Fantastic plastic

Amanda Lepore, the “world’s number one transsexual,” on cosmetic surgery, her Hollywood influences and how to make your own glamour

by MATTHEW HAYS

New York-based model and performer Amanda Lepore knew she was different from a very young age. She had her first plastic surgery at the age of 15, getting a sex change in her last year of high school. She had a stormy, five-year marriage, and then moved to New York, where fashion photographer David LaChapelle made her one of his top models, using her in numerous shoots.

Lepore’s glamour quotient grew, and she began making club appearances, singing her two club hit singles, “My Hair Looks Fierce” and perhaps most memorably, “Champagne.” Lepore’s outfits are retro Hollywood glamour taken to ludicrous extremes. Her act is wild, and Lepore has been known to make public appearances in nothing more than her birthday suit. Billed as “The world’s number one transsexual,” Lepore will be gracing this year’s Divers/Cité celebrations. The Mirror caught up with her at her Manhattan home.

Mirror: Your act seems to be rooted in Hollywood movies. What would you say your major influences are?

Amanda Lepore: That’s right, I used to watch a lot of old movies as a kid. I was always fascinated by Jean Harlow, Mae West, Jayne Mansfield, and especially Marilyn Monroe.

M: You had a sex change in high school. When did you realize you wanted one?

AL: I always felt like a girl. I didn’t understand why my parents were dressing me like a boy. It got harder the older I got. I really didn’t want to be a boy. My brother would pressure me to do boy stuff. As I got older kids didn’t really want to hang out with me. I spent a lot of time alone.

M: And you were married for a while?

AL: Yes. His father and him helped to pay for the sex change. But then I got a lot of attention for the way that I dressed. He wanted just a normal girl. He was trying to domesticate me. He didn’t want me to go out at all. I didn’t necessarily want to go out at night to clubs or anything, I would have been happy doing nails in a mall. But he didn’t want me to go out for anything. I had so much energy. I did the marriage for five years and then I couldn’t take it after that. I couldn’t even go out to the store on my own. I don’t think he wanted to be married to a transsexual. I got a lot of attention. How I am now, that’s exactly what he didn’t want. I don’t think he wanted to be married to Miss Transsexual USA.

M: Is it true that you appear nude at events? That your outfit is nothing?

AL: I did that a bit before. David LaChapelle and I went out to this party and he took my dress off and so I was naked. People really liked it. They made this titty cake and served it. It seemed to make people happy. He wouldn’t give me my dress back. I don’t do it as much now, I’ve gotten more into clothes. I have a boyfriend now and he doesn’t really like it. I do a lot of revealing stuff. I work hard on my body and I’m proud of it.

M: Now I have to ask the same question I asked Joan Rivers: how much plastic surgery have you had?

AL: Not as many as you would think. I was pretty striking, right from the beginning. A lot of transsexuals have a lot more. I’ve had my share. I’ve had three boob jobs, to keep making them bigger.

M: Any fashion tips for our readers?

AL: Fashion wise, I think people should just do their own thing. Mix it up. Be comfortable. Don’t do something just because it’s in. Do your own thing, and then people will want to look like you.

M: Drag queens and transsexuals used to be very marginalized within the queer community. Do you still feel this to be a problem?

AL: From working in the nightclubs, I think there’s a big difference now. Now they hire transsexuals to work in clubs. When I used to work for Michael Alig 10 years ago, at the Limelight, they would have a gay party upstairs and we weren’t allowed up there. It was just for muscle boys or men-looking guys. I think that’s changed a lot. That’s a big difference in New York.

Amanda Lepore will perform at Divers/Cité’s Sex Garage 2, at the de Maisonneuve/St-Denis stage at 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 6