Often Left Out: Transformative Revue
written by the Moon Houston
The Joy Who Lived is dedicated to creating art that makes everyone feel included, amplifying the voices that historically have not been heard, have been silenced or stamped out, or never got the chance to speak at all. Warumono is creating art that celebrates all bodies, because he knows what it’s like to be left out. “I myself do not identify as trans, however I have lived trans experiences. [...] There are many ways to be intersex as there are many ways to be trans, and the two can overlap.”
Warumono is his stage name, meaning villain or bad guy in Japanese. Ironic, or politically significant, as he has faced roadblocks in his art and performances. When he expressed that he mainly casts gender minorities for his shows, venues have switched up suddenly and told him “they are no longer interested. I have heard 'our audiences do not want to see that', as if intersex and trans people look a single certain way.”
Warumono gave me a little history lesson about cabaret and burlesque! All I know about those are the movies with the same title I saw a whiiile ago. To paraphrase, burlesque was created to celebrate women’s sexuality, where they could be free to tease and have fun, not under the crushing weight and watchful eye of patriarchy. As all art is, “it has always been deeply political.” Warumono is building on that legacy of burlesque being political: “[as] it broadened to include men, there was still a missing gap for people who do not fit the expected performance of gender. I find it very important for Transformative Revue to be included in the Joy Who Lived festival, as our political climate right now is, and has been, revoking our rights to just exist as people and shows have not been inclusive despite what the entire meaning behind it is.”
I do not identify as intersex, but I have heard the term applied to me. I was raised to be a woman in a man’s world, and according to doctors my levels for certain hormones were “abnormal.” I grew up with a normal body (at least I thought so!) in a society that told us to be rail-thin is beautiful. We have reveled the rise of the body positivity era and are currently witnessing the horror of its fall. Well, not on Warumono’s watch. Body positivity extends beyond the acceptance of size and shape, it is also deep and internal, and Warumono has the capacity for it all.
There’s an infamous quote that I famously misquote, “Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” So Warumono can relate to the injustice anyone has felt when it comes to their body as he has been through the same experiences personally and professionally. “I have fought for [inclusivity] with 'gender rules', as in women must wear nipple/breast coverage but men do not. Women must wear coverage of the butt crack/cheeks, and men do not. Where does that put those of us who don't fit into those strict categories? Body parts all look different anyway, and gender is so vast, so in my shows it's either mandatory inclusive coverage for everybody if it's the venues rules for women to be covered, or it's optional for everyone if the venue allows.” The LGBTQIA+ community, with all our acronyms and promise of inclusivity, has not always lived up to this ideal: “The reason I am loud about being a part of these circles is because intersex people are often left out of the queer conversation entirely[.] There is no space for us even though we can share many of the same experiences and face many of the same issues.” But Warumono persists.
And in that way, you can understand the name Warumono. “The best part for me when I finally came out publicly about my identity was being able to slowly work on accepting who I am, what my body looks like, and finding my supportive community. I still struggle with some parts of it daily, however being surrounded with other people like me has broadened my education, shown me care, and created a safe space where I find the best kinds of people - ones with empathy, smarts, and humor. ” The world keeps telling him to give up, to fall in line and conform, to keep being silent, and he keeps saying no.
Transformative Revue will be at the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, showtime 9:00 pm. Tickets available at https://joywholived.com/events/transformative-revue