No city in the world compares to New York when it comes to the rich tapestry of transgender history and culture. While trans and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people have been a part of virtually every society since the dawn of time, NYC has the honor of being home to some of the most influential TGNC artists and changemakers to have ever lived. For generations, the City has been a beacon of hope for trans people seeking fuller lives, inspired by local icons like Bronx-born actress and gender-reassignment-surgery pioneer Christine Jorgensen; activist and Stone Butch Blues author Leslie Feinberg; and Stonewall Uprising leaders and community organizers Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
As TGNC people continue to become more visible in everyday society, the amount of trans talent and passion that’s on display in New York City continues to grow. Take, for instance, transmasculine comedian, writer and actor Jes Tom, who self-describes as “your queer best frenemy.” Known for their wry, irreverent jokes about sex, gender and Asian American identity, Tom is a comedic tour de force who has worked on hit TV shows like HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and Adult Swim’s Tuca & Bertie and recently starred in Hannah Gadsby’s all-TGNC Netflix special, Gender Agenda.
We caught up with Tom ahead of International Transgender Day of Visibility to chat about what makes trans life in New York City so special.
Jes Tom. Photo: S Tricker
New York City has been lauded as a haven for LGBTQIA+ people for decades. What does queer life in NYC look like for you?
Jes Tom: New York must have one of the best queer scenes in the world. Is that an exaggeration to say? There’s so much history here, and the people—whether they’re from here or moved here—feel quite connected to that history. I feel like my queer and trans friends in New York do everything. There’s actors and poets and professors and scientists and musicians and writers, and everybody across the board is doing something that they’re really passionate about, and they look amazing. I’m originally from San Francisco, which is an extremely queer city also very connected to activism, but I just think the [fashion] looks don't compare. If we’re not the coolest city, [at least] we probably look the best.
We all know about Stonewall’s integral impact on the queer and trans rights movement, but is there another piece of NYC trans history that you think people should know?
JT: Right now the New York queer and trans community is grieving the passing of Cecilia Gentili. She was a mother in the trans community—an amazing activist, performer and artist from Argentina who was always fighting for sex workers’ and immigrants’ rights. Being at her funeral [at St. Patrick’s Cathedral] among all these queer and trans people from different worlds, who I’ve known for almost 10 years, really showed me how connected we are to the legacy of the fight for justice for trans people.
Jes Tom. GIF: S Tricker
New York City is home to such an abundance of queer talent. Who are some other TGNC performers that inspire you?
JT: I mean, there’s just so many to name: Cole Escola, Kiko Soirée, The Illustrious Pearl, River L. Ramirez, Kate Sisk, Juicy Liu, Sweaty Eddie. There’s like a million billion amazing queer and trans performers. I know this is an ahistorical claim—I’m making this claim to be a punk—but I feel like New York is the birthplace of trans performance. Everywhere in the world trans people have been doing amazing things, but this is the place where you would go into the bar and Marsha P. Johnson was leaning up against the piano, you know?
New York’s live performance scene is unparalleled, and we have a high standard because there’s so much here. When people are doing live performance it’s because we love the craft and we love being in the room with the audience, breathing the same air and feeling the same energy. You really have to bring something worthwhile—RuPaul’s Drag Race is on TV now, so we don’t have to come out unless you bring out something really, really cool.
You’ve taken your comedy all over the US and abroad, but what’s your favorite NYC venue to perform in? Where do you dream of performing?
JT: I have to shout out The Bell House in Brooklyn. I love it, it’s such a cool vibe. I broke my hour-long show, Less Lonely, there. For a dream venue, it’s gotta be Madison Square Garden, right? We would get someone really cool to open, but it would just be my stand-up hour. Something about holding such a huge room hostage with my performance sounds like a dream to me.
Jes Tom. Photo: S Tricker
How did you meet your queer chosen family, and where do you all meet up for a fun night out?
JT: I feel so lucky, I wouldn’t even say I have one chosen family; I’m kind of a vagrant cousin of a lot of chosen families. Before there was a big queer comedy scene in New York, I used to do stand-up at queer events like drag shows and cabaret performances, and I’ve met a lot of people that way. I feel like queer people meet each other on the internet, so I know a lot of people from there too. [On a night out], my friends and I love to book a private karaoke room at MK Karaoke in Koreatown. I’m crazy for karaoke.
After a night out or a late show, where do you go to grab a bite or do some people-watching?
JT: I don’t drink, so on a late night out I want to get food or snacks, and K-town is always open really late because Koreans are fun Asians. I’m not Korean, so I can say I’m not fun, but Koreans are fun so I like to go where they are. I love a nighttime dessert or boba moment at Fiftylan, although they’re not open super late, or at Xing Fu Tang on St. Marks Place.
If your bestie hits you up for a restaurant recommendation for a cute T4T date, where would you send them and what should they order?
JT: In Woodside, Queens, there’s a Filipino restaurant called Kusina Pinoy Bistro that’s queer and trans-owned, and they do amazing lumpia shanghai and tofu sisig. I was in Queens for almost 10 years, and Woodside, the neighborhood I used to live in, has an incredible queer scene.
Elsewhere. Photo: Tommy Kha
NYC Pride is one of the biggest LGBTQIA+ celebrations in the world, but here we celebrate being queer all year. What are some of your favorite recurring queer events across the city?
JT: I love Bubble_T, which is a queer Asian party [established in 2018 by Nicholas Andersen, Karlo Bello, Stevie Huynh, Pauly Tran and Pedro Vidallon; read our interview with them here]. Something I haven’t actually been able to make it to yet but need to go is Fagtasia [a Brooklyn-based fantasy drag show written and produced by Baby Love]. I’m putting that on record as my own failing.
If you were named the Trans Ambassador of NYC and had to welcome a group of TGNC tourists, what three places would you take them?
JT: Obviously Jacob Riis Park, the gay beach of the City. I would take them there and say, “You know, there used to be a big mental hospital overlooking this place and now it’s not there anymore and, to be honest, we really fought to keep it there. We hope they don’t build condos.”
Then the American Museum of Natural History. They have a life-size blue whale, and I feel like trans people would love to see a big whale. I think that it’s important to note that queer and trans people have interests other than just being queer and trans, and those are largely wildlife, nature and whale watching. I love a big diorama.
And then back to Woodside. It’s an amazing neighborhood where there's a lot of queer Southeast Asian and brown nightlife. Queens Pride [in early June] is also amazing because it just feels a lot more like an old-school community pride effort; you go there and it’s all the people in the neighborhood.
Jes Tom. GIF: S Tricker
OK, rapid-fire time. Where’s your favorite place to go to for clothes?
L Train Vintage. They just opened one near my house on the border of Bed-Stuy and Bushwick.
Books?
Bold of you to assume I can read! Playground Annex bookstore.
Birthday gifts?
I love a cute store in Flushing, like Morning Glory. I also love Happy Buds, in Bed-Stuy, for all the cute glassware and home goods for herbal enthusiasts.
Coffee?
There’s a spot in my neighborhood called Early Yves and a ton of my friends work there. I’m always walking in and saying hi to people.
Adult toys?
Great question, because I come from that world and used to work in those stores. Purple Passion is an amazing small business with a really great variety of kink stuff.
Peace and quiet?
Hard to find peace and quiet in the city, but I love a park moment in Herbert Von King or Prospect Park.
The Crew: (From left) Elo Santa María, S Tricker, Jes Tom, Chala June, and Vivian Black. Photo: Jen Davis
Keep up with Jes Tom at www.jestomdotcom.com or @jesthekid.
Chala June (@chala.gram) is a genderqueer Congolese American writer, chef and cultural artist based in Brooklyn. Their work examining the intersections of culture and identity has appeared in publications including Bon Appétit, Them and Condé Nast Traveler.
S Tricker is a cinematographer, director, photographer, teacher and editor based in Brooklyn. Their work can be found at www.s-tricker.com and @s_tricker.
