Richard O'Brien: ‘I'm 70% man'

[spacial]

Rocky Horror Show writer Richard O'Brien thinks of himself as 70% male and 30% female. What exactly does that mean?

Richard O'Brien, writer of hit musical The Rocky Horror Show, delighted in shaking up the conservative sexual attitudes of the 1970s.

His most famous creation, Dr Frank N Furter, brought the house down with his song Sweet Transvestite.

But the show's creator was ashamed about his own long-held desire to be more feminine.

"I was six-and-a-half and I said to my big brother that I wanted to be the fairy princess when I grew up. The look of disdain on his face made me pull down the shutters. I knew that I should never ever say that out loud again."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21788238

It may be a cliche. Not to mention, a while coming. But I stand and applaud this man.

[brainiac]

Wow, so it sounds like he identifies as third gender and transitioned to that point. I'm impressed with how the article discussed that. I also find it heartening, that maybe general society will one day accept non-binary identities as a real thing, if we have more and more people sticking up for themselves and being public about it. Thanks for posting this, it made my day better.

[Shana A]

Here are a few older Richard O'Brien topics with interviews. I remember that they'd previously talked of finding their place on the continuum.

I ask if he's ever considered gender reassignment. He says no. He describes his gender identification and bisexuality in the following way:

"My feeling is that there are hormonal triggers in the womb. For me, hermaphrodites are proof that things don't always go according to plan. I keep arguing we're all on some kind of continuum. Some are hard-wired male or female and others are somewhere in between. After a period feeling schizoid I decided I'd just be me. I'm more male than female, but if I want to go out in a frock I will."

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,109303.msg823854.html#msg823854

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,97709.msg717155.html#msg717155

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,79233.msg552681.html#msg552681

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,81648.msg572397.html#msg572397

[Eveline]

Rocky Horror Show writer Richard O'Brien thinks of himself as 70% male and 30% female. What exactly does that mean?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21788238

Richard O'Brien, writer of hit musical The Rocky Horror Show, delighted in shaking up the conservative sexual attitudes of the 1970s.

His most famous creation, Dr Frank N Furter, brought the house down with his song Sweet Transvestite.

But the show's creator was ashamed about his own long-held desire to be more feminine.

"I was six-and-a-half and I said to my big brother that I wanted to be the fairy princess when I grew up. The look of disdain on his face made me pull down the shutters. I knew that I should never ever say that out loud again."

For 50 years, O'Brien repressed the feeling. But "you can't just put the lid on things and pretend that they don't exist", he says.

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I believe myself probably to be about 70% male, 30% female"

Richard O'Brien
So a decade ago, he started taking the female hormone oestrogen - and is happy with the results.

"It takes the edge off the masculine, testosterone-driven side of me and I like that very much. I think I've become a nicer person in some ways, slightly softer. For the first time in my life, I've started to put on a little bit of weight, which I like."

He has also developed small breasts. But O'Brien is not intending to go further and have sex reassignment surgery.

"I don't want to pretend to be something that I'm not. Anton Rodgers, the actor, said 'you're the third sex'. And I thought that's quite nice. I quite like that position.

"It's my belief that we are on a continuum between male and female. There are people who are hardwired male and there are people who are hardwired female, but most of us are on that continuum and I believe myself probably to be about 70% male, 30% female."

[DriftingCrow]

Ah sweet, thanks for posting this!