11 Mar 2009
I love Manuela
If only there were an Irish Manuela. She'd have Cowen, Coughlan and all the bishops and cardinals running for cover. And that would be just to avoid the flying glass.
So,who the hell is Manuela? Manuela Trasobares is a ravishing creature and one of Spain's most interesting and controversial figures. Famous for her very dramati melt-down on Channel 9's "Speak or Shut up" back in 1997, Manuela has tried her hand at many trades. She started off studying opera in Sofia and sang in the most important opera houses of Eastern Europe during the Cold War years. The 80s and 90s weren't kind as Old Europe was determined not to recognise the talent of a mezzo-soprano who'd been born with a penis. Yes indeedy, Manuela Trasobares was born a boy in 1962 and 17 years later, was reborn a woman in London.
After trawling her services as a mezzo-soprano around an increasingly hostile Europe for too long, Manuela returned to Spain. Here she set about developing and honing her creative skills. Not only does she sing opera, she also writes, paints and sculpts with aplomb. Nevertheless, the general public perceives trans people to be freaks (rather than just people), thus, she is better known for throwing a glass during a live transmssion and (just like NIKE) for urging aspiring trans people to JUST DO IT.
In spite of the criticisms, in 2007 she became the first transexual town councillor elected in Spain and was voted for by 15% of a population tired of the scandals which have been marring local political life over the last 5 years. Manuela fought a clean battle and in the words of a local resident "we don't care what she is, if she can do any better than what we have, we´ll vote for her." Manuela teaches painting and sculpture in a local old people's home. Not every town councillor has time in their "busy schedule" for that.
I love her and what she is achieving now, but her spirited defence of transexuals on Channel 9 is still one of my favourite TV moments of all time. There are so many gems to be taken from what she says. (Unfortunately all in Spanish/Catalan) Here is a "remix" of her speech that somebody even more demented than I am, has crafted. My favourite part is the old man who has to leave the studio because he gets glass in his eye. (The glass was one of a few thrown by Manuela in frustration). In the lead up, Manuela has been listening to criticisms of transexuals for a couple of hours and here she just explodes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUlzDd1o77Q