Benjamin is a drag king -

Benjamin was born Bethan Rainforth. As a kid, they were told that they were simply a 'tomboy' and would once grow up to be a real woman. Only since moving to London has Benjamin been able to explore the concept of gender and accept himself. She performs as a drag king at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
1000 LONDONERS
This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a five-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view.
www.1000londoners.com
/ 1000londoners
1000londoners
Twitter: @1000_londoners
1000 Londoners is produced by South London based film production company and social enterprise, Chocolate Films. The filmmakers from Chocolate Films will be both producing the films and providing opportunities to young people and community groups to make their own short documentaries, which will contribute to the 1000 films. Visit www.chocolatefilms.com.
TRANSCRIPT
I grew up thinking: just a tomboy and bla, bla, bla. And I was always told that I'll grow out of it and one day I'll wanna wear dresses and whatever. Since moving to London and going to uni then I've been able to explore it and accept myself more.
Drag to me is fun. It's creating a character that I enjoy playing, that I wish I could play all the time. My birth name is Bethan Rainforth. I go by it at work and if I need to fill in any legal forms or anything like that. But I would rather go by Ben. It's just easier. I chose the name Benjamin just 'cause play on words: Bethan and Benjamin it's like the same kind of beginning. And then for Butch, I wanted to challenge what the term Butch meant. Because people have called me Butch all the time, but I'm not that butch anyway. So, I didn't understand it. So, I just thought it would be funny to have Benjamin Butch! come on stage and then I'm just this flamboyant character.
I'm not like Benjamin Butch or my drag character every day because it's not socially acceptable. I'm only accepted as Benjamin Butch on stage or in a queer space. I have a beard and I wear like skirts and dresses and boob tubes and things like that. And then sometimes I wear a full suit, but have like drag queen makeup with lipstick and eye shadows and bla, bla. When I am on stage I bind my boobs down. So,to be topless on stage and not be judged is… just feels really free.
I am non-binary. I don't want to conform to either a man or a woman, social, genders, politicals, whatever they are. There is a whole spectrum of genders. There's a whole spectrum of people. So, to have just two genders is silly. It's just a performance that everyone is copying from each other. And who said that this is what a female should do and this is what a male should do, like. Why isn't there this crossover all 3rd gender or 4th gender or 5th gender or whatever? Does there have to be this: you're a man, you're a woman, that's it, kind of thing? Can't we all just be people?

[@ETT520]

Loooove