CASTRATION IS not a topic commonly discussed by men. The thought of losing their manhood is a fate too terrible to contemplate. But to American singer Wayne County, it's a treasured dream, a fate to be embraced with heartfelt; enthusiasm. Because Wayne, born a boy, wants to be a girl. I talked to him about his life long ambition in his Soho flat. He lives above a massage parlour and shares his hallway with a lady of the night, who also apparently does a roaring trade in the day. I dived in the doorway quickly, before anyone noticed, and bumped into a nervous little gent who was waiting outside "Verna's" door. He eyed me speculatively, possibly under the impression that I was Verna's partner, 80 I hastily rang Wayne's doorbell; No answer. I rang again, more urgently, as the little man took his hands out of his raincoat pockets and moved towards me. I hammered on the door frantically and at last Wayne opened it. Despite the warm weather, he was still wearing his famous woolly hat. He explained that he feels secure In It, having worn wigs for so long and gotten used to the feellng of having his head covered. Also he still has a mascuine hairline, natural in a man of 27 years, and he thinks it detracts from his looks. His growing breasts show plainly under his T-shirt, a sight that cheers him enormously. Wayne was born and raised in Georgia, and indeed talks like President Carter with a slight, but attractive, lisp. "I didn't have a little boyhood," he told me, "I had a little girlhood. But the' older I got the more difficult it became. My mother always knew and was very good. My father used to get mad and scream at my mother, because he expected me to play with boys', toys. " At one time, I did try out for the football team, but I lasted less than 10 minutes. I came from a very small town and people did talk and referred to me as.a cissy boy, but I had very little trouble. " Wayne arrived in Britain via New York where he lived for many years. He feels safe in London, not threatened by people who don't undenstand transexuals. Because Wayne is a transexual, quite different from a homosexual. It's precisely this difference' that makes it so difficult for him to form relationships. He needs to find a straight man who wants him as a woman, not a man who wants another man. Confusing, until you get the hang of it, so to speak. "I'm also a very jealous and possessive person, said Wayne. And I mother my boyfriends to death. I have a very motherly instinct and would love to have children. " This last dream however, will never be realised. Wayne will be for the chop as soon as he raises enough money to pay for the operation - that may be another couple of years, but clever as the surgeons are, he'll never be a mother. The cost of the op will be in the region of �3000, but his first priority is to have a nose job. A streamiined nose will help him look more feminine. And for the time being, Wayne's mostly concerned about the bits that show. ROBIN THE FLESH This piece appeared in (RECORD MIRROR April 8th 1978) reproduced here from the Don't Care archives. You can also check out what Jayne is now up to via this splendid website....www.jaynecounty.com/ |