Neo-Vagina Monologues

Toby Davis has conceived of a project to extend the introspection of the GenderQueer Monologues to include the transgender viewpoint. Here's what Toby wrote to me:

My name is Toby Davis. I am twenty years old, majoring in theatre at a small liberal arts college in Western Massachusetts. I identify as transgendered, and this survey is the beginning of the research for my senior thesis. With your answers from this survey, I intend to create and hopefully produce a set of monologues about the not-so-traditionally-woman-identified genitals. In other words, I want to use your stories/poems/thoughts, anonymously of course, in a new play. I would ideally like to conduct interviews during the summer of 2002 to gather more information for this project. If you would be interested in being interviewed, either in person or by phone, as well as (or instead of) sending a written response, please include any pertinent contact information (address, telephone number, etc.)
The point of this survey is to get you talking about genitals, especially vaginas, whatever that word means to you. I know it may not be the most comfortable or appealing concept (or maybe it is, let me know), or even the most appealing word. But I still want to hear about it, about your opinion. Eve Ensler started this process in her play "The Vagina Monologues," which you can read about at www.vaginamonologues.com, but I think she stopped short, that she didn't take her ideas far enough. She was too convinced that vagina meant woman, that vagina meant biology, a thing you were born with, if you were a woman, a thing you can't be a woman without or a man with. Man and Woman, in the traditional sense, were Ensler's only choices. So while she was working to get rid of the stigma around the word vagina, to create a sense of vagina-pride, she unfortunately ignored and silenced the voices of many individuals who may not be "women" in her sense of the word, but certainly have important opinions and experiences with vaginas/genitals. For this study, which will hopefully result in a new set of monologues, I want to hear about genitals outside of the context of "woman" or "man" in any conventional sense. I want to give omitted, overlooked voices a chance to express themselves. I am especially interested in the opinions of people who identify as transgendered and queer. I am also interested in the thoughts of the significant others, partners, family, friends, and allies of these people. If you are unsure as to whether you fit into the categories of respondents I've named, please respond. Chances are, you have a valuable story for me as well!
Right now my goal is to gather as many different viewpoints as possible, so if you think you might have something interesting to tell me, or even if you don't(I do), then I want you to respond to me.

July 2003: Toby has had great success with his project! Here is an update he sent me.

Hi Lannie! I wrote the play (including several of your pieces - credited of course) and got highest honors for it (it was my senior thesis). It also won a big collegiate playwriting award for the 5 colleges here in western Massachusetts. I produced/directed the play myself in April to rave reviews and standing room only audiences! AND now it's been selected to be a part of the first ever national transgender theatre festival! (www.stages2003.org) It's new title is "The Naked I: Monologues from Beyond the Binary".

Here are the pieces I wrote for Toby. The first few essays linked below went to Toby. Then I just kept going..

In the spirit of the Vagina Monologues, there is some pretty raw and gynecological language in these pieces. Read at your own peril!

Monologue 1 : A Chick With A Dick

Monologue 2 : Balls

Monologue 3 : SRS

Monologue 4 : Why I am going to have SRS *** Updated 1/2007 ***

Monologue 5 : Skin Graft vs. Colon Transfer *** Updated 1/2007 ***

Monologue 6 : Thoughts on the Eve of SRS

Monologue 7 : SRS Hurts!

Monologue 8 : The Scariest Think I Have Ever Done

Monologue 9 : Un-Sensational *** Updated 1/2007 ***

Monologue 10 : The Downside of SRS

About my surgeon, Dr. Annette Cholon

Lannie Rose
3/2002

Home .. Words index