About a month ago, Mimi Marks won the Miss International Queen 2005 beauty pageant for transsexuals in Thailand, which I wrote about. Now she’s back in America, it’s time for the stupid headlines to remind us she is not a person, she is a freak. I mean for fucks sake, is it still the 1950s, or is it possible we can have a little more intelligence is the diarrhoea masquerading as journalism in such asinine crap as the first paragraph of this page-filler? He? Does she look like a bloke? Does reporter Jason Clayworth and/or his sub-editor need a) glasses and b) a certificate showing stunted mental acuity? I guess you can’t expect anything more astute from a shithole like Des Moines.
A little background: Mimi Mark is a man from Waterloo who would rather be a woman from Chicago.
In the news: Mark, who was born Mark Kammeyer, won the Miss International Queen 2005 pageant in Pattaya, Thailand, in October. He was selected from transvestite and transgender contestants from 10 countries. Mark performs at the Baton Show Lounge in Chicago and will spend much of 2006 traveling as Miss International Queen. He took a few minutes from his jet-lagged schedule to answer 10 (or so) Questions.
She misses nothing about being a man
A little background: Mimi Mark is a man from Waterloo who would rather be a woman from Chicago.
In the news: Mark, who was born Mark Kammeyer, won the Miss International Queen 2005 pageant in Pattaya, Thailand, in October. He was selected from transvestite and transgender contestants from 10 countries. Mark performs at the Baton Show Lounge in Chicago and will spend much of 2006 traveling as Miss International Queen. He took a few minutes from his jet-lagged schedule to answer 10 (or so) Questions.
Q. What was growing up in Waterloo like?
A. I actually come from a really great family that has always been very supportive of me, even when I was a young kid. I’m sure they could tell I was a little bit different.
Q. Different in what way?
A. I had two older brothers and an older sister. My brothers were big hockey players. I wasn’t trying to be a hockey player. I played with my sister’s dolls, her clothes and her Barbies. I was doing things the average little boy wasn’t doing. I was involved in gymnastics, swimming and a lot of community theater.
Q. When did you first realize you wanted to be a woman?
A. I have known that literally since I was little, even when I was as little as 3 or 4. I always wanted to be a girl, but I didn’t know it was a possibility.
Q. How did you come up with the name Mimi Mark?
A. Well, Mark was because I wanted to have a part of my name in my new name. And then Mimi was a name a friend of mine just gave me.
Q. Did you have it legally changed?
A. Yes.
Q. Your mom says she’s proud of you. Was she always supportive?
A. Oh, yes, no matter what it was. If I was in the play or a gymnastics meet, she was there with 200 percent support. But that’s how she was with all my brothers and sisters.
Q. Are people generally kind to you?
A. I think in my day-to-day life, people don’t know. They don’t know I was not born a girl unless they already know who I am. I’m pretty lucky that people pretty much treat me with respect, but I do know in life it’s not that easy for all girls like me.
Q. Have you ever felt threatened or had any bad experiences?
A. I try to keep myself out of those situations as much as I possibly can. I’ve not been beaten up or anything like that, but I’ve met guys who didn’t know right away, and then when I tell them, they can be rude.
Q. Do you consider yourself gay or straight?
A. I don’t try to put a label on it. I haven’t had a complete sex change, but I do have breasts. I think the men I date generally like women. It’s almost like a third sex, I guess.
Q. How soon before you have sex-change surgery?
A. I’d like to say within the next two years.
Q. How old are you?
A. I’m actually 38, but I’ve lied in so many different interviews.
Q. Is there anything you miss about being a man?
A. Not even one single, solitary thing.
Q. Are you dating anyone? Is it difficult to find people to date?
A. No, I’m single. I think it’s difficult for everybody. I think it’s difficult in general to find a companion.
Q. Will you ever want children?
A. Oh, I would love to. I have two, actually. I have two dogs, so they’re like my kids. But I’d love to be able to have my own.
Q. Did you win any money for being Miss International Queen?
A. I really just entered it because I was hoping for a new experience in life. I won $8,000, a crown, sash, trophy and small gifts.
Q. Will a woman ever be elected president?
A. I would love to see us have a female president. I think if Hillary and Oprah ran together, it would be a shoo-in.
