How did you go? There was a bit of transphobia. And you get other pushback, too: “Why aren’t you here, in this constituency, all the time?” Well, I grew up in Sussex, but I went around the world. You can’t just stay in your own town forever because you’ll never get anywhere. But I’m relentless. I’ll keep pushing until I get in.
Why did you want to run for the UK Labour Party? Well, you’ve got to be able to do three things. You’ve got to be able to communicate, and I can communicate. You’ve got to be able to build a vision for the future, and being trans and open shows that I believe there can be a better place. And you’ve got to be brave and curious, not fearful and suspicious. That’s why I perform in French, German and Spanish: I want to do that reach out and say, “Can we make connections rather than break them? What can we learn from you? And what can you learn from us?” Ultimately, I’m a radical moderate. I do radical things with a moderate message.
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You’ve alluded to experiencing transphobia. Why do you think trans and gender-diverse people are the subject of so much hate now, especially in the UK? [Sighs] It’s our turn to have a tough time. Remember the marriage-equality debate? People were like, “Well, if men marry men, and women marry women, will cats marry dogs? Where’s it going to end?” That’s gone away now. Everyone calmed down. So now we’re [trans people] going through it. It’ll come out the other end; it has to go to a positive place. I’m just being honest and not affecting anyone. I’m saying, “This is me, I’m presenting myself how I feel and it makes me feel happy and content.” [Shrugs] Some people just enjoy hating.
MONEY
Before showbiz, what did you want to do for a living? I was studying accounting and financial management at university. It was almost the same course as Mick Jagger. He dropped out of the London School of Economics, I dropped out of Sheffield Uni and we both went off in creative directions.
Many people in the arts struggle with financial security. But you have a numbers background. Does that mean you’re actually quite good with money? Yes, but I also take a lot of risks with money. It was a gamble to fund myself to learn how to do gigs in different languages. No one was saying, “That’s the way to go!” When money comes in, I’m constantly putting it into other projects and ideas.
Say I give you $100, and you have an hour to spend it on yourself. What are you buying? Make-up.
Suzy “Eddie” Izzard is performing in Eddie Izzard: The Remix Tour Live in Sydney and Melbourne next year, along with her one-woman production of Hamlet.
diceytopics@goodweekend.com.au
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