Key Points
- Dax Carnay identifies as a non-binary trans person, her pronouns are she/her or they/them.
- 'Transwoman kills influencer' is written by Dax Carnay.
- The production is part of La Mamma's Midsumma Festival from January 27 - Febnruary 4, 2024.
The birth of an idea
It all began when Dax Carnay witnessed a lot of prejudice, bias, and hate during the in the Melbourne CBD in March 2023. “I got really upset when a group of men performed the Nazi salutes (at the steps of Victorian Parliament), my blood was at boiling point. Here is a group of people taking steps to consciously exclude a group of marginalised people who have not done any harm to anyone.’
For the Filipino creative, the message that day was loud and clear, ‘the people at the rally just wanted to be acknowledged, they are human beings; they are not a figment of the imagination, they are not mythical figures. Sadly, some people take so much effort to push the idea that they have no right to exist, they are not real.’
Breaking stereotypes
Apart from the prejudice and bias, Carnay also wanted to quash stereotypes portrayed about trans and gender-diverse people on stage film, and television, as tragic, pure, and without fault or as someone who dies at the end of the story. I just want to get the message out there; trans people are humans too.’ The author adds ‘trans people commit mistakes, they will continue to make mistakes, they have weaknesses; does this mean they are evil?’
‘As the world evolves, people change, our opinions, and ideologies also change, new ideas are coming out, the world isn’t just black and white. Lately, we found out that it is a spectrum, there are many layers to life. My question for the masses is are you part of the change? Are you evolving as society evolves? Or will you hold on to the tradition you were born into that might be outdated?’
Melbourne-based Filipino creative Dax Carnay with Angelica Ignacio who identifies as queer. ‘Explaining my gender identity, being queer to the people I love isn’t complicated; it's not about the nuances but more about dealing with the initial shock.' - Angelica Ignacio Credit: SBS Filipino
Angelica Ignacio is the production’s Creative Consultant and identifies as a queer person, ‘explaining my gender identity, being queer to the people I love isn’t complicated; it's not about the nuances but more about dealing with the initial shock and trying to understand that on a personal basis. What it means for me as an individual.’ However, coming out to friends was a lot easier ‘I think because of our exposure to social media, our generation is very much exposed to the ideas, and concepts of gender and sexuality. It was easier for them to understand.’
Angelica moved to Australia as a teenager, it wasn’t as conservative as the world she then left behind as a young girl.
But what does it mean to be queer? Are you attracted to the opposite sex or both genders or to a he or she?
More importantly, what does it mean to be Filipino and queer? Carnay explains, ‘if we are looking for the grey area in the spectrum, this is it. It can reflect on your gender identity or reflect on who you are attracted to. Some people are non-binary they identify as they, them; others see their sexuality as homosexual. The beauty about queerness, it is about being gender diverse.’
Gender roles in Filipino
How does a queer individual like Angelica explain it to Filipinos? ‘I use our language as an example; in Tagalog, we do not use pronouns, instead, we refer to an individual according to their identity and not refer to them based on their looks.’
Socio-linguist Loy Lising the Filipino language is not gender-based, it does not have a definitive pronoun for a female or a male; it only refers to an individual as siya, ikaw, sila but it has a definitive Filipino name for an individual’s role in the family or society like ate (older sister), kuya (older brother).
Dax Carnay wrote 'Transwoman kills influencer' wanting to end prejudice, bias, hatred and stereotypes. 'trans people are human too, they commit mistakes, they will continue to make mistakes, and they have weaknesses; does this mean they are evil?’ Credit: supplied by Dax Carnay
Filipino adults, who find themselves single several years after university, with a stable income or employment will also find themselves answering probing questions from relatives like have you found a partner, when are you getting married? For Angelica Ignacio answering these questions honestly is the best way to explain her identity and sometimes, when pressed to her limit she just walks away. ‘If they come from a place where they still do not understand, it is no longer my problem to solve.’
Filipino creative Dax Carnay welcomes questions ‘there are people who aren’t sure on how to address me and I say just ask. You will never know until you ask. It all depends on your intentions, some people are sincere and totally unaware. On the other hand, some people ask questions to hurt you.’ For Carnay, it all boils down to intention, ‘what is it that you want to achieve? It all depends on how you frame your question.’
'In the trans and gender-diverse community, particularly in the Philippines; our greatest enemy is ignorance, you cannot fight ignorance with aggravation or anger. The only way to fight anger and hate is to educate.’ Carnay adds ‘some people will choose not to be educated; do not waste your time with people who do not want to be educated. Devote your time to people who are willing to understand.’
‘Transwoman kills influencer’ is Carnay’s second production at the La Mamma’s Midsumma Festival.
LISTEN TO
'Who am I?': Filipino thespians on gender, race and the struggles of migration
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09/02/202317:35
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'Drag gave me the strength to come out': Transgender queen on transition
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