjusted.”
Mondragon
Mondragon
Monday 10-2 | Tuesday – Friday 10-9
Saturday 10-5 | Sunday closed
Coffee and Community
Monday 10-2
Tuesday - Friday 10-9
Saturday 10-5
Sunday Closed
 tuckandtape tuckandtape

ONE GOOD
TUCK
Tuck and Tape provides some late night reading
and to end the evening – a stiff one.

She sits on the large sofa near the back of the club, smiling like she knows it’s
going to be a good night. Bodies moved to the electro beat, girl on girl, girl on
guy, guy on guy, nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone came here on a Saturday
night, a straight man’s postsecret. She had been new once, unsure of what to
do with a woman’s body, so refined and beautiful, her lips having the luxury to
explore all the curves –
It had only been one moment, one brief hand graze over a dancer’s perfect
chest, nipples hard, underneath a sweat drenched t-shirt and then the night
was over. She hadn’t been in the city since then, another drive to Vegas and the
resulting black out. But she couldn’t get the feeling of the dancers soft supple
breasts out of her head.
Their first evening hadn’t been what she hoped. Ths dancer was so sensual,
so confident; she was scared to touch her. After seeing her every week on stage,
all she could think of meeting her, and – and what? All she craved after seeing
weeks of the dancer’s skirt mockingly slide higher, was taking her to a well lit
dressing room and indulging in her body. It was hard for her to think about
anything else, all she wanted was one good –
Hello stranger.
Strawberry Juice
Devil’s Tongue

The dancer smiled, wearing a red and black bondage dress, hair a mess. She
didn’t know what to say, her body tightening in excitement. In high heels, the Cranberry Juice
dancer moved closer to kiss her lips, lower neck, collarbone… Passion Fruit Juice
A two week bender was easier to recover from than her lips.
Triple Sec
Before she could reply a faint whisper to betray her nerves, the dancer moved
closer and straddled her legs. She felt the dancers fingers spider crawl 151 White Rum
themselves under her shirt and up her back. Sugar

tuckandtape
Should we leave?
The dancer ignored her, giggling as she thrust her chest; her nails slowly In the blender, one onze of each:
digging deeper. She relaxed, listening to the dancer’s breath in her ear. Cranberry juice, Passion Fruit
If we leave, we have to talk, and there are better things to do with my tongue. juice, Triple Sec and two onze of
151 white rum. Mix again for five
seconds then Fill to the top a large
parfait glass with ice and pour.

www.tuckandtape.com
 tuckandtape

Born December 7, 1949

in the back of a taxi cab, they say.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame March 14, 2011.

Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store

Music for all time. 211 Bannatyne Ave.
winnipegfolkfestival.ca