Katherine Cummings - Part 2

Monika: How did the media react to your own story when you transitioned?

Katherine: When I transitioned, or rather when my book was first published, I was sought after by the media, not because I was a celebrity but because I was, in those days, a rarity in Australia. So I went through the round of TV interviews and newspaper and radio stories, but it was all rather of the “gee whiz” variety rather than any real attempt to explore the phenomenon. I was perhaps different because I wasn’t a gorgeous young showbiz person covered in sequins and bling but a 57-year-old university librarian who had written a book.
Monika: You chose to transition at the age of 52. How challenging was that process for you?
Katherine: Difficult because it jeopardized my family life. I loved my wife and children very deeply and hoped, rather unrealistically, that we could all stay together, but I felt my life was slipping away and I had never had the chance to live as my true self. I could think of little else and my thoughts often strayed into suicidal areas. I think, however, I had little choice. I could kill myself or I could transition.
Monika: How did it affect your family?

Katherine: I came to the conclusion that transitioning was more rational, as I would at least be around to help my family if they needed me. I should add, however, that I didn’t take a vote. My wife has remarried, and two of my three children do not want to know me. The third is my best friend but lives in the USA, which makes it a long-distance relationship. My mother and sister accepted me, but my mother is now dead. My sister and I are as close as ever and talk often.
Monika: I remember your photo from Lynn Conway’s “Transsexual Women’s Successes” page. At that time, did you have any transgender role models you looked up to?

Katherine: No, not really. I had read the books of Jan Morris, Renee Richards, Carlotta, Coccinelle, Roberta Cowell, and of course historical figures like the Chevalier d’Eon and the Abbe de Choisy, but I had no role model. I was once asked this question (very early in my transition) by a journalist and I think I replied, sarcastically, “Joan Collins, of course.” She took me seriously and quoted me, so I am only glad I didn’t say Minnie Mouse, Lucrezia Borgia, or, indeed, Lizzie Borden.

Monika: Are there any transgender women you particularly admire and respect today?

Katherine: A great many, but they are the thinkers and the workers, not the social butterflies. Susan Stryker, Deirdre McCloskey, Lynn Conway, and many of my own close friends whose names would mean nothing to you. I share my house with a transgender woman who has had a much harder time than I have, losing her family, her home, and her employment as a result of her being transgender. I admire her fortitude and determination.

Monika: What was the most difficult part of coming out for you? I read in one of your earlier interviews that you even considered suicide.

Katherine: Yes, I think I have dealt with this above. The risk of losing my family was terrible stress and I did indeed consider suicide. I had worked out how I would do it in a way that would leave no messy body to be identified and no chance that I would survive as a vegetable, but in the final analysis, I decided that, in the words of Dorothy Parker, “you might as well live.”

 

Interview for Central Coast Express Advocate (YouTube)

 
Monika: The transgender community is often included under the larger LGBT umbrella. Do you feel that transgender people are able to promote their own issues within this group?

Katherine: I constantly try to separate T from L, G, and B. I feel we have more in common with them, but in this country at least, intersex people tend to want to distance themselves from any association with T. I do not mind, in fact I advocate, that the transgender movement supports L, G, and B when we have causes in common, such as equal marriage, or when a clear injustice is being done to them because they are an oppressed minority. I advocate the same kind of support for any oppressed group, including single parents, asylum seekers, and the homeless.

Monika: How do you see the support from other LGBT groups when it comes to issues specifically affecting transgender people?

Katherine: The other side of the coin is that although I do not demand it, I welcome support from other groups when matters peculiar to transgender people are being debated, such as the right for adults to control their own bodies without gatekeepers and the right to have free medical care for a condition that is constantly being proven to be life-threatening.
Monika: Are you involved in lobbying efforts, and do you think transgender women can influence politics?

Katherine: I participate in lobby movements as one of the mob, a spear-carrier rather than a diva in the Opera of Life, and I do believe that transgender people can make a difference. Sometimes it is the last straw that makes the difference between maintaining the status quo and reaching a tipping point.

Monika: Have you ever run for office or used elections as a platform for transgender issues?

Katherine: I stood for Federal Parliament in 1998 for the Australian Democrats. I was running in the safest Labor seat in Australia, so there was no chance I would unseat the sitting member, but I had a public platform to use for transgender causes, and we doubled the Democrat vote in the seat, from 5 percent to 10 percent, which was not too impressive. It was a valuable and rewarding experience, and my branch worked tirelessly on my behalf and that of the Democrats. Incidentally, there were three declared trans women standing in that election, two in New South Wales and one in Victoria, all for the Australian Democrats.

Monika: What happened after that election, and how did it affect your involvement with the party?

Katherine: Sadly, after the election, the Australian Democrats, who were already in Federal Parliament, went against the wishes of what was supposed to be a grassroots party and allowed the establishment of a GST, the goods and services tax. My whole branch, including me, resigned from the Democrats at that point.

Monika: Could you share how love has played a role in your life?

Katherine: If you mean sex, none at all. I haven’t got the time, I’m too old, and I go along with Lord Chesterfield, who said, “the pleasure is momentary, the position is ridiculous, and the expense is damnable.” I have many more important things to do, not the least of which is getting the stories out of my head and onto paper.

Monika: What about love in the sense of deep affection for others? 

Katherine: On the other hand, if by love you mean deep affection, there are many people for whom I have deep affection, and they encompass men, women, and children. I mentioned that I spent the month of April in New York City last year. I was helping Harvey Fierstein with his play about transvestites, as he had been sending me drafts of Casa Valentina for about three years, and the cast and crew made me feel so welcome it was like coming home to a family, not being a hanger-on at a Broadway production. I do not hesitate to say that I love all of them. The love of my life no longer loves me, but that is understandable. My daughter in America, who stood by me from Day One, is the person I love most in this world.

Monika: Are you currently working on any new projects, especially related to transgender issues?

Katherine: I assume you mean with reference to transgender. Nothing particularly new. The old projects that are unfinished are keeping me going. I don’t know if you know, I had open-heart surgery in June, the second time, the first was ten years ago, so that slowed me down for a few weeks and also gave me a warning call. This time it was my aortal valve they were replacing, so now I have a piece of a cow in me. There is probably a song in there somewhere… “We are in love with you, my cow and I…” Perhaps not.

Monika: What advice would you give to transgender girls who are struggling with gender dysphoria?

Katherine: Find out as much as you can about your condition and the possible remedies. Read about other people’s lives. Talk to as many transgender people as you can. Go to support group meetings if they are available. Then make up your own mind. I assume you are an adult, so understand this is an adult decision and it is your decision.

Monika: Are there any responsibilities that transgender people should keep in mind during their transition?

Katherine: An important point to remember is that transgender people have responsibilities as well as rights. Think about the people around you who will be affected by your decisions. You may still decide to go ahead, but you can try to make your transition as harmless as possible to those who love you or depend on you, or for whom you have familial, financial, and social responsibilities.

Monika: How should someone handle the outcome of their choices, even if it’s not what they hoped for?

Katherine: Don’t blame others if you are not happy with the results. That’s all part of life. We make the best decisions we can and then we accept responsibility for them. Good luck. I might even say “Vaya con Dios” if I were not a copper-bottomed atheist.

Monika: Katherine, thank you for the interview!

Katherine: My pleasure. Any time.

END OF PART 2

Back to PART 1

 

All photos: courtesy of Katherine Cummings.

© 2015 - Monika Kowalska

Katherine Cummings has passed away. May she find the same happiness and love she so generously shared with others. Thank you for everything you have done. Rest in peace.

31 January 2022 

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