Et Alors? Magazine 9

EUR9,95€ - UK7,65£ - USA12,25$
et alors?
a f l a m b o y a n t m a g a z i n e

follow us on
www.twitter.com/etalorsmagazine

FASHION MUSEUM ANTWERP
PRESENTS
R.E. — KAAT DEBO, MOMU – FASHION MUSEUM PROVINCE OF ANTWERP, NATIONALESTRAAT 28, 2000 ANTWERP | IMAGE: ALEXANDER MCQUEEN PHOTOGRAPHED BY FRANÇOIS NARS FOR MUSE MAGAZINE, AUTUMN 2009
P L U M E S & F E A T H E R S I N F A S H I O N
20|03>24|08|2014
MOMU — FASHION MUSEUM PROVINCE OF ANTWERP
NATIONALESTRAAT 28, 2000 ANTWERP
WWW.MOMU.BE

editorial 09
Darlings,
Our time in Belgium seems to be coming to an
inevitable end so this is most likely the last Et Alors?
Magazine made in Fleur’s native country. We had
an absolutely amazing time here – remember our
lovely Antwerp edition! – yet it’s time to move
on again. To Spain to be exact, because just like
flowers, we thrive better in the sun.
It goes without saying you can keep counting on
your quarterly issue of Et Alors? Magazine but
even more: we’re also expanding our website into
an actual Et Alors? Community. Since we aim to
reach millions of you wonderful people with our
articles, movies, shoots and documentaries on
all those beautiful creatures who are proud and
brave enough to show us their true colors. With the
overall mission statement to reduce the two brain
prevailing monsters called ‘ignorance’ and ‘fear’, we
keep on feeling indefatigable and determent.
En garde, alors!
Meanwhile we wish you’ll enjoy our newest issue
which is all about being yourself. Yay! Check
Steve Rosenfield’s project in which he separates
appearance from identity. Or read about the expo
on April Ashley, one of the first British to undergo
sex reassignment surgery. We’re talking Casablanca
in the ‘60’s here. Furthermore, find out why gender
doesn’t matter whatsoever to performance artist
Holestar, a female drag queen or, as she puts
it herself, the tranny with a fanny. And find out
why it’s all about giving that first chance in the
article about Peter Platel, the Belgian hairdresser
who, once a year, travels to Nepal to educate
transgenders on hair and make-up.
Love is the keyword darlings! Enjoy!
Keep safe, stay gorgeous,
Fleur & Julian
et alors? 005

et alors? magazine
march 2014
issue 09
editor in chief
fleur pierets
art director
julian p. boom
contributors
alisa connan
aytekin cesmeli
ellie van den brande
fleur pierets
hilde van hoof
julian p. boom
kan man
ken walker
lalo gonzalez
lee roberts
ligatio
lynn bianchi
maarten baan
marc abe
miles aldridge
mina van elewyck
national museums liverpool
nid & sancy
nils missorten
peter platel
rex features
roxanne
scott pasfield
stefanie v
steve rosenfield
vic singh
copyright.
et alors? magazine 2014
issn 2034-5429
table of contents
editorial
table of contents
editors’ readings
expo
miles aldridge
gay in america
april ashley
nid & sancy
peter popart
what i be project
holestar
makeup 2 makeup
bondage
heavy in white
ode to grace jones
websites
005
006
008
010
014
020
036
044
050
056
064
070
078
086
094
102
www.etalorsmagazine.com
006 et alors?

et alors? magazine is a quarterly
free publication. independently
published by et alors?.
all rights reserved.
reproduction of any part of this
magazine is strictly prohibited
without prior permission from the
publisher. however, permission is
automatically granted to online
blogs and websites, where there is
a direct link back to
www.etalorsmagazine.com and
where all the credits associated to
imagery, illustration and/or text
are included.
the views expressed in et alors?
magazine are those of the
respective contributors and are
definitely shared by the magazine
and its staff.
for advertisement enquiries
gabrielle@etalorsmagazine.com
fleur & julian say thanks to
wim & julien at reporters.be
harald ligtvoet
peter platel & luc acke
renate breuer
ingrid van den bossche & tom van der bruggen
for everything else
info@etalorsmagazine.com
et alors?
a f l a m b o y a n t m a g a z i n e
cover model
name harald ligtvoet
location antwerp, belgium
talents stylist, fashion designer, teaching the art of fashion at the Royal
Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague, The Netherlands
website www.haraldligtvoet.com
EUR9,95€ - UK7,65£ - USA12,25$
photography julian p. boom
concept harald ligtvoet
styling harald ligtvoet
model harald ligtvoet
jacket & trousers
walter van beirendonck
hairpiece harald ligtvoet
et alors? 007

on writing
stephen king
‘Long live the King’ hailed Entertainment Weekly
upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part
memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling
authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing
and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising
the basic tools of the trade every writer must have.
King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories
from childhood through his emergence as a writer,
from his struggling early career to his widely
reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the
inextricable link between writing and living spurred
his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and
inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain
everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone
who loves a great story well told.
luitingh-sijthoff
288 pages
ISBN 9789024563074
www.lsamsterdam.nl
www.stephenking.com
the dark galleries
steven jacobs & lisa colpaert
Imagine a museum in which the portrait of Otto
Preminger’s Laura hangs opposite the uncanny
portraits of the desired or murdered women in
Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street. In an adjacent gallery,
you can contemplate the portraits of patriarchs
that feature in films such as House of Strangers,
Gilda, and Strangers on a Train. This is the concept
of this book. Dark Galleries deals with American
(and some British) films of the 1940s and 1950s, in
which a painted portrait plays an important part
in the plot or the mise-en-scène. Apart from an
extensive introductory essay, this museum guide
presents more than eighty entries on the artistic and
cinematic aspects of noir painted portraits.
aramer
176 pages
ISBN 9789491775192
www.merpaperkunsthalle.org
008 et alors?

editors’ readings
butch
kanithea powell
Definition: Butch: adj; Exhibiting stereotypically
or exaggeratedly masculine traits or appearance.
Well, these aren’t your typical flannel, mullet, boot
wearing butches. This new art book pushes the
‘butch’ definition beyond its seams. Packed with
fashion forward pictures that are vivid, dramatic and
provocative, these genderbending bois will make
your heart skip a beat. It is a feast for the eyes and
the coffee table. Powell lavishly illustrated tribute to
butch women showcases dramatic and spectacular
styling layered with passages that speak to the heart
of anyone on the journey to find true inner beauty.
Loaded with breathtaking photographs, this book
celebrates the incredible creations of an imaginative
and inspirational artist whose work and ideas push
the stereotypical norm.
qwest films
130 pages
www.qwestfilms.com
the goldfinch
donna tartt
Aged thirteen, Theo Decker, son of a devoted mother
and a reckless, largely absent father, survives an
accident that otherwise tears his life apart. Alone and
rudderless in New York, he is taken in by the family of
a wealthy friend. He is tormented by an unbearable
longing for his mother, and down the years clings to
one thing that reminds him of her: a small, strangely
captivating painting that ultimately draws him into
the criminal underworld. The Goldfinch is a haunted
odyssey through present-day America and a drama
of enthralling power. Combining unforgettably vivid
characters and thrilling suspense, it is a beautiful,
addictive triumph - a sweeping story of loss and
obsession, of survival and self-invention, of the
deepest mysteries of love, identity and fate.
little, brown book group
784 pages
ISBN 9781408705100
www.littlebrown.co.uk
et alors? 009

ainbow girls
A photographic documentary series about lesbian
women in South African townships. Undeterred by
the daily threats of violence, constant intimidation
and at the risk of being cast out by their own families,
the lesbian women of Gugulethu and Khayelitsha
townships continue to be proud of who they are and
the love they represent. South Africa is still home to
high levels of violence against women and children,
despite a constitution widely regarded as the most
progressive in the world, and after a legislative
overhaul that safeguards women’s and children’s
rights. Rainbow Girls is the 3rd installment of Julia
Gunther’s ongoing project ‘Proud Women of Africa’:
a photographic record of women who live or work
in Africa.
ihlia, amsterdam
february 7 – may 5, 2014
photo © julia gunther
www.ihlia.nl
jade yumang
Post-Performance Syndrome is an installation and
abbreviation of two years of performative work
by Jade Yumang. In most of these performances
Yumang creates elaborate environments and
costumes as a way to evoke queer history and create
new ones based on the notion of formlessness and
transformation. For the Window Gallery Yumang
repurposes the remnants of these performances
as a way to explore what happens after an intense
moment of creativity, demonstration, and the
feeling of loss after a fleeting exchange.
leslie + lohman museum, new york
january 31 - april 27, 2014
photo shut up and smile © jade yumang, 2013
performance, handmade costume and video projection.
performed for supernova performance art festival,
rosslyn, virginia.
www.leslielohman.org
010 et alors?

expo
richard hamilton
One of the most influential British artists of the
20th century, Richard Hamilton (1922–2011) is
widely regarded as a founding figure of pop art,
who continued to experiment and innovate over
a career of 60 years. Tate Modern presents the
first retrospective to encompass the full scope of
Hamilton’s work, from his early exhibition designs
of the 1950s to his final paintings of 2011. This
exhibition explores his relationship to design,
painting, photography and television, as well as his
engagement and collaborations with other artists.
meret oppenheim
Both considered a scandalous muse of Surrealism
before becoming a major figure of the movement,
Meret Oppenheim spent her entire artistic career
exploring the theme of the indetermination of
genres by drawing inspiration from myths, dreams
and the literature of her time. Her sense of freedom
not only made her an icon for feminism, but also a
proteiform Surrealist artist, capable of redefining
the boundaries of art. In the first retrospective to
be devoted to her art in France since 1984, the LaM
will be showcasing some 200 pieces from public and
private European and American collections.
tate modern, london
february 13 – may 26, 2014
photo interior II © richard hamilton, 1964
www.tate.org.uk
lam – villeneuve d’ascq
february 15 – june 01, 2014
photo © gants (paire) / handschuhe (paar), 1985
(1942-45). courtesy galerie levy, hambourg.
photo dirk masbaum © adagp paris, 2014
www.musee-lam.fr
et alors? 011

follow us on
www.instagram.com/etalorsmagazine

the glamorous booth to pimp your parties
www.photomatique.be

miles
aldridge
text reflex amsterdam photos miles aldridge

Miles Aldridge (1964), born in London,
studied at Central St. Martins, became
a director of music videos, and then a
fashion photographer in the 1990’s. His
work mixes autobiographical themes
with influences as wide ranging as the
fashion photographer Richard Avedon,
film directors like Hitchcock, Lynch and
Fellini and his father Alan Aldridge,
the legendary art director, who created
seminal artworks for The Beatles.
Aldridge’s photographs always transmit
a certain cinematic feeling. ‘Miles sees
a color coordinated, graphically pure,
hard-edged reality’, says David Lynch
about Aldridge’s work. They are mostly
known for the beautiful, glamorous
women who seem to be living in
perfect worlds. But when you look closer,
their worlds aren’t as perfect as they
seem. It’s a dream that could just as
easily turn into a nightmare. Their blank
expressions and perfect appearances
could be interpreted as passivity.
et alors? 017

Miles Aldridge prefers to define his
women as in a state of contemplation,
which leaves the viewer wondering
about what’s going on in their heads.
The power of these photographs is
created by the tension between the
exterior perfection and the internal
turmoil. As Aldridge explains himself,
‘A slightly uncomfortable quality is
what I’m after. I don’t feel like making
happy pictures about beautiful models
being content. These pictures… They’re
pictures of humans, not mannequins.
They’re troubled, wounded and
confused, questioning who they are
now that they have everything they
want.’ It is his mother’s influence that
comes through heavily in Aldridge’s
tension-filled photographs of women.
‘These women are more complicated
than being purely beautiful and they
have this deep, dramatic life,’ he says.
Miles Aldridge’s work has been published
in numerous influential magazines like
American Vogue, Vogue Italia, The
New York Times and Numéro. Reflex
Amsterdam has published several
monographs in collaboration with
Miles Aldridge, such as Acid Candy, The
Cabinet and Kristen matching his soloshows
by the same name.
Aldridge’s solo-exhibition at Galerie
Alex Daniels - Reflex Amsterdam runs
through April 21st. and consists of 24 in
large scale colour works and one work
in black and white.
A new limited edition book will be
published by Reflex Editions Amsterdam.
Galerie Alex Daniels
Reflex Amsterdam
Weteringschans 79a
1017 RX, Amsterdam
Tuesday – Saturday
10h – 18h
www.reflexamsterdam.com
et alors? 019

© platon

gay in
america
interview fleur pierets photos scott pasfield
Scott Pasfield celebrates diversity in this
first-ever photographic survey of gay
men in America. Stereotypes are laid to
rest and an intimate, honest picture of
contemporary gay life is revealed through
stunning personal portraits and narratives
of 140 gay men in all 50 states. Joyful and
somber, reflective and celebratory.
A rare and honest book.
et alors? 021

name michael & allen
location delta junction, alaska
My partner and I have been in Alaska for ten years.
We own an eighty-acre ex-dairy farm that we are
trying to resurrect. Since 2006, we’ve been building
a large (some would say huge) two-story house right
in the middle of it. We’re finally getting siding on this
month!
We’ve begun collecting milk cows; two are currently
being milked, and two heifers were born this year.
We’re also raising hogs and one of our sows had her
second litter two weeks ago. The goats kept eating
my garden, so I insisted they had to go. The farm
looks out on the glorious Alaska Range, as well as
the White Mountains and the Granites. Living here
brings us closer to our dream of self-sufficiency.
I work as an environmental specialist for the Army.
I am also chief of the Delta Junction Rescue Squad,
an unpaid volunteer position that takes up many
hours. Allen works for the state during the summer
as a park ranger and is the true farmer between the
two of us.
We’re two Southerners who moved here for my
job. We were curious how such a small town would
greet us, and discovered that everyone knew pretty
much everything before we even got here. Small
towns have no secrets - even if you want to keep
them, which we did not. There was a week of polite
but curious gossip and questions, and then nothing.
Our lives as gay men here have been completely
uneventful. In fact, it’s more like the movie Big Eden,
where good-hearted, loving people have pushed us
to share our lives with them in a way that completely
surprised and overwhelmed me. For this reason
alone, we are home.
et alors? 023

name jakoury
location chester, virginia
I live in what I would call a “retirement” town. There
are lots of elderly people, everyone here is pretty
conservative, and there are very few activities for
people to do. When I entered high school I had just
moved here from Atlanta, and it was an extreme
change of pace for me. Everyone was quiet and
tightly compacted into the stereotype of what was
acceptable.
I always knew I was gay, and in Atlanta I was slowly
beginning to show it. I told my mother before we
moved away and she was fine with it, but I was afraid
to tell my father. He was a military man straight out
of the country; I doubt he had ever come into contact
with a sexual minority, let alone spend time with
one. When we moved, we left my mother behind.
They weren’t quite divorced and they weren’t quite
together. I guess they assumed that moving away
from each other would help them realize what they
really wanted.
When we got to Virginia I was excited about the fresh
start; I could just come into school gay, no need for
a back-story, no need to make friends, I could just be
myself. I quickly found that being out of the closet
wasn’t going to go over easy. Everyone in town was
a carbon copy of each other. All the kids wore the
same clothes and looked exactly the same. I forced
myself to fit in, even carrying on relationships with
girls from time to time. I was upset I had to act this
way, to put up a front.
During a visit to my mother, I told her how unhappy
I was. She explained to me that if the people at my
school couldn’t accept me as gay then they really
weren’t my friends at all, and that I wouldn’t know
those people ten years from now. She said I shouldn’t
be something I’m not just to impress people. On the
way back to Virginia I decided I would be an out gay
male, probably the first my town had ever seen. It
was a long ride back, and I told my father everything.
At first he was uneasy, but he told me he was going
to love me regardless.
When I returned I cut my hair into a mohawk, got
rid of all my masculine, loose-fitting clothes, and
became more fashion-forward. I was on a high; I
loved being myself. Unfortunately, other people
didn’t. I was ridiculed, mocked, bullied, and harassed.
People called me a faggot, wrote “fudgepacker” on
my locker, and even threw things at me. Every night
I would cry. I was so miserable. I got into fights and
was beat up a few times. Someone vandalized my
house, writing “faggot” across my front door. My
father had enough. He put me in boxing classes and
told me to stop being so passive. I spent the whole
summer learning to defend myself.
On the first day of tenth grade I got in a fight and
made an example of the kid. If anyone insulted me
I would curse them out so bad that they’d never
want to utter another word to me. I became a bit of
a bad-ass, but I was happy because people stopped
bullying me and started looking up to me. More and
more, boys started coming out of the closet, and
became examples of how happy gay teens could be.
I started a small gay student association at my school
and became actively involved in a youth group for
teenagers in the city. I’m not worried about fitting
in anymore.
et alors? 025

name jacques & abi
location sacramento, california
I live in Sacramento with Abi, my partner of more
than thirty years. We recently married in front of
twenty of our closest friends.
Abi is very fond of telling me how he first observed
me, long before we actually met, paddling my
kayak upstream on the American River, which flows
through the community where we currently reside.
We have lived together since we met on the disco
dance floor in 1976, where we were both inventing
our own moves and steps.
Abi moved to Sacramento from Detroit in 1973,
and enjoys a semi-retirement as an antiques dealer.
He collects antique miniatures and dollhouses and
has an intense passion for finding and arranging
furnishings for our home, which is dramatically filled
with our shared interests.
My hobby is riding and restoring antique bicycles.
Using a bicycle built in 1886, I have set a twohundred-mile
distance and time record in Europe,
and a one-hundred-mile distance and time record in
Australia. When I can pull him away, Abi and I enjoy
traveling together to warm, exotic places.
et alors? 027

name brian
location austin, texas
I’m a bit of a maverick, a roamer, and a wanderer.
The most stable time in my life was my childhood.
Growing up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the
small California town of Twain Harte, I spent all my
time playing in the forest. We had miles and miles
of woodland around us. As an adolescent I resented
where I lived—it was too remote, too far from my
friends. Now, as an adult, I envy those who are able
to live and thrive there.
I left home at eighteen and spent a few months in
southern Oregon before returning to California to
attend college, where I came out. After I graduated,
I moved to San Diego, and learned all about
computers and corporate life. I was young and
eager to conquer the world, but after five years of
living the gay lifestyle I longed to be back in the
country. I found that just because I was gay didn’t
mean that I had to conform to the city culture of gay
life. San Diego had become too big for me and was
not fulfilling on a spiritual level. I met a couple while
on vacation who were moving to Austin and they
suggested I take a look as a possible place to live.
Texas was hot, but there were rolling hills and the
people were friendly. I was living on four acres
outside of Austin with a couple of friends, enjoying
both the country and the many comforts that
come with city life. Ultimately we lost the ranch to
foreclosure, but I was able to turn what some saw as
a tragedy into a dream come true.
A few weeks before losing the house I bought a fifth
wheel RV. I moved myself, my three dogs, and my
cat into my escape pod. It has been two years since
I made that move, and I have never been happier. I
am now free to roam the country, taking my family
and my home with me where ever I go. Native
Americans had the right idea keeping their lives
so mobile. There is nothing more liberating than
coming home one day, hitching up the house, and
moving on to another town miles away. The scene
outside my windows changes regularly and I love
the mobility. There truly is a different way of life for
each of us, and I have found mine.
et alors? 029

name trace
location orlando, florida
I’m from the Deep South. I always knew I was gay.
It was never a big issue for me. It didn’t affect the
way I thought about myself or make me feel like any
less of a man than the other guys at my school or the
friends I grew up with. It never occurred to me that
I had some need or desire to come out. Over time
my family and friends realized I was gay, but there
was no need to talk about that, any more than who
my brother was dating, or the private lives of other
family members.
If someone feels the need to ask me directly about
my sexual preference, I have a few responses. If
you’re an important person in my life, I’ll say yes of
course I’m gay. If I’m asked in connection to a civil
rights issue, I’m happy to stand up and be counted
as gay and fight for our rights, as I do for all civil
liberties. If you’re a relative stranger and are prying,
I take the Southerner’s approach by politely saying
that it’s my personal business and has nothing to do
with you.
et alors? 031

Scott, what triggered you to make this book?
I wanted to make a book that I wished existed when I was
a kid. To show that as a gay man, you can go anywhere
and do anything.
When I think about being gay in America, I think of only
a few progressive countries. What did you experience?
I think the gay world in America is certainly as diverse
and varied as the straight world is. Slowly we are
assimilating into mainstream culture and healing from
all the discrimination that has been thrown our way. How
that compares to the rest of the world, including other
progressive countries, is still something I would like to
investigate.
You chose to put all stereotypes aside. Why did you
make that choice?
I tried to vary the men and stories as much as possible
when selecting who to include. I felt it was important to
do so, to be true to all types of gay men. Often only the
a-listers get all the attention.
Why only men?
I chose to do this for many reasons, including healing
from my own past. I saw it as a way to learn from other
men who had gone through similar things. They opened
up to me and felt comfortable doing so because I was one
of them.
You travelled 54,000 miles across fifty states over
a three-year span. You listened to stories and
documented the lives of 140 gay men. What’s the most
beautiful story you heard?
That is a tough one. Many of these men had such
wonderful stories. I love Stephens’ in Miami who talks
about coming out to his parents at a young age. They
dragged him off to a psychiatrist who ended up telling
the parents that they were the ones who needed therapy.
Such a simple and wonderful tale, if only all of our parents
were told so.
Can you tell me your own story? Coming out?
I write a little about my coming out in the book’s
introduction. My father was a born again and on his
third marriage when I told him. His belief was that I
was doomed to go to hell and I should pray to change.
Religion is the root of so much hatred and making this
book certainly allowed me to see that I was not alone.
Where did you find your models and how did you
contact them?
I put ads out on social media and dating sites, looking for
guys who might be interested. It was very easy to sort out
those men that truly wanted to take part in this. They had
to believe in me and my mission and had to send me their
‘story’ before I would commit to photographing them.
What would you like to achieve with these pictures?
What do you want the spectator to see?
I want to help educate those that struggle with their own
sexuality and perhaps those that struggle with accepting
gay men, perhaps even their own family members. We
are all God’s children, all created equally. We all face the
same issues.
The pictures are accompanied by essays. Do you find
it important for people to know the story behind the
models?
Absolutely. To hear their own words adds incredible
depth to the portraits. The stories are as important as the
photos.
You featured 50 states. Was it important to cover the
entire country?
It was a goal I set for myself from the beginning and one
of the parameters of the project. To look at the life of gay
men in every state. I felt it was socially important to view
the country as a whole.
As an artist, are you most narrator or photographer?
I have always been more of a photographer than a
narrator, but that is changing in time. This project has made
me realize how important storytelling is to my job as a
photographer.
Why is such a project important for you personally?
To make a difference is something we all aspire to do. I saw
this project as a chance to do just that.
Future plans?
My partner and I renovated and opened an Inn and
restaurant in Vermont last year and have been having
fun getting it up and running. Getting out of the city and
challenging ourselves with something new has been a
wonderful change of pace. Yet my heart still longs for more
photo projects like Gay in America. I’m heading to Los
Angeles soon for more work and am looking forward to
what that will bring. It’s all about balance.
www.scottpasfield.com
www.gayinamerica.us
www.theinn.us
032 et alors?

© vic singh - rex features

april
ashley
text national museums liverpool

Born in Liverpool in 1935, April Ashley, a former
Vogue model and actress was one of the first
people in the world to undergo pioneering
gender reassignment surgery. As one of the
most famous transgender individuals and a
tireless campaigner for transgender equality,
she is an icon and inspiration to many. For the
first time, the Museum of Liverpool explores
April’s very public story through her previously
unseen private archive and investigate the
wider impact of changing social and legal
conditions for all trans and lesbian, gay and
bisexual people from 1935 to today.
Childhood
April Ashley was born George Jamieson, one of six
children to Frederick, who served in the Royal Navy,
and Ada, a factory worker.
The family’s poor living conditions meant they
were soon moved by Liverpool Corporation from
Pitt Street, in the Chinatown area, to Norris Green.
Although born a boy, April always felt and looked
like a girl. Childhood was a lonely and very confusing
time. At St Teresa’s primary school she was bullied
for being different. As a teenager April did not grow
facial hair, her voice refused to break and she began
to develop breasts.
Identity
Aged 15, April joined the Merchant Navy as ‘I decided
to face up to my situation and it seemed to be one of
the things that made you a man’. Feeling and looking
different in this very masculine environment, however,
was very challenging. Whilst on leave in America, and
seeing no way out, she attempted suicide in 1952. After
recovering she was given a dishonorable discharge.
Back in Liverpool, April continued to struggle alone
with her gender identity and in 1953 made another
attempt to take her own life by jumping into the River
Mersey. She was sent to Ormskirk Hospital psychiatric
unit and later treated at Walton Hospital. Her care was
brutal and included sodium pentothal injections and
electro convulsive treatment followed by a course of
male hormones. The experiences were devastating
and had a detrimental effect on April’s health and
well being. In 1955, aged 20, April decided to leave
Liverpool for London.
In London April worked at a Lyons Corner House, a
bustling cafe and informal, underground meeting
036 et alors?

© ken walker

point for artists, bohemians and gay men. Being gay or
trans was a precarious and illegal life. Homosexuality
was not decriminalized until 1967 and trans and gay
people faced much discrimination.
Being in London gave April anonymity and the freedom
to accept and reveal her true identity. In this supportive
environment and with other trans role models around
her, she began to call herself ‘Toni’ and wear female
clothes and make-up. It was here in 1956 that she
made an invaluable connection that was to take her to
Paris and the world famous Carrousel club.
Le Carrousel
Le Carrousel de Paris was renowned for its spectacular
performances by male and female impersonators,
which attracted stars such as Ginger Rogers,
Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich and Rex
Harrison. In stark contrast to post-war England,
Paris represented a sexual liberalism, freedom and
openness that was previously unimaginable to young
April. She was soon employed at the club and paid
£12 per week. Assuming a new identity and using
the theatrical name of ‘Toni April’, she performed
alongside famous female impersonators, Coccinelle,
Bambi and Peki d’Oslo. Her confidante and closest
friend Bambi introduced her to a Parisian doctor
who prescribed the female hormone estrogen which
further assisted April’s feminization. April was soon
touring with Le Carrousel across Europe. Whilst in
Milan she visited the British Consulate to attempt
to change the name on her passport from George
Jamieson to ‘Toni April’ but was met with hostility.
Throughout her life April had recognized that
she wasn’t a boy and knew that she could not be
‘cured’ through therapy, medication or psychiatry.
She longed to become the woman she felt she had
always been. Working at Le Carrousel she had saved
enough money to attempt to make this wish come
true. Her friend Coccinelle suggested she contact Dr
George Burou, a pioneer in gender re-assignment
surgery who was based in Casablanca, Morocco.
She left for Casablanca on 12 May 1960 and within
three days of arriving the correction of her genitalia
from male to female was complete. She was the
ninth patient on which Dr Burou had performed the
surgery. It was a complex but successful operation.
As a consequence her hair fell out and she endured
significant pain, but April had finally become the
woman she had always believed she was. She told
Dr Burou that it was ‘the happiest day of my life’.
038 et alors?

© vic singh - rex features

High profile career
Following gender reassignment surgery in 1960
April returned to London and changed her name
to ‘April Ashley’ by deed poll. With her statuesque
good looks and newfound confidence she became a
fashion model and actress. She was photographed
for high profile publications such as Vogue and
socialized with famous musicians, actors and
members of London’s high society.
In 1961 April met and began an affair with Arthur
Corbett, an Eton-educated aristocrat. Corbett had
frequented Le Carrousel and was fully aware of
April’s history and gender re-assignment. Corbett
left his wife and four children to begin a relationship
with April.
Outing
On Sunday November 19th, 1961 April Ashley
was outed as a transsexual in the Sunday People
newspaper, prompting numerous other headlines
around the world. The press coverage of April’s
gender transition was hostile and transphobic,
portraying her in an inhuman way. April was
humiliated and shocked by the unexpected
revelations. Her modeling assignments soon
stopped.
Marriage
In 1963 April married Arthur Corbett in Gibraltar,
but the relationship soon broke down and April
returned to London. Corbett petitioned for divorce
in 1967 using the grounds that April was born male
and therefore the marriage was illegal. The medical
and legal position on transsexuality was divided,
no consensus on whether a person could legally
change gender could be reached and it was left
to the divorce court to decide. This proved to be a
test case, which continues to have implications for
people throughout the world today.
Corbett vs Corbett
In February 1970 the case of Corbett vs Corbett was
heard and became universally known as the divorce
case which set a legal precedent regarding the
status of transsexuals in the whole country.
The judge Lord Justice Ormrod, created a medical
‘test’ and definition to determine the legal status
of April, and by extension, all transsexual people.
This was a huge personal setback to April, who
suffered intrusive tests and more derogatory press
‘Following gender
reassignment
surgery in 1960
she returned
to London and
changed her name
to ‘April Ashley’ by
deed poll.’
attention. The judge ruled in February 1971 that ‘she
was male’ and the marriage was annulled. This ruling
became a legal precedent used to define the gender
of transsexual people for decades. The legal status of
transgender people has only been fully recognized
since the introduction of the Gender Recognition Act
2004. In the 1990s and early 2000s April continued her
campaign to have her true gender recognized. She
lobbied and wrote to Prime Minister Tony Blair and
the Lord Chancellor, remaining resolutely committed
to changing the law for all transgender people.
In 2005, after the passage of the Gender Recognition
Act 2004, April was finally legally recognized as
female and issued with a new birth certificate. The
then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, who had
previously worked with April in the 1950s, helped
her with the procedure. In 2012 she was appointed a
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for
services to transgender equality and continues to be
an inspiration to many today.
27 September 2013 to 21 September 2014
Museums of Liverpool
Text and picturesby National Museums Liverpool
A collaborative project between the Museum of
Liverpool and Homotopia - the international festival
of queer arts and culture. This exhibition is supported
by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It was a key part of
Homotopia’s 10th anniversary in 2013.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
040 et alors?

© rex features

follow us on
www.facebook.com/etalorsmagazine

Hotel Les Nuits Lange Gasthuisstraat 12 2000 ANTWERP
www.hotellesnuits.be sleep@hotellesnuits.be

nid &
sancy
interview fleur pierets artwork nid & sancy
et alors? 045

Bart Demey and Tania Gallagher are Nid & Sancy,
a Belgium-based duo with a love for analog synths,
densely layered bootlegs and electronic beats with
guitars. Crashed on the edge between dance and
rock, as they call it themselves. They started off
as Galacticamendum, releasing electronics under
their own Digital Piss Factory imprint and stalking
Luc Janssen, godfather of Belgian electro and host
of the uber-cool radio show ‘Krapuul de Lux’, by
sending him empty pizza boxes with their latest
sounds. When Janssen invited them at Pukkelpop,
their electronic punk act became a bona fide hype
and soon they travelled the world, sharing the
stage with, among many others; Scissor Sisters,
Peaches, T Raumschmiere, Soulwax and Vitalic.
Just to give you a small heads up.
After what seemed to be an inspirational stay in
the New York Chelsea Hotel, they changed their
name into Nid & Sancy and released Never Mind
the Bootlegs…Here’s Sex with Nid & Sancy. A
new breed of their mix capabilities on which they
shake and stirred music by Missy Elliot, Beasty
Boys, Yello and many others, which yielded them
a notification by Zoe Ball, calling them the coolest
band of the year. In 2005 they released their debut
album Talk To The Machine.
Singles like Sleaze Boogie and Be Yourself Tonight,
combined with a loud and energetic life act,
soon lead them to be a desirable band to watch
in both dance and rock clubs and festivals alike.
And now there’s ‘The Cut Up Jeans Technique’. We
meet Bart & Tania in Ghent after a gig of twisted
electronics.
It’s been a while between this and the previous
album. What have you been doing in the
meantime?
We did a lot of different things. We produced a debut
record for Compact Disk Dummies, worked with
The Living Islands and we started building Digital
Piss Factory, our own label which is now finally set
up and working properly. So, all in all, we’ve never
been out of work. We were just doing more behind
the scene stuff, which is also very useful sometimes.
After Yeah Yeah Yes, we were kind of stuck in having
to make another album every two years to be able
to continue touring. In the end that wasn’t healthy
anymore. This time we came back with a new record
because we wanted to. Big difference.
What’s the overall theme of the new album?
The goal was to make a record that was short,
046 et alors?

© lalo gonzalez
sharp and focused. No bullshit. There’s so many spin
doctoring going on at the moment, people are fed
up with all that. At the same time we wanted it to be
constructed almost like a patchwork, without losing
its natural flow. Loosely based on William Burroughs
Cut up technique, transformed into audio. Hence
the title: The Cut Up Jeans Technique. If you listen to
the record you’ll notice that most tracks follow each
other without the usual 2 second pause.
You release this album in different forms. One of
them includes a limited edition fanzine. Can you
elaborate?
Yes, the fanzine is something that we’ve always
wanted to do, and this record was the perfect time
to do so. We had lots of artwork and ideas. More
than we could fit in a normal LP format, so we
decided on going back to this partially lost art form.
We printed on riso, which is a bit like silk-screening.
No 2 copies of the fanzine are alike and they come
hand numbered. We made the zine just like they
would a couple of decades ago. Scissors, paper, ink
and go…. No computers or illustrator apps. We’re
releasing on CD/ LP and there’s a Picture disc release
coming as well.
Your source of inspiration is pretty eclectic, so
is ‘Anorak Nervosa’ (from the album Talk to the
Machine. Ref.) , about Karen Carpenter. More
surprising links on the new album?
We composed a track dedicated to a nun who lived
in our house in the twenties. She’s watching over
us since we’re living here. So we dedicated a piece
of music to her. We want to keep her happy so
hopefully we’ve succeeded by writing something
especially for her.
et alors? 047

‘the album is
loosely based
on William
Burroughs Cut
up technique,
transformed into
audio.’
Are we living in difficult times when it comes to
making and releasing music?
You can definitely call it challenging times. Although
there’s a good side to being able to share music over
the internet, music is also degrading itself. It became
a faceless file that is sent to your computer. It’s like
you would be watching every movie on your iPhone.
On the other hand, there seems to be a small boost
in vinyl sales again, so that’s positive.
You spend your time in both Bali & Ghent. Why is
that?
There are 2 major reasons for that. First and foremost:
the weather, which doesn’t really need any explaining.
Second – and without sounding as hippies - the way of
living in the East still holds much room for a certain
kind of spirituality. Something we seem to have lost
in Europe. We’re both fans of nature. We like being
in the jungle and near the sea. To get ideas flowing
again. It’s all about making room in your head. Also;
life in Asia is very, very simple. You don’t need to
worry about clothing or heating. People rarely cook
and tend to eat on the street or in small warungs.
And we get to drive our motorcycle, which is another
big plus!
Is there a tour to be expected?
We started doing some shows since February and
that felt really good. We’re anxious to go back on the
road but ultimately it’s down to how well this record
will be received. Wait and see!
www.digitalpissfactory.net
www.facebook.com/digitalpissfactory
www.nidandsancy.com
048 et alors?

peter
popart
interview fleur pierets photos julian p. boom

Wham!, Boom! and Pow! Pop art is alive and
happening and living in Rotterdam. Living
amongst posters of Divine, plastic flowers
and with a soft spot for John Waters. We
talk to painter Peter Popart Radder in his
gorgeous house filled with glamour and
glitter artifacts. We like!
Off you go.
I started off as a visual merchandiser and window
display creator. After 20 years I decided to fulltime
spend my days on painting. I used to make
decorations and I always wanted to paint, so here
we are.
Out of the closet.
I had my coming out at about 16 and I was lucky
enough to fall upon the movie ‘Outrageous’. A movie
from ’77 about a frustrated hairdresser. He does hair
and makeup for the local drag shows but longs to
get up on stage himself. I absolutely loved all those
movie characters and longed to meet that kind of
scene. When you’re only 16, you need something
that triggers you to believe in the future. For me it
was that movie. Funny to think that my life evolved
in a way that I‘m actually around people who are
that weird. Hurray!
Back in the days.
I seems like everything was a bit crazier back then.
Take for example Studio 54 or club RoXY or IT in
Amsterdam. The atmosphere breathes way more
freedom than there is nowadays. I’ve been, and
still go to quite some parties, experiencing some
very cool stuff. But somethings it feels like you’re
undergoing a copy from a copy from yet another
copy. We’re living in a very tame era. When I enter
a gay bar I see people staring at their mobile
phones. That’s not what you call; having a wild
time. Everything is quite mediocre. But then again,
everything has its own particular wave motion.
Bang!
I’ve always been attracted to pop art. I love Warhol,
Haring and Lichtenstein and I wanted to make
something that I would like to hang on my own
walls. You could say that I’m born in the wrong era
052 et alors?

ut I like the fact that some of my work’s spectators,
think they are made in the ‘70’s. I like that. Making
new things with a retro touch.
Hello Dolly.
My inspiration mostly comes from pop culture, but
also from old Hollywood movies, fashion disasters,
record covers and disco video clips, you name it.
Since I was a child I always wanted to see things
that were of the ordinary. Not many weird things
happened around me in the early ‘70’s yet I could
always find my taste in tv music shows which, in
those days, broadcasted clips from The Sweet,
David Bowie and Amanda Lear. My preference
inclined glamrock videos and the clothes they wore
in them. It was pretty amazing to me as a kid.
Lights on.
I had and have quite some exhibitions. One of
my favorites was ‘The Non Issue’ in Amsterdam,
together with artist Martin C. De Waal. A combination
between an expo and a fashion show. I don’t know
if I’m aiming for some specific ambition. I love to
paint and it’s great if people like my paintings. And
of course it would be wonderful to get featured in
MoMa, but who wouldn’t like that.
Big Lesbian.
Next to being a painter I also work as a dj. Our
formation is called Thunderpussy and DD King.
Needless to say people always expect to see a huge
lesbian. We Dj at all kind of different gay parties like
Flique and Dee Dee’s Dollhouse. This summer we
will perform during Gay Pride on the SIN boat at the
Amsterdam Canal Parade.
What’s in a name?
I don’t particularly feel like a gay painter. Do you
et alors? 053

‘Do you think
my paintings
look gay?’
think my paintings look gay? Ok, the work is very
flamboyant and in your face. Some spectators think
they are all transvestites instead of women. But
that’s alright by me. As long as they are having fun.
And yes, maybe it’s a little gay. But let’s say I never
thought about it. I’m an artiste darling!
Role models.
My latest series of drawings is based on the fact
that there is pretty much fuzz regarding gay
rights nowadays. And I’m referring to Russia. After
watching the two part BBC documentary ‘Stephen
Fry Out There’, I was stunned and shocked by all the
vicious homophobia on our little planet! I decided
to prove all the haters wrong and celebrate those
wacky weird wild and wonderful LGBT people who
make and made this world so much more exciting
and interesting. There have been so many gay icons
in the course of history from which some people
don’t even now they were gay.
Fast Forward.
I live one day at the time. Having fun, paint and we’ll
see about the rest. There are so many nasty things
happening that I want to try to make everyday a
party. Seize the day!
10 Years PeterPopArt
Vernissage May 4th, 2014
Sluijter & Meijer, Witte De Withstraat 48a
Rotterdam – The Netherlands
www.peterpopart.nl
www.facebook.com/peterpopart
www.sluijterenmeijer.nl
054 et alors?

what i be
project
interview fleur pierets photos steve rosenfield

The ‘What I Be’ project by photographer Steve
Rosenfield almost sounds like the Et Alors? Magazine
mission statement. It’s a global movement about
honesty and empowerment. People pose with text
written all over their face and arms. Starting with ‘I
am not my…’ they courageously reveal their deepest
non-‘standard’ state of mind, uncertainties and fears.
Rosenfield started this project in the hope to open up
the lines of communication. To help everyone accept
diversity with an open mind and heart.
Needless to say we like every image of it.
The What I Be - project rose out of personal
experience, or can we call it necessity?
About 12 years ago, I was working as a network
administrator at a big computer company
in Boston, MA. I was a very opinionated and
materialistic person with a huge ego and I thought
being successful meant having a 9 to 5 and making
a ton of money. I never shared my feelings or
insecurities because I was scared of how I would
look to others. I never opened up and that created
a lack in my relationships where people were
scared to open up to me because they saw me as
‘blunt’. I eventually started to realize how unhappy
I truly was. I started reading and journaling and
further understanding that, in order to be happy, I
needed to be more open and honest with people. I
needed to be more compassionate which, in turn,
made people feel safe around me. I quit my 9 to
5 in 2002 and started traveling and rock climbing
until eventually planting my feet in California in
February 2006.
You make it sound very easy. Wasn’t it weird to
go from a 9 to 5 to a state of absolute freedom?
Oh of course, but it was a breath of fresh air. I
mean, I was scared to just drop everything but I’m
a firm believer that everything will work itself out
the way it needs to.
How did you start photographing?
I got into photography through my dear friend Boz,
whom I met while rock climbing in France. He was
photographing the crew and I was immediately
inspired by everything he was capturing. I bought
my first camera in 2006 and started taking photos
of everything. Shortly after, I saw Michael Franti
058 et alors?

i am not my gender
and Spearhead live in concert in Canada. I loved
the vibe and quickly became friends with the entire
band. I asked if I could take photos at some of
their shows and so began my photography work
around concerts of various bands. Thanks to the
opportunity Michael gave me, I have shot countless
other bands since.
When did you set up the What I Be - project?
The project physically started in 2010 when I was
talking with a friend about an idea on sharing
people’s insecurities without literally showing
them, on how I could possibly turn it into an
empowering photography project. I decided that
night that I wanted to photograph my friend with
her insecurity written somewhere on her face or
hands. As a way to boldly displaying her greatest
insecurity on her skin, combined with a fearless
stare into the lens. I wrote ‘thunder thighs’ on
Amanda’s hand. Alongside the photograph she
came up with the statement, ‘I am not my body
image’. The What I Be - project was born.
What where the main reasons to fancy such a
project?
Being able to photograph people and make a living
off it was so amazing that I wanted to do something
that had more meaning. Something that would
touch peoples souls.
I guess you can’t have any judgment when you
start a project like this.
I tried to have no judgments towards the people I
was meeting. Tried to see no ‘flaws’ because I had
made myself aware of the fact that we all struggle,
we all have our insecurities.
et alors? 059

‘I am not my
adoption.’

i am not my appearance
You called it a social experiment. Can you
elaborate?
The What I Be - project is a social experiment
turned into, what is now, a global movement about
honesty and empowerment. In today’s society, we
are often told to look or act a certain way. If we
differ from these ‘standards’, we are often judged,
ridiculed, bullied and sometimes even killed over
them. I started this project in the hope to open
up the lines of communication. To help everyone
accept diversity with an open mind and heart.
Do you have the feeling there are still many
taboos?
There will always be things to find out. There are
so many things I don’t even know exist. I learn a
lot through the project as well. People teach me so
much.
Where does the name ‘What I Be’ came from?
The project was pulled from non other than
my friend Michael Franti. I was always inspired
by the lyrics of Franti. His depth and meaning
behind each song. He is the epitome of a powerful
musician, activist and poet. Michael’s song, ‘What
I Be’ is basically all about being who you are and
being the best you that you can be. I loved the
song and decided that the meaning behind it
completely fitted the project.
Who is collaborating on such a project?
Participants range from high school students and
Ivy League masses to some well-known names in
the entertainment industry. Subjects are putting
their insecurities out in the open, exposing a side
of themselves that nobody has seen before. By
stating, ‘I am not my_____,’ they are claiming
062 et alors?

i am not my limits
that they do in fact struggle with these issues,
but it does not define who they are as a person.
It is used to spread awareness on what people go
through due to society’s paved roads. These are
serious issues that some of us can live with, but
most battle on a day-to-day basis. Each person
that takes part in the What I Be - Project is
extremely courageous. The What I Be experience
is cathartic and universally empowering. Each
portrait is immortalized for the entire world to
see.
What’s the most intriguing story you have
heard during this project?
They’re all intriguing. They all have the same
importance to me. I have sat down with each and
every person and they trust me with their story.
That’s the most intriguing part.
What do you expect your viewers to feel, to see?
I encourage every viewer to look at each image and
put themselves in the individual’s shoes. By allowing
yourself to feel what they feel, you might realize
something you’ve never noticed before. If you don’t
understand someone’s message, stay tuned. To
eliminate any confusion, each participant will be
writing a 500 words or less statement explaining
how their insecurity has affected their life. Some of
the faces you may recognize, some you may not.
Take the time to connect with each one. You may
see yourself within one of the photos.
What would you write on your self-portrait?
You’ll have to wait until the book to see that :-)
www.stevejrosenfield.com
www.whatibeproject.com
et alors? 063

© marc abe
holestar
interview fleur pierets photos marc abe, alisa connan & lee roberts
et alors? 065

Despite being a biological woman, she dresses as
a super, fabulous, over the top version of a girl.
So yes, she’s a drag artist. Yet not a queen or a
faux queen; ‘there’s nothing fake about me!’. She
prefers to be called a Tranny with a Fanny or Drag
Goddess and her aesthetic is 80’s big hair, clashing
colors, animal print, Divine and Jackie Beat. ‘I’m
too freaky to be mainstream’. A conversation about
expression, freedom, fun and a very long time
spent in-front of a mirror.
I guess everyone starts with this question but
nevertheless: the tranny with the fanny?
I was Holestar, the artist at first. Being the Tranny
with a Fanny was a gender bending idea born out of
frustration with drag queens being misogynist and
vile about women. Feminism gave women many
fabulous freedoms but it killed off a lot of glamour.
My aim was to reclaim over the top fabulousness
and exaggerated femininity to the female body. I
was initially called the ‘cock-in-a-frock-without-acock’
for a while but it’s a bit of a mouthful.
When did you realize you wanted to be a
dragqueen? By the way, I’ve read it’s called Faux
Queen?
My American sisters call themselves Faux Queens
but I’m not fake anything honey. I like the term Drag
Goddess. A goddess is higher than a queen isn’t it?
Being a drag starlet was supposed to be a one off art
piece, but I met a DJ who wanted me to MC with him.
He thought it was a good idea to workshop the idea
in front of an audience and it took off. Eleven years
later, I’m still spending hours in front of a mirror for
art and the entertainment of others.
You ever considered surgery?
Hell no. I don’t buy into the so-called western ideal
of what someone is supposed to look like to be
considered attractive. I like my transformations
to be temporary. I’m full of imperfections but love
who I am, lumps, bumps and all. Never say never
though. There could come a time when I go for the
full Wildenstein.
How do the male to female queens react on your
appearance?
066 et alors?

© alisa connan

Most of them are fine and ok with it as I tend to
play and perform on the alternative scene where
black and white gender expression is less of an
issue. However there are a few girls who have
been bitchy or aggressive, as if I’m stepping on
their toes. They’re frequently the ones with no
talent and or anything interesting to say. Que
Sera Sera.
I’ve seen your make-up tutorial for Beige and I
wondered; who’s the girl behind the make-up.
I grew up all over England and left school with
no qualifications as I’d discovered sex, drugs and
dance music. I spent two years in the British army,
worked as a professional dominatrix for ten years,
discovered art, moved to Vienna, became the
Tranny with a Fanny, moved to London and got a
Fine Art Masters at Central St Martins. I’m now a
DJ, writer, artist, singer, Mistress of Ceremonies,
club promoter. Lover not a fighter.
What do you do next to performing and making
music? Do you have any hobbies or is everything
Holestar related?
Drag and creativity consumes so much of my time.
Pretty much everything I’m interested in (art,
film, LGBTQ issues, music, performance) is part
of what I do as a performer so there’s not much
left outside if it. I’m quite quiet in everyday life,
an introverted extrovert. I love my dog, travel,
watching trash TV, cake.
You’re one of the people behind Hot Laser. Can
you tell me about the movie?
I founded the documentary ‘Hot Mess/Dress As
A Girl’, around six years ago. The East London
alternative scene performs every year at the
NYC Downlow at Glastonbury Festival and one
year I thought; someone should be filming this.
I approached my friend Colin Rothbart to direct
a British version of Paris is Burning and we now
have five years’ worth of footage that is currently
being edited. We need a lot more funding to
complete it though. It’s an honest film about how
fabulous dressing up and performing can be, but
also how human we are underneath it all. My aim
is for at least one queer person to view the film,
see that they’re not the only one who is different
from heteronormative or mainstream gay society
and that’s perfectly ok. They can be whoever they
‘Being the
tranny with a
fanny was a
gender bending
idea born out
of frustration
with drag
queens being
misogynist
and vile about
women.’
want to be, come through all manners of adversity
to accept and be comfortable with whom they are.
Do you want to get a message out there?
Love yourself. Be the best you can be. Don’t be
shady, be a lady. The biggest love affair you should
ever have is with yourself. Queer people have
come a long way in the west but there is still work
to do. We need to stop bitching among ourselves
and help, love and encourage each other more.
Lots of love...for everybody!
www.holestar.com
www.facebook.com/mxholestar
www.twitter.com/holestar
www.holestar.blogspot.co.uk
068 et alors?

© lee roberts

makeup2
interview fleur pierets photos peter platel

MakeUp2MakeUp is a non-profit organization based
in Antwerp, Belgium, that has been supporting the
transgender community in Kathmandu, Nepal, since
2008. MakeUp2MakeUp offers training in hairdressing
and make up, as well as English language courses
to members of the local transgender community,
providing those who would otherwise disappear at
the edge of society with a supportive environment
where they can be(come) themselves, regain and
build self confidence, as well as gather the necessary
skills for a job on the regular labor market. We talk to
Peter Platel, owner of the fabulous Wakko hairdresser
salons and founder of the MakeUp2MakeUp project.
First things first; why does someone pick Nepal for
such a project?
Well, 4 years ago, I went to visit a friend in Kathmandu,
Nepal. One night – in a bar, what did you expect – we
met some people from the transgender community
and we started talking to them about their lives, their
dreams, their goals and possibilities. When I told them
I was a hairdresser, they asked if there was a possibility
to share my knowledge. The idea to organize a seminar
in hairstyling and make up swiftly came to mind.
Why did you choose to help?
I wanted to reach out, to contribute, because I felt like
it would make a difference. Yet being a hairdresser,
I never knew how and where and when. This was a
gift that came at the perfect moment and a unique
opportunity since there was a one on one interest from
the community itself.
How did you start?
The first thing I did when I came back home was
starting to collect make up sundries and hairdressers
equipment. By the end of October 2008, I went back
to Kathmandu with a suitcase filled with 25kg of
brushes, combs and make up stuff. I had to buy my
clothes over there because there was no space left
in the suitcase.
And they were ready for you?
I guess it doesn’t come as a surprise that nothing
happened the way I imagined it. I prepared a 2-week
itinerary with a detailed plan on how to proceed but
that quickly turned out to be a waste of time. There
wasn’t even a suitable place to teach. Fortunately, I
was able to connect with The Blue Diamond Society
who gave me the opportunity to install a classroom
on their rooftop terrace.
072 et alors?

The Blue Diamond Society?
The Blue Diamond Society works in Kathmandu
with both local communities as well as on a
national level to improve the sexual health,
human rights and well being of sexual and gender
minorities in Nepal including third-genders, gay
men, bisexuals, lesbians and so on. Their key
activities include health promotion, psychosocial
counseling, raising awareness about HIV/
AIDS, promoting human rights and sexual health,
documenting human right violations and legal
counselling and litigation services for the victims
and families, legal and constitutional campaigns,
lobbying for policy change and advocacy. The Blue
Diamond Society has done an exceptional job in
publicizing these incidents on a local, national
and international level, bringing attention
to this situation. The government legalized
homosexuality in 2007 and officially recognized
the Third Gender in May 2011.
Is Nepal the perfect country for people out of
the ordinary?
On paper? Yes. They were the second country
in the world where you could register as being
transgender. They call it third gender or third
sex. Reality shows a different image. Most
transgenders stay in the closet because the ones
who do speak up, get emitted. They don’t have
any access to medication and they randomly
take hormones hoping to grow breasts. It
works for 2 out of 10, but the others get sick,
resulting in skin diseases, liver issues, etc. It’s
highly problematic. There’s still a lot of work
to do because many things go wrong by lack of
information.
074 et alors?

And how about the Third Gender? How do you
define that?
Third Gender doesn’t have a clear definition. For
example: Being physically a man but not identifying
oneself as such is an option to register yourself as
third gender. Whatever your physical appearance
may be. It kind of brings everyone together who
stands or lives outside the box. It encompasses a
wide range of diversity. Here in Europe we speak
in terms of transsexual, transvestite, gay, … from
a need to make categories. In Nepal everyone falls
under Third Gender.
And what’s their place in the caste system?
Unfortunately, they have a low position in the
system, which, for us, is very difficult to understand.
Many of them have been rejected by their families.
For example, the Hydra’s: Sub-caste castrato’s with
a religious function in the Hindi society and cultural
life. They believe it’s very important to have a Hydra
at a wedding so they can give their blessing in order
for the newlyweds to be protected for both good
and bad fortune. In spite of their importance, the
Hydras are outcasts who live on the street and live
a very challenging life. Situations like these make
things very incomprehensible sometimes.
It must have been quite an adjustment to work
there?
The encounters were very intense since I was
confronted with extreme poverty. Most people
live from day to day because some of them don’t
even know whether they are going to be able to
eat or where to sleep at night. Combine this with
the transgender issue and you have to deal with
something that couldn’t be any further removed
et alors? 075

‘Here in Europe we speak
in terms of transsexual,
transvestite, gay, … from a
need to make categories.
In Nepal everyone falls
under Third Gender.’
from your comfort zone. As a transgender they
don’t get any psychological support or guidance,
they don’t or hardly have access to any kind of
information on the subject matter and no medical
care.
How did you manage being part of this community?
Starting with a small group of 7 people, interest grew
daily to almost 30 by the end of the first seminar.
Some students really kept on practicing and working
hard, and were about to embark on an interesting
and changing career. One student won a competition
prize, to train as a makeup artist for a big brand, some
work for tv shows and events, and the best thing was
that lots off them returned to class a year later. The
group now has new students and others are doing a
follow up seminar. It’s great for their self-esteem and
personal development. The noble idea is to teach
these people more skills so they can develop a regular
job away from the sex work, if they want.
You must be proud.
I am most of all very grateful that I was given the
chance to do all of this. The fact that it transformed
some people’s lives is a wonderful bonus. Sophie for
example is a highly motivated girl I worked with and
she took this chance with both hands. She is very
talented and sat first row at every lesson. Being very
verbal, she evolved into being the spokeswoman of
the Nepalese transgender community and became
a professional make up artist working for television,
Miss Nepal and many other things. And then you
have Anjali, who is now attending university and
working on a career as a model. As you can see,
the local motivation is there, it just needs a good
follow up.
076 et alors?

How do you do that?
There is a great basis from which we can proceed
and start to think bigger. The importance of
education and training has been proven very
clearly. The students realize that this project
gives them a great opportunity to change their
life and their life-conditions. A real job can
provide them with security; keep them off the
streets and away from a life in the sex industry
if that’s what they want. I will be going back in
October with a friend and co-worker from the
salon – Fabio – and we are going to take it a
step further by including English and eventually
computer classes. The general level of English is
not good enough yet and it’s a fact that the more
communicative the people are, the more they
can create and work on a change for themselves
and others.
I guess you still need a lot of support?
I am truly amazed and pleasantly surprised to see
the impact of what has been realized so far within
a few years so yes, it’s important to keep up the
support. We need money, as well as logistical and
practical help. We are fully committed to this project
and return every year to support the students and
the local people. The more support, the better the
work we can do.
In the name of the people of Kathmandu: Thanks for
the support.
www.makeup2makeup.be
www.wakko.be
www.bds.org.np
et alors? 077

ondage
interview fleur pierets photos ellie van den brande

He operates under the name Ligatio, Latin for
binding, and it’s a pleasure to watch him tie
up the two beauties in our bondage shoot. Yet
one still wonders; what motivates a person to
go fancy with a bundle of ropes. Is it sex or is
it art. It’s both, Ligatio claims. Do elaborate!
When did you discover you had this thing with
bondage?
Bondage has always been a part of my life. Since the
first time I remember thinking about sex, I think I must
have been 11 or 12, it had to do with restriction, which
later turned out to be bondage. And with sadism. Of
course you don’t define it quite as such at that age and
you sure don’t think there’s anything strange about it
since you don’t have any reference framework.
Later, at about 14 and with an access to the internet,
my preferences became clearer. I’m talking about
something that happened 15 years ago so keep in
mind that it wasn’t very obvious or easy to research
as many things on the subject matter as you can find
now. The most important thing that became clear
was that I wasn’t the only one. I started to practice,
or rather call it experimenting, at the age of 18 and I
never stopped doing it.
How is it possible that an 11-year-old child knows
its preference for bondage?
A question I asked myself several times but I can’t
seem to find the answer. Why do you have a certain
image in your head? I really don’t have an answer to
that. How does a child know he or she is gay at that
age? I guess it just happens. Whether it’s a genetic
thing or not, let me say I’m not interested in receiving
that information from my parents.
Was your development reliant with what you could
find on the internet? In other words, would you be
a bondage specialist without all those sites on the
subject matter?
I’m almost certain that I would, yet probably on
a much slower speed. If the internet possibilities
wouldn’t be so huge, you would be obliged to
invent everything yourself. And searching for that
080 et alors?

information would take way more time. By sharing
all that information you’re able to fastly accumulate
a lot of tips and tricks. To connect with people and
to exchange knowledge. We’re also living in a time
where there is a lot of interest in those topics, hence
all the events, gatherings and workshops.
And there are specialized events?
Numerous. There’s a large one in Munchen and they
are already on their 14th. edition. Maybe it does sound
quite recent, but those events can only be organized
because of the openheartedness on the internet. At
such gatherings you can meet people from all over
the world and it’s the perfect place when you aim for
knowledge and progress.
Fetish is very fashionable these days. Is that one of
the reasons why people are more interested?
I think so. As you know I organize bondage workshops,
which, since two years, came to a climax. I had to
clamp it down to a maximum of 20 participants.
Something that has not happened before. Nowadays
the workshops are still very popular but less
overwhelming than a few years ago. I have the feeling
we just crossed the peak of trendiness. Probably now
we’re able to reach an average area of attention. So
yes, you could say it was a fashion trend.
When it’s a trend, it means the topic is acceptable
for conversation. Is or was that necessary?
Personally I don’t feel the need to put bondage out
there, open for discussion. Don’t get me wrong,
I don’t say it should stay underground, but there
are many sub cultures which have been destroyed
because of the hype. Commercialization would be
at the expense of the level of quality. Since bondage
balances on the edge of what is legal, you only have
to sit and wait till something goes wrong because of
inexperience. And then we’re all screwed because in
its most essential form, bondage is punishable by law
and is called deprivation of liberty. Whether it’s with
of without permission.
Can you say that bondage is some sort of s&m?
Nowadays it’s called bdsm; bondage, discipline,
sadism and masochism, which makes it more
accessible for some. In my workshops I explicitly state
that there is no room for s&m play and that there is
neither a dresscode nor any obligation. That lowers
the barriers. The fact that it’s itemized has its benefits.
What’s your goal?
It depends. When I’m for example bonding for a
photoshoot like this one, it’s purely functional.
It has nothing to do with any sexual fulfillment
whatsoever. In my workshops I supply knowledge.
There’s nothing arousing about telling someone
how to use a rope. It has more to do with arts and
crafts. Yet when I’m about to have a steaming
moment with my partner, the goal is completely
different and it does lean against s&m.
But you do give your workshops in a fetish cafe
instead of in the cities cultural center.
Maybe because to them it’s easier to explain what
I’m doing. Plus they have all the capacities en tools
I need. It’s not evident to start such an initiative.
Try to go to a bank and ask if they want to loan you
money to start up an s&m establishment. I can see
those eyebrows going.
The thing that must bother you is that it’s often
marginalized.
Now I must make sure that I’m not labeling myself,
don’t I? The problem is twofold. Since the large
public doesn’t understand what it’s about and the
media always manages to expose it as a freakshow
act, societies’ perception of bondage indeed is
‘marginal’. Also, most people use bondage to
spice up their sexlives. In my opinion that isn’t
bondage for the sake of art, but bondage for the
sake of sex, which is giving it a marginal touch in
societies’ eye.
You compare bondage with art.
I don’t have the intention to overestimate myself
but I’m pretty good in what I do. Also in terms of
safety and technique I make sure that I’m informed
and aware of the consequences. Don’t forget that
you are working with a human body so there are
numerous limitations to keep in mind. It’s not
obvious. A painter uses a certain technique and
combines that with his creativity. Same thing with
bondage; you have some technical limitations but
you also have the freedom to be creative. You have
to have the urge to invest a lot of time.
So it’s not only a sexual act?
Then it wouldn’t matter whether I use cheap
tie wraps or rope. Yet I like the esthetic side of
bondage, as well as the feeling to manipulate the
082 et alors?

ope, feel the tension and to check out how far I
can go. That makes it a lot of fun. Both for me as for
the person in bondage who feels the rope on his or
her skin, the texture. There are many components
to the act itself. So you might say it’s a different
form of sexuality. Or rather a different form of
incitement. And a stimulus isn’t always sexual. Why
do people enjoy a nice glass of wine? Satisfaction
comes in many forms. But let me make a bold
statement; if one should put me in the position of
choosing between sex and bondage, I’ll never have
sex again.
Can you explain that?
People have only one main organ to feel,
experience and undergo. The brain. It’s all about
choosing which impetus you fancy the most. I find
them to be more divers in bondage than in sex,
more extensive.
When hearing all this, I wonder how one finds a
partner? I guess that’s not an easy quest.
Until now my partners always found me. My current
partner contacted me through the internet.
But you wouldn’t – or couldn’t – start a
relationship with someone who’s not into
bondage?
Indeed I couldn’t. And that’s one of my main
conditions to start a relationship. Let’s say I know
what it’s like to want something and won’t be able
to have it. I can tell you; it’s not going to happen
again. It has nothing to do with my partner having
experience but they would at least have to be
motivated to try it out, to be open minded towards
bondage. Every person is responsible for his or
her own happiness and I’m not planning on being
frustrated for the rest of my life. I do acknowledge
the fact that I’m making my world way more
smaller than it could be, but all I need is one person
who inspires me, who want to invest equally as
much time in bondage as I do. Who wants to grow
together to unseen levels. And guess what? I’ve
found her! I think it is better to regret things you’ve
done than to regret things you haven’t done.
Happiness lies in pursuing your dreams, your goals.
You got a great gift: your life. Make it worth living!
www.ellievdb.com
www.ligatio.be
‘Most people use
bondage to spice
up their sexlives.
In my opinion that
isn’t bondage for
the sake of art,
but bondage for
the sake of sex,
which is giving it a
marginal touch in
societies’ eye.’
photography & concept ellie van de brande
make up nils missorten
hair aytekin cesmeli
location retsin’s lucifernum
models stefanie v, roxanne bauwens
bondage ligatio
styling fleur pierets & special thanks to soul supply
floral styling hilde van hoof
assistants kan man, maarten baan
084 et alors?

heavy
in white
interview fleur pierets photos lynn bianchi

Lynn Bianchi is a New York City-based fine art
photographer and multi-media artist who has
shown work in over thirty solo exhibitions and in
museums worldwide. Her photographic art has
been featured in over forty publications. Bianchi’s
Heavy in White series was inspired by bodyconsciousness,
and the desire to create a fantasy
world where women could break free of selfcriticism.
Small and heavy women celebrate nude
while eating and dressing, existing in the moment,
challenging societal ideals on weight, beauty and
sexuality. The Heavy in White women are not trying
to impress or perform. They play dress-up and eat
with relish, celebrating their sexuality without
trying to be something other than what they are.
Your series ‘Heavy in White’ is right up our alley
regarding diversity and a different view on beauty.
How did you come up with the idea?
One time, I went to a Whitney biennial exhibition
and I saw lots of tables covered with what looked like
garbage. They said it was art. Then I went to MoMA.
I saw the Impressionist paintings: Monet, Cézanne,…
Coincidentally, tables were involved again: beautiful
still-life paintings, gorgeous table settings in the
impressionist paintings. I went from garbage to
beautiful fruits and flowers. After the Whitney exhibits
I was very much impressed by the clash of opposites.
I thought to myself: I can do that. But what is it that
I Iike? I like white. I also could use tables. So tables
led to food, food led to body image. Then I wanted a
heavy model. And that’s how it started.
Why did you choose to put them in a neoclassic
setting?
I guess I’m a neoclassicist inside. One isn’t always in
charge of what comes out of ones mind.
Which artist inspires you?
No artist in particular. I’m inspired by my own life
experience and by life itself.
How about the models? Were they as positively
body-conscious as you wished them to be?
Not necessarily. Being a woman myself, I know
that most of us are not satisfied with our bodies, no
matter how close to - according to today’s standards
- perfection we are. In any case, the photo sessions
took away a great deal of the self-consciousness
that my models were feeling towards their bodies.
For example; I photographed one woman who was
bulimic. After our photo sessions, she was able to
overcome her bulimia. The sessions were like facing
one’s worst fears. Nobody felt self-conscious because
088 et alors?

the idea of any specific individual or identity was of
so little importance compared to the task at hand.
The models did not actually lose their identity,
however, but rather their sense of ‘self’ was allowed
to submerge into the collective. Each model became
an important part of the bigger pictures. The
photographs weren’t about one individual but spoke
of something deep inside each one of them.
How important is diversity in your work?
I love diversity. It’s never boring. It’s life.
It looks like all those women have a lot of fun. Was
it a pleasure to shoot them?
Absolutely! The models weren’t self-conscious. Quite
the opposite. They were given one task; to eat. And
while doing that, they forgot to be in control. They
became a monumental sculpture. An exchange of
beauty occurred. It was a harmony of shapes and
forms. Then came the acceptance of the differences
between all of us. It was the best fun.
Why did you want them to eat?
Because that’s what we do every day; we eat and we
suffer, we don’t eat and we suffer. You want to eat
but you don’t want it to show. But at the core, it is a
pleasure to eat. It is a very social thing, too. People
get together to eat and have a good time.
‘I want people
to see the joy of
living, in and of
itself. I’m showing
them one of their
fears, for example
the fear of being
too fat. But there
is a sense of
commonality
in the nudity
and once the
differences are
exposed, they are
more beautiful
than scary.’
Your pictures are very physical. How do you
accomplish that feeling?
I just show what’s in front of me. And again; life is very
physical.
What do you want your spectators to see?
I want people to see the joy of living, in and of itself. I’m
showing them one of their fears, for example the fear
of being too fat. But there is a sense of commonality
in the nudity and once the differences are exposed,
they are more beautiful than scary.
Are you, yourself, free from self-criticism?
I have to say with laughter: no! Absolutely not!
How do you define beauty?
From inside out. Beauty is something that shines
through. Physical beauty is pretty to look at, but it
disappears quickly if there is nothing much to support
it. Beauty is the joy of living.
www.lynnbianchi.com
092 et alors?

ode to g

ace
jones
photos mina van elewyck

‘I believe in
individuality,
that everybody
is special, and
it’s up to them
to find that
quality and let
it live.’
098 et alors?

www
www.alohafromdeer.com
www.bds.org.np
www.designersagainstaids.com
www.digitalpissfactory.net
www.ellievdb.com
www.facebook.com/digitalpissfactory
www.facebook.com/elliefuria
www.facebook.com/milopunked
www.facebook.com/mxholestar
www.facebook.com/peterpopart
www.facebook.com/stefanievmodel
www.gayinamerica.us
www.haraldligtvoet.com
www.holestar.com
www.holestar.blogspot.co.uk
www.hotellesnuits.be
www.ihlia.nl
www.leslielohman.org
www.ligatio.be
www.littlebrown.co.uk
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk
www.lsamsterdam.nl
www.lynnbianchi.com
www.makeup2makeup.be
www.merpaperkunsthalle.org
www.momu.be
www.musee-lam.fr
www.nidandsancy.com
www.peterpopart.nl
www.photomatique.be
www.qwestfilms.com
www.reflexamsterdam.com
www.scottpasfield.com
www.sluiterenmeijer.nl
www.stephenking.com
www.stevejrosenfield.com
www.theinn.us
www.titiandthegermankid.com
www.twitter.com/holestar
www.tate.org.uk
www.wakko.be
www.whatibeproject.com
102 et alors?