“ZE”: QUEER AS F*CK! is a one-person, genderqueer, kinky, femmesexual, polyminded, gay-divorcee PRIDE parade through the real life of Michelle/Ryan.
“Ze” (the pronoun most commonly used by gender non-conforming folk) rips the bandage away from hir startling American Puritan upbringing in a multiple “coming out” process.
Along the way ze discovers a beloved community that at times is just as ridiculous and pigeon-holed as the one ze’s left.
The artist who is known as Michelle/Ryan embraces the full spectrum of hir gender. In the show ze both uses, and parodies the labels meant to help an individual embrace their truth in a modern world. Desperate for definition, ze confronts stereotypes both within and without in a celebration that exposes the complex tension between being authentic to oneself and belonging.
Speaking to OUTinPerth Michelle / Ryan said the autobiographical show shared hir journey, and gave a nod towards the future. The performer said they understood why coming out stories are always popular with people in the LGBTI+ community.
“We’re all looking for people who are a bit like us, the world’s changing quite a bit. Now you see young folks coming out at ages that I couldn’t even fathom. But also now we’re entering a time when you don’t have to come out, which is fine too.” Michelle / Ryan said.
“One of the things I say though my show, it’s not just a one time coming out process. Of the course of time how you might describe yourself might change, it might not be static. You might find layers of yourself which reveal other facets of you.”
Michelle / Ryan said hir experience of using gender neutral pronouns is still quite a new experience.
“I haven’t been out very long as gender queer, there are some places where I am just Ryan and I ask people to use male pronouns, then there are other places where people have known me for a long time and they call me ‘she’’ and call me Michelle. My really cool friends and partner are really into gender neutral pronouns.
“What is upsetting is when I’m with a group of people and they make a comment that’s really specifically about women or about men, that they think that I’m automatically going to relate to because they see me as one gender or the other, they think I’m the same as them, and I feel confused by it.” Michelle / Ryan said.
“The whole pronouns thing is still new to me, and I might feel differently a few years from now, but at the moment I still get excited when some uses the pronouns I prefer.” Michelle / Ryan see.
‘ZE: Queer as F*ck!’ opens at Fringe World on January 24th, head to
www.fringeworld.com.au for details.
Update 03-02-16: the original publication of this story contained an error. On one occasion we referred to Michelle / Ryan as ‘her’ instead of hir chosen pronoun ‘hir’. Graeme Watson apologies for the error.
