Has it been a specific goal of yours to change
people’s perceptions of the gay community, or is that just a positive
side effect?
It is a goal of mine to expand people’s perceptions
of the gay community — and to expand people’s perceptions of what it
means to be gender-nonconforming. I think I’m doing that, in part, by
being proud of who I am and by carrying myself with respect. I’m not
over-the-top when it comes to being sexual, especially — I don’t
oversexualize myself. The heterosexual community already tends to think
that all gay men want to do is have sex, and I don’t want to feed into
that stereotype.

I’m guessing you’re also trying to expand gay people’s perspectives of what it means to be gender-nonconforming?
I
know that some gay people think that because I’m flamboyant I’m hurting
the [LGBT] community instead of helping it. The way I see it, though,
is that I’m out on the battle lines every day. I have to hold my head
up high as I walk down the street and someone calls me a faggot. If I
can do that and if I can get people to accept and love me as a result
of it, imagine the acceptance and love it will bring to everyone else
[in the LGBT community].

Do you think you’ll be able to stay true to who you are if you transition to TV?

A
lot of people have tried to change me already — people who have told me, “People might be a little more accepting if you do a little less of
this or that.” No. Uh-uh. My self-expression is responsible for the
success I’ve had until now, so I’m going to remain true to that no
matter where all of this takes me.