Suzie St James is an Australian transgender woman and veteran showgirl whose career developed alongside Sydney's vibrant cabaret and female impersonation scene of the 1980s and 1990s. Born and raised in Sydney, she spent her childhood both in the inner suburbs and in Granville in the city's west. From a very young age, she knew that the male role expected of her did not reflect who she was, and she began dressing in her mother's clothes at about the age of four. Her school years were marked by bullying, and at sixteen she left home and began her transition without the support of her family. Instead, she found encouragement and practical support from other transgender women. As a young person, Suzie saw a showgirl performing and immediately became captivated by the world of cabaret, deciding that this was what she wanted to do. She entered Sydney's showgirl scene during the 1980s, a period she remembered as exceptionally busy, when venues throughout the city employed large numbers of performers and it was possible for showgirls to work seven nights a week. During that decade, while still establishing her sexuality and identity, she began building a career that would eventually take her throughout Australia.
By the 1990s, Suzie had become an established and recognised showgirl, working extensively in Sydney's gay
entertainment scene as well as on the RSL club circuit. Over the course of her career, she became known as an
impersonator, particularly of Marilyn Monroe and Jessica Rabbit, and appeared in productions including Simone
and Monique's Playgirl Review and the Christy McNicol Priscilla Show, two productions she regarded as among the
highlights of her career. She also appeared on The Midday Show with Kerri-Anne Kennerley. Suzie has accumulated
more than three decades of experience as a drag cabaret entertainer, touring and performing throughout
Australia. Away from the stage, Suzie was working in hospitality and care, supporting other transgender women
through online forums and drawing on a life experience she had documented in a personal journal since the age of
seventeen. Her story is closely connected with a generation of Australian transgender showgirls who found both
community and opportunity in the flourishing cabaret culture of Sydney, while creating their own paths at a time
when transgender visibility and acceptance were far more limited than they would become in later decades.
Monika: Today we are going to Australia to meet Suzie St James, an Australian business consultant and web
designer, transgender icon, and showgirl. Suzie has been a drag cabaret entertainer for over 30 years,
impersonating Marilyn Monroe and Jessica Rabbit. She toured all over Australia, and she is known for such
shows as “The Midday Show” with Kerri Anne and “Simone and Moniques” Playgirl Review. Hello Suzie!
Suzie: Hi Monika!
Monika: Let's start with the present. What are you doing these days?
Suzie: Working in hospitality and care.
Monika: Take me back to the beginning. How did you start your career as a showgirl?
Suzie: At a young age, I saw a showgirl and was captivated,
and I knew it was what I wanted to be.
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| Balmain Hotel late 1980's. |
Monika: What was your career like in the 80s, and what was the Australian drag show business like at that time
in general?
Suzie: I was very young in the ’80s and new to the scene; I was slowly establishing my sexuality and identity.
The eighties were a buzz of activity for showgirls in Sydney,
Australia. Every venue had so many showgirls and shows that you could work seven nights a week, and most of us
did.
Monika: And how did things change for you in the 90s?
Suzie: I started to become recognized in the ’90s as an established showgirl, and I was working extensively in the
Sydney gay scene and on the RSL circuit.
Monika: Looking back over your whole career as a showgirl, which shows stand out as the most successful?
Suzie:
Simone and Monique's Playgirl
Review and The Christy McNicol Priscilla Show.
Monika: Comparing today's drag show business with the one you knew back then, what differences stand out to you?
Suzie: Today the shows are filled with drag queens, not transsexuals. The tits and feathers are gone.
Monika:
Penny Clifford
told me that most clubs in Australia now shy away from hiring transgender
women. Would you agree with that?
Suzie
: I think transgender girls are trying to work behind the scenes rather than doing the drag shows. They are more
inclined to be bar girls, waitresses, or work in administration.
Monika: More broadly, how would you describe the present situation of transgender women in Australian society?
Suzie: I think they are very well accepted;
they still need to be vocal about being transgender. The more vocal we are about our identity, the more we can be
accepted. I think Australian transgender women are still a little shy about speaking about their gender in the
workplace, for fear of discrimination.
Monika: In the USA, more and more transgender women are coming out, and unlike in previous years, some of them
hold real celebrity status or wide recognition, Lana Wachowski in film directing, Jenna Talackova in modeling,
Kate Bornstein in academic life, Laura Jane Grace in music, Candis Cayne in acting. Do you see the same trend
happening in Australia?
Suzie: I don't see a lot of transgender women in the celebrity arena here in Australia.
I wish there were more. I still think we're a little behind in accepting it here.
Monika: Where did you grow up?
Suzie: I grew up in Sydney, both in the inner Sydney suburbs and in the west, in Granville.
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Publicity Promo
(Patrick Jones Photography). |
Monika: Let's go back to your childhood. When did you first feel that being a boy or a man wasn't who you were?
Suzie: I knew from a very young age. I was about 4 when I first started to dress in my mother's clothing.
Monika: For many transgender girls, school, college, or university is the most traumatic period, full of
discrimination. Was that true for you as well?
Suzie: Yes,
it was a very emotional time. There was a lot of bullying, but it made me tough. You have to be tough to make it
on your journey as a transsexual.
Monika: At what age did you transition into a woman? Was it a difficult process, and did you have support from
family or friends? Did it affect your job situation at all?
Suzie: When I first transitioned, I left home at 16, and I had no support.
Other
transsexuals were there for me and supported me through the early stages. I was somewhat lucky to be very
effeminate to start with, so when I started taking hormones, it all came together rather quickly.
Monika: Passing is such a loaded test for so many transgender women. You're a beautiful woman yourself, but what
about those who struggle every day to pass?
Suzie: I think it's a hard choice to make;
you have to really want to put yourself out there and cope with the criticism people have for you. If it's really
the journey they want, then they'll do whatever it takes to succeed.
Monika: Some believe modern cosmetic surgery makes transitioning possible even in your late 50s or 60s. Do you
think that's realistic, and what advice would you give transgender women at that age?
Suzie: No matter what age you transition at, it's hard, but it's about making yourself complete as a person. So
whether you transition young or later in life, it's about making yourself happy.
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| Gay Newcastle Reunited 2012. |
Monika: Did you have any transgender role models to look up to during your own transition? How much did you
actually know about being transgender at that time?
Suzie: There were very few well-known trans women to look up to.
Caroline Cossey
was one of them, but I looked to more local trans women for inspiration and support.
I had little knowledge when I was young about exactly what my path was, until I went out on the gay scene and met
my first trans woman. Then it all made sense.
Monika: What was the hardest part of coming out for you?
Suzie: I think family is the hardest part of coming out, you don't want to hurt them. You want their acceptance.
Monika: Have you ever been married? What role has love played in your life?
Suzie: No,
I've never been married, but I've had several serious relationships. I'm single at the moment, and I'm just
enjoying being by myself.
Monika: What do you enjoy most about being a woman?
Suzie: The glamour, the sexiness, the clothes, and the shoes.
Monika: Are you active in politics at all, any lobbying campaigns? Do you think transgender women can make a
difference there?
Suzie: I think we need to stand up and be counted, but I'm not into politics, I
find it a waste of time.
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| Calendar Shoot (Miss November) Priscilla Show 2000. |
Monika: What's your take on transgender beauty pageants?
Suzie: I think they're OK. I've never been in one. I find beauty comes from within. However, I understand that a lot of trans women have
big egos and need to constantly be told how beautiful they are.
Monika: How about fashion, do you enjoy it? What do you usually wear, and are there any particular designs,
colors, or trends you gravitate toward?
Suzie: I love
fashion. I like to mix it up. It depends
on my mood. The joy of being a woman is that there's so much to choose from.
Monika: Are you involved in your local LGBT community at all?
Suzie: From time to time I'm active, and I like to support where I can. I look after my elderly grandmother and
work full
time, so finding time is hard for me. But I try to support online forums and give support to trans women coming
out and needing advice.
Monika: Quite a few transgender women end up writing memoirs. Has that idea ever crossed your mind?
Suzie: I have, from time to time. I get a little confused as to what would be the best parts to emphasize. I've
kept a journal since the age of 17. It's pretty thick, and I often go back through it to refresh what I've
experienced.
Monika: Would you say you're a happy woman today?
Suzie: I would say that I'm content. I would love to explore the world more.
Monika:
Suzie, thank you for the interview!
All the photos: courtesy of Suzie St James.
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