Taylor Johnson: “Malachi, how old were you when you began to realize that you were transgender? What did it feel like for you?”
Malachi Clement: “Probably back when I was like five, I didn’t have a name for it or a word. I didn’t know anything like that even existed really. And so I kind of started to feel like I didn’t fit into the box I was instructed to fit in when I was younger. And as I grew older, I sort of forgot about that feeling. And I made an effort to conform to society. And then one morning I sort of woke up and I was like, ‘Wait, carry on.’ I really did some research. And I [found] a name for what I was feeling, and things kind of started going from there.”
Johnson: “When did you first start affirming your identity?”
Clement: “I think while I was growing up, it was a bit about the way that I dressed. I didn’t like to wear dresses a whole lot. I didn’t like wearing skirts. I didn’t really like wearing jeans, I wore a lot of basketball shorts, just random shirts. My mother would take me to Kohl’s. And she’d be like, ‘Alright, look at these things’. And I’m like, “Look at this thing over here that comes with a dinosaur toy mom,”” Look at that.” Like, that’s very great. But, I think it started with the clothes.”
Johnson: “When did you actually come out as a trans person?”
Clement: “I can recall a time when I was eighteen when I sort of woke up one morning and looked at my partner at the time. And I was like, ‘I think I want to consider more masculine pronouns.’ And she kind of agreed for a second. And it probably lasted a moment. And I almost forgot about it. And finally, more deeply into the queer society, I realized that I’d been ignoring myself all those years. And that’s when I began to put my full effort into it. So, I think when I was twenty, I was like, ‘I don’t care about what anybody thinks about me anymore. This is what I’m going to do. And we’re gonna find out what this is about’.”
Johnson: “Did your friends and family have a similar response?”
Clement: “Some of them were very like, ‘Okay, that’s cool’. But it also didn’t stick with them. And my family, when I was that age, they didn’t know anything about it. However, when I finally began to come out, my sister once told me a story when I was, say, seven or eight. She was like, when I came out, ‘You know what? This was something I was aware of. Like, I saw it. She has been my most devoted aid since then, and I really like her.”
Johnson: “Are you at ease telling us about your sexual preference?”
Clement: “Most definitely. I’m open to a lot of questions about my sexual orientation, especially since it doesn’t relate to my gender identity. It’s two separate things around. I would identify my sexuality as pansexual, I don’t really care, like how they identify or how they look half the time. It’s more about simply who they are as a person, if they’re a great person, if we vibe properly. That’s wonderful.”
Johnson: “Are you receiving any kind of sex-affirming health care?”
Clement: “Only this past year, I really had my top surgery. I had a great time thanks to the entire group who actually came and helped me with it. I did a lot of [drag] shows, I raised a lot of money on GoFundMe, saved up my personal income. And through, I think seven months, I made payments on my surgeries until it was done.”
Johnson: “What do you do for a living?”
Clement: “I recently left Amazon, working for $19 an hour as a driver. And it robbed me of much of my career. And now I’m with Bath & Bodyworks that I’ve used for about five times. I’m secure, it’s really great. But on the side, I have my own business. I do pet solutions.”
Johnson: “Could you promote the name of the business?”
Clement: “It’s called Bark & Roll.”
Johnson: “You also have another career as a drag king performer—you mentioned performing before. Give us a description of that persona.”
Clement: “He’s really lovely. All the drag kings love to see him. They sometimes think of him more than he does of them. And that’s due to social stress. But I’m not sure, because he’s just a likable character that really draws you in with a lot of energy and makes you feel the way he wants you to feel in that particular situation. Whether it’s content, terrible. But yeah, he’s really he’s a very unique personality. And he’s undoubtedly the complete opposite of who I am.”
Johnson: “What was your initial performance like?”
Clement: “It was very nerve-wracking. It was at C4 Nightclub and Lounge. That evening, we had an open stage show. I was 21 when I first started. In high school, I always did drama. The only thing I did was join the marching band. So it seemed like doing something like this was way out of my comfort zone. I wasn’t sure if I would succeed at it. And I can recall leaving. And [performed to] Mambo Number Five, I think that’s what it was. And I can recall that I wore green, purple, and gold. And I did it, and it was adored by everyone. And then people simply blew me up. But I remember being truly, truly stressed. And after that, it’s just been a roller coaster.”
Johnson: “It’s wonderful that you got such a warm reception, considering that you are the first drag king in this area. What does that feel like?”
Clement: “Often it feels like there’s a lot of pressure. simply because I am aware that I serve as an example for those who want to accomplish. Mainly because I’m sort of considered as the only one, as a drag king performer.”
Johnson: “Do you think these up-and-coming drag kings are meeting your expectations?”
Clement: “Often? I’m hardly gonna exist. The new kids that are emerging appear to have been receiving more of a big head and haven’t experienced much of a challenge when it comes to being accepted. However, we had to fight for what we now have, for individuals like myself and a number of other older kings, I suppose.”
Johnson: “Why do you do it?”
Clement: “Because it gives me an outlet, really. I didn’t realize how much I actually needed it until I began to do it. And when I stopped doing it for a short while, I realized that I was thus consumed with stress and that I had no way to overcome it. I am aware that I can find music that I really enjoy, go to a performance to my heart’s content, and then return exhausted and feeling better.”
Johnson: “Have you been subjected to any stigmatization, particularly when performing or just generally in common?”
Clement: “I’m three years on my hormone. If you’re looking
, I’m definitely little clockable unless you’re another trans person and kind of know what to look for. But I mean, back when I was in my early transitioning stages, there was a lot of things that people didn’t understand. And many people are actually accepting that kind of products in the drag scene. Mainly because like if you’re your image, they’re gonna use your persona’s adjectives.”
Johnson: “Why do you think transgender people, particularly trans children, receive such love and reaction for living their lives?”
Clement: “I think it’s just because people, like the older generations, are worried about these younger people already making up their minds about something like this at a very early age, and I don’t really blame them, you know, that’s a lot to think about, gender is a lot to think about when you’re young. But if you know? You know, and you shouldn’t hide yourself from it. And I believe that is one of the causes of the disapproval of younger transgender persons. Because they may think, ‘Well, they don’t know they’re too young, they shouldn’t be able to make that kind of decision for themselves’. However, younger individuals have every right to. Trans children need to be guided, in my opinion. And because of this, we are now offering programs to support trans children to help them move in the right direction.”
Johnson: “Do you think that there’s value in introducing children to drag and drag culture or older trans people?”
Clement: “I think it’s important for people to know, like if I had known when I was seven? I think I probably would have gotten to the finish a lot faster, started my drag. Kids enjoy seeing drag kings, that look like characters to them. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, she’s so cool’. But I do think it’s important for kids to know about drag performers and to be exposed to it, because drag kings, and entertainers in general, they know what’s right. Like, as soon as we figure out there’s going to be a kid in the audience, especially a queen, because they’re the first ones to hear it, they’re like, ‘we’ve got to change something real quick, I can’t be wearing that anymore, [or] we’re gonna change the number entirely’. It’s a good thing.”
Johnson: “What do you want listeners to know about being transgender in Arkansas?”
Clement: “It’s certainly never easy. Nor is it easy. Talking to the younger people out there, you’re gonna go through a lot of hurdles. Insurance will be mad. We don’t have things like if you want to start testosterone, we don’t have things like Planned Parenthood anymore within this region. [Planned Parenthood] was the easiest way to get onto testosterone, you could go in there and be like, ‘Hey, I feel this way’. And they’re like, nice. And then they get you started. And you must persuade a lot of people that this is real, or that it isn’t a phase. You’re gonna go through a lot of difficulties. But once you get through it, and you start your journey, and you get to where you want to get in your transition, you’re going to be happy. You simply have to endure it. We all did it. You now have your older sibling(s) behind you. Like they’ll assist you through it. And it’s not simple. However, I believe that this region is beginning to appreciate it more. Little by little. We’re getting it.”
That was transgender drag king artist, Malachi Clement, interviewed by Taylor Johnson on the Listening Lab for “TEA: the Transgender Experience in Arkansas.” TEA is directed by Emerson Alexander, edited by Sophia Nourani, and produced by Jacqueline Froelich. Search for the TEA website on the Listening Lab to see past shows.
