High Tea with the Queen of the Queens

High Tea with the Queen of the Queens
by Raven Usher

I was bestowed with a great honor; a private audience with Imperial Sovereign Gem Court Empress, Brooke Tyler. OK, so it was less of a formal audience and more like two women on a couch gossiping and petting the dog. But I still felt honored.

Like all early onset transsexuals, Brooke was aware at a very early age that her gender identity was askew. Unlike most, though, her parents also became aware early on when their only son, at the ripe age of five, loudly announced amidst the Christmas festivities, “Stop calling me a boy!”

As time continued its relentless march, Brooke’s proclivity to be drawn to the feminine aspects of the world raged on. Even a stint in the US Army, and a minor career riding bulls for rodeo were unsuccessful in drawing out a masculine persona. She finally found a tailor-made (or should that be Tyler-made?) outlet for her expressions of femininity in the world of drag. It was in the costumed wonderland of the drag queens that Brooke found acceptance and the stability for what was destined to become the ride of a lifetime.

It was a close friendship made while in the throws of drag that set Brooke’s course to transsexual transition. Although many friends tried their best to talk her out of becoming a girl, she held her ground. Even her mother’s fearful warning that Brooke would become a second class citizen after surgery and a year long estrangement from her father did not deter her. She insisted, “This is something I always wanted, but didn’t know was possible.”

“God didn’t make a mistake,” Brooke told me. “I am who I was suppose to be and this is how I was suppose to get here. My parents didn’t make a mistake in raising me. I’m a successful woman because of how they tried to raise me. I took the strength of a man [they gave me] and instilled it into myself to be a more confident woman. I am who I am now because of who I was then.”

That confident woman now presents herself to the world without regret, shame or concealment. Brooke stands up with pride in herself and her accomplishments. She embraces her past, revels in the present and is optimistic for the future. She also acknowledges her exceptional good luck that has seen her through the hardships of life as a transsexual. Brooke is not the standard of a completed transition. She is the hallmark of excellence that we all aspire to achieve.

A social chasm exists that separates the drag and transgender communities. Yet, Brooke manages to span it with little trouble. She says the separation is there because neither group wants to be confused with the other. I have said it many times in the pages of Diversity; drag queens are not transgendered and TG’s do not do drag. Brooke attributes her ability to bridge the gap between these two worlds to her pre-transition past as a drag queen.

Not everyone is exactly thrilled with a T-girl being the Empress, past drag queen or not. Some people were purposely absent from Brooke’s first Court meeting as Empress. She, however, remains undaunted. She hopes that her example can help bridge the gap between the drag and TG worlds as well as the gaps between other segments of our society.

I asked Brooke what she sees for her future. It came as no surprise to hear her talk about having kids some day. The beautiful face at the other side of the couch brightened and glowed for a moment as a dream of being a housewife and mother danced behind those captivating eyes. She believes she will be a great mother. After spending only a few hours observing her manner and temperament, I whole heartedly agree.

Brooke is fully aware of the challenges that face her in the future. Her strength and optimism showed through again as she said, “I think society is changing as a whole. It may be hard for people to tell who the enemy is, but it’s becoming easy for people to see who the enemy is not.”
Thank you, Brooke Tyler, for being who you are and for allowing us to see you. You are a true inspiration.
Blessed Be.