When Angelique Munro, Chicago's 'Sultry Siren,' appeared on the 2004 Ricki Lake Show, 'Surprise, I'm a Drag Queen,' the performer still identified as a female impersonator. She's no longer pretending.
For over a decade, the talented drag entertainer has performed throughout the Chicago area as well as in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. She's appeared on Lake's namesake show as well as Tyra Banks' talk show and E! Entertainment's Wild in the Windy City. Munro's also served as promotional spokesperson for numerous companies.
But it wasn't until earlier this year that Munro came out as transgender. 'It's only since my mom died [ that I ] started to accept and embrace my true self,' she said. 'In a sense, it's as if my mom's death was like a rebirth for me; she set me free to become the woman I was meant to be. The 'boy' in me…is no longer in my eyes, I'm a girl and once I have my plumbing rehabbed I'll be perfect—well…nobody's perfect.'
Since coming out, Munro says, she's had mixed response from LGBT and straight communities alike.
'It amazes me how people love you when you're a boy who dresses up in drag, [ but ] when you take the next step and cross over they turn their backs on you,' she commented. 'Sadly, our community as a whole—gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender—doesn't support one another [ but ] segregate themselves. This, to me, is very upsetting. How can we ask for respect from society and the world to be treated equally if we don't even respect one another within our own community?'
On the other hand, Munro recognizes that 'I'm even more respected and loved by [ some ] people because I embraced my true self and have been so vocal about my life, my journey to womanhood. I've been told I'm an inspiration to many who'd never have the guts to do what I'm doing.'
In performing drag, Munro found an 'outlet of being accepted, loved and respected as a woman. Originally, I…created this new persona, Angelique, to hide the pain, to escape the sorrow and forget who I truly was. However, underneath all the glamour will always remain an abused child looking for love and affection.'
The entertainer has had a difficult life, battling depression, two bouts with a rare cancer and, she says, abuse: emotional, sexual, mental and physical. 'I still battle thoughts of suicide,' Munro acknowledges. 'It's been a long, rough, hard road.'
But she tries to retain a positive outlook. 'I've learned to let go of the past. Living in the past will only destroy you and you'll never evolve. We can't change the past; we're only in control of our future.'
Another difficulty has been in the area of romance. Munro admits, 'Relationships have always been an issue for me. The gay boys I dated always wanted me to be more masculine and the straight guys who where attracted to me—when I performed—only wanted that illusion. But honey, honesty, I knew once the show was over and my clothes came off, so did my fake body parts [ and ] he'd be out the door.'
Now Munro feels 'finally in control of my life,' and she's determined to fully transition into the woman she is, even though her day job ( as an accountant ) doesn't provide coverage for hormones or gender-reassignment surgery.
'I'm trying to think of clever ways to raise money for my surgery fund,' as Munro explains the impetus behind 'Angelique's Merchandise,' products bearing her image that are available through CafePress.com ( cafepress.com/angeliquemunro ) . Still, she says, the fundraising has progressed slowly. 'I may need to put together a show or two and ask for donations as well,' she said. 'I just hate sounding like I'm begging for money; however, there may be people out there who may just want to help and, if I wasn't so vocal, how would they know about my needs?'
In Munro's monthly 'Angelique Munro Revue,' she transforms into a number of different characters in what she describes as 'a Las Vegas-style show. What also makes us different is there's a good variety of performers in my cast: male and female with a wide range of talents offering comedy, glamour, professionalism and class!'
Categorized as an illusionist for her ability to metamorphosize on stage and embody glamorous and sultry personas, Munro says the term is no longer truly apt: ' [ Transgender ] girls like me…are in the female form all the time. Today, I live my life as a woman…twenty four-seven. There's no pretending.'
Recognizing that once she undergoes gender reassignment surgery, she'll no longer be able to work as a female impersonator, Munro contends she'll have to continue performing. 'It's in my blood,' she said. 'I'd love to pursue acting and perhaps take some singing lessons and develop a little cabaret show [ and ] I've always wanted to do a fashion show; I adore fashion! I'm [ also ] going to write a book about my journey and my life. I've been told by many people—including my doctors— [ that ] I'm different from most transgender girls just by the way I think and live my life.'
Regardless of what the future holds, Munro said, 'I just want to be happy and at peace with myself and I'm open to all possibilities. I'm not ashamed of [ being trans ] . I'll always support the LGBT community and hopefully I can be looked up to as an inspiration—a mentor to youngsters—and that will be my legacy.'
Trans writer Jacob Anderson-Minshall co-authored Blind Curves, the first in the Blind Eye Mystery series, available now. Contact jake@trans-nation.org or visit www.Anderson-minshall.com for more information.
© 2007 Jacob Anderson-Minshall
