I am now at liberty to comment on the recent controversy surrounding my Libra advertisement.
My name is Sandee Crack. I am the drag queen you have all seen in the Libra commercial that has been shot down by some of the transgender community.
I would firstly like to state that I am in fact a gay man who dresses in drag as a performer. I have been doing so for many years and will continue to do so. I have never considered myself to be transgender and never will do.
When I was presented with the Libra commercial, I saw it as a great opportunity to participate in a positive step toward acceptance for drag queens and gay men among the wider community. Throughout the production process, Libra were sensitive, professional, and accepting of my needs as a drag queen and as a gay man. I never felt for one moment that I would be depicted as a trans woman, nor do I believe that I have been. We consciously kept my arm hair and chose strapless dresses to accentuate my broad shoulders, and if you look carefully, you will notice that my stubble is slightly visible. They also ensured that I looked much taller than the girl next to me. I was shown the ad prior to release, and I was thrilled with it. I have received enormous support from transgender, gay, and straight individuals from all over the world since the ad was released in New Zealand. I believe strongly that by putting a drag queen into the mainstream media, we are one step closer to acceptance, and this is something I am very proud to be part of.
Unfortunately, a small portion of the trans community has chosen to view the ad as a personal attack on their fight to be viewed as equal women within society. This is a fight I also feel strongly about and hope to help educate the wider community on. However, I feel hurt that representing myself as a drag queen on television and playing out a commonplace scenario in my life has lead to a clear "dragphobia" among some transgender individuals who wish to pull the plug on something that reflects true honesty about the life of a drag queen. A drag queen is a man in women's clothing, and if that offends a trans woman, I am afraid I cannot apologise, as by doing so, I would be apologising for being me.
I hope that the campaign goes on to air in Australia; it would be an enormous step forward for Australia and for the world.
This piece originally appeared on SandeeCrack.com.