From Toads to Queens by Jacobo Schifter

Author:Jacobo Schifter [Schifter, Jacobo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Sociology, General
ISBN: 9780789006493
Google: pW-A7kQMS9wC
Publisher: Psychology Press
Published: 1999-01-15T03:55:09+00:00

INTERNAL DIVISIONS

Until fairly recently, much of the dissension within the transvestite community could be traced to intergenerational differences, with newly arrived individuals required to pass a series of tests (and suffer a few blows) before being accepted as full-fledged community members.

On the street, one encounters transvestites of all ages, ranging from sixteen- or seventeen-year-old adolescents to forty-year-olds who are burning out, and know it. As Valentina put it, “If I was a john there’s no way I’d pick up a forty-year-old transvestite who’s all worn out and decrepit, when there are young, virile ones about.” At twenty-seven, she says that she tries to keep herself looking good, but is concerned by the small size of the Costa Rican market: “The clientele here is small, and so there are twenty transvestites on the street for every five johns.”

In an example of this intergenerational tension, one night a group of transvestites from the Clinica Biblica area descended upon another group of younger transvestites who were congregating in another neighborhood. The reason? The older transvestites accused the younger ones of attracting johns by charging lower prices, and that this was unfair competition. As they pulled out their knives, one of the older ones snarled, “You starving bitches are turning tricks for three hundred pesos. If you want to stay alive, you better get the fuck out of here.” On other occasions, the attacks have been directed toward foreigners.

However, things have improved in recent years, and today inter-generational conflicts are relatively rare. In particular, those who have just arrived on the scene tend to be quite cautious in their dealings with others until they are accepted by the group. According to Tachita, “The street is a tough school and when a new one shows up we have to teach her how to defend herself. Many of them are very innocent and they have to learn that life’s not all roses.”

Still, at the same time that age-related conflict diminishes, nationality-based tension increases. In the words of Azulita, “The main problem facing Costa Ricans is competition from other Central Americans and people from the Dominican Republic. That’s the last thing we need, having a huge bunch of Nicaraguan and Pan-amanian refugees who come here to steal our money and our johns. The government should really stop letting these foreign whores into the country.”

These feelings are exacerbated by a series of tensions related to turf and geography. “Transvestites working the Biblica district are high-class,” asserted Leticia, “so the last thing we want up here are those slack-jawed whores from the Libano. They’re so dirty and ugly that any john who sees them would never want to come back here again.”

Finally, there is little solidarity between male transvestites and female sex-trade workers, with numerous conflicts arising over the years. In short, the transvestites insist that the women must stay away from “their” streets. “The hookers have got all of San José,” pointed out Penelope, “so there’s no reason why they should want to come here.” The female sex-trade

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