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“I want more transgender visibility so young transgender individuals can find their place and true selves at a much younger age, not have to live feeling outcast like I did”
out to bars and pubs for the first time in several years. “I slowly started to present more as female in public. To start with I’d change in the toilets only presenting as female at the venues, but as I spent more time as female I became more confident, spending more time as female. That has led me to today where I present as the gender that I identify as full time.” When it comes to the importance of promoting the visibility of the transgender community and the LGBTQ+ community in general, Ruby says it’s a major passion. “I didn’t realise I was transgender until my mid-30s, and consequently spent a large proportion of my life feeling outcast and struggling to fit in.
SHINING JEWEL
“In hindsight there were plenty of signs from an early age, but when I was growing up there was very little transgender visibility. The only time it would really be mentioned was as a punchline to a joke, positive portrayals of the transgender community in the media were incredibly rare.
) “It started a few years before my diagnosis, after the break-up of a long-term relationship. Losing the companionship and much of my social circle had a major effect on me. I struggled to re-establish a social circle, due to social anxiety.
“My life consisted of going to the cinema on my own a couple of times a month, and I started to suffer from depression, even having thoughts of suicide in my darkest moments.
She continues: “This was a huge change for me, even with spending time presenting as female in private being a big change in my general mood and mindset. Another major change was that I now had the confidence to tackle my social anxiety, and started going TARAN-TULA
“Thankfully I was able to find help from several sources, and a few years later, thanks to some of the therapy I was undergoing, I realised I was transgender.”
One of the therapy courses Ruby undertook was online creative writing and during this she found herself wanting to dress like one of her female characters. After carrying out some research and realising she was trans female, Ruby started tentatively going out in public dressed as a woman. “I’d book tickets to Rocky Horror as small way I could dress as female in public.”
PIC CAP
Ruby Whitcombe, aka Tran-Tula, champion of Pop World Brighton‘s Lip Sync Wars, talks about discovering her transgender identity and coming out to family, friends and colleagues
“It’s left me wondering what my life would be like if I’d known, and been able to act much sooner. Obviously I want more transgender visibility so young transgender individuals can find their place and true selves at a much younger age, not have to live feeling outcast like I did, and find acceptance from their friends, family and society as a whole.” Around three and a half years ago, Ruby came out to her colleagues in a Brighton food retailer, which she says has increased her visibility. “I hope that goes a small way to normalising outwardly visible transgender individuals in everyday scenarios.
RUBY WHITCOMBE
“As a performer I strive to provide transgender visibility on the cabaret circuit of myself and other performers. One of my prouder moments is when I’ve had other transgender individuals say seeing me perform encourages them to give performing a go. “I’m also hoping to see an increase in transgender visibility at Pride. I still feel we’re under-represented on the main cabaret stages, and would love the opportunity to help a little towards rectifying that.”
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