Trans funny-man Ian Harvie: The intimacies of laughter

http://sdgln.com/social/2011/06/22/trans-funny-man-ian-harvie-intimacies-laughter
6/23/11
Jeffrey Hartinger - The Advocate

Ian Harvie, a transgender comedian based in Los Angeles, is a lifetime comic, but he officially began his career at a small comedy club in Maine in 2002, worked his way around the country, and in 2006 he was handpicked by comedian Margaret Cho as her opening act. Over the past few years Harvie has been not only an activist but also a face for the transgender community. 

Posted on Advocate.com June 20, 2011 06:15:00 PM ET
Funny Man
Margaret Cho's bestie Ian Harvie talks about hecklers, the politics of passing, and performing at religious colleges as a transgender comic.
By Jeffrey Hartinger

http://www.advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Comedy/Funny_Man/

The Advocate: As a transgender comedian, do you usually come out to your audience at the start of a show, or do you wait after a few jokes?
Ian Harvie: I usually make an audience wait a little bit before I spring it on them. Give them some material that I know will get them laughing and build our relationship a bit. By the time I tell them I'm trans we've already done something as intimate as laughing together. They would likely find it hard to dis me after that, at least not without feeling a little like a complete douche.