The comedian speaks out about being trans on The Political Party podcast
BY ADISHRI CHENGAPPA, IMAGE BY AMANDA SEARLE
Eddie Izzard, comedian and political activist, has mentioned a new name that she’s wanted to use since she was 10. In an interview with Matt Forde on The Political Party podcast she said, “There’s another name I’m gonna add in as well. Which is Suzy. Which I wanted to be since I was 10. So I’m going to be Suzy Eddie Izzard.”
Suzy also spoke about how Eddie Izzard will continue to be her public name, but wants to leave it to those who wish to address her the way they want to.
She said, “I’ve got Edward on my passport and it’s quite wooden and big. I don’t call myself that and so I have Suzy and then Eddie and then people can choose what they want. No one can go wrong. That’s kinda fun.”
The British comedian began using she/her pronouns officially in 2020. In 2017 when she came out as trans, she said that she was in a “boy and girl mode”. But ever since 2020, she announced that she wanted to be based in a “girl mode”.
She recalled a time when a woman referred to her as “she” and “her” and how “she/her pronouns hits a positivity.”
The podcast had a humorous and refreshing tone to it with Matt Forde asking her the important questions. One of them was about how she deals with transphobic people and transphobic reactions.
She said, “I will not walk with fear. I will stand my ground and I will fight. So I’m ready to fight at any point and I refuse to be fearful.”
When she was asked about the confusion of pronouns and how people would have to address her and not offend her she said, “I prefer she/her, I don’t mind he/him. No one can make a mistake. I’m Eddie. Eddie Izzard. We’re all somewhere on the spectrum, we have just got to chill out about it.”
During the interview, she was asked if she was religious in any sense. She’s an atheist but her words had the richness of a deeper meaning to life and a higher state of being. Amid all the humour she believes some people put meaning into life and some people put meaning out of life.
Suzy praised the younger generation and also added that they will one day “save the world” by looking at life with a labelless attitude.
She continued to say that there are larger battles to fight: “When LGBT hits boring, then we’ve made it. What colour of skin, what sex you are should not come into our thinking.”
“It’s just, you know, live and let live.”
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