Drag king Barry Mundi on accepting others and being true to yourself
Lisa McBeth says her journey to self acceptance has been a long road. (ABC South West WA: Pip Waller)
"You're too ugly. You're too old. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
These are the words that echo through Lisa McBeth's head when she's getting into drag.
The 59-year-old has been appearing as "Barry Mundi", her drag king alter ego, for a decade, but says it's not always easy as she lives with anxiety and bipolar.
An innate dislike of mirrors is a particular struggle.
"As a young person I thought I shouldn't be allowed out without a paper bag on my head," Lisa says.
"So for the 20 minutes or so that I'm getting ready, I have to stare in a mirror and look myself in the face. And that's a real challenge.
"And that's where all the self-doubt comes in."
But once the wig, moustache and sunnies are on, Lisa says all the self-doubt and anxiety disappears.
Loading...What is a drag king?
A drag king can be defined as someone who identifies as female and dresses up as a male.
But Lisa says, for her, it's all about playing with the role of gender and depicting her own interpretation of what is masculine.
Barry Mundi was born in 2014 out the back of an antique shop in Donnybrook, 200 kilometres south of Perth, amid a sea of safari suits.
"I had this safari suit on and my friend saw me and said, 'I need you for a fashion show at the Donnybrook Apple Festival,'" Lisa says.
"She said, 'You need something to call yourself' and I said, 'I think he's a Barry Mundi'. She asked why and I said, 'because there's something fishy going on here'.
"I remember thinking, 'Oh, there you are!' It's like I had been waiting for him to appear."
Barry Mundi with Cindy Crosscheck and Ana Phalaksis. (Supplied: Lisa McBeth)
Described as affable, suave and both a ladies and man's man, Lisa says Barry is one of regional Western Australia's only drag kings.
He's recognised for his dad bod, his moustache (named "Gary") and his "wonderful sense of style".
Barry's "after dark" alter ego Barry Cuda — an additional layer to the character — is described as a cross between a porn star and the Village People.
"It's all about messing with gender and that's how I see it for me and Barry," Lisa said.
"Drag kings are definitely less known, most people have no idea they exist."
'That's what I am'
Lisa at four years old. (Supplied: Lisa McBeth)
Lisa says her childhood was an "interesting challenge".
She loved ballet, music and horseriding, but both her parents faced a difficult struggle with alcohol addiction.
She remembers asking her mum what a homosexual was while watching a television show at age 11.
"Mum said, 'That's when two men love each other, but there's also lady homosexuals,'" Lisa says.
"My brain went, 'That's what I am'.
"But I knew straight away I should keep my mouth shut about that. My parents thought gay people were an abomination to God."
After years of keeping her sexuality quiet, Lisa says she "leapt" out of the closet when she was 25.
Before her mother passed away, Lisa remembers her mum asking if she was happy with how she lives her life.
"And I said, 'It's really difficult, but it's the only way I can be.'"
Lisa says everything she enjoyed as a child she carried into her adult life, including a love of horses. (Supplied: Lisa McBeth)
'Pockets' of resistance
Although much of the community accepts Barry, Lisa says there are some members who do not respond well to him.
She recalls having to remove herself from a performance after a group of men had decided Barry "wasn't their cup of tea".
Barry Mundi is described as affable, suave and "quite camp". (ABC South West WA: Pip Waller)
"They were making comments based around what it means to be masculine," she said.
"[Comment such as] 'You don't make a very good man, so you must be a s**t woman'.
"It actually caused me a lot of anxiety and it took my a couple of days to feel good about going back out again as Barry."
Helping others find 'their key'
As an elder member of the LGBTQI+ community, Lisa hopes sharing her story will show others that there's always the possibility to change your life.
"I believe that everybody has a key to their life, you just have to be patient enough to find it," she says.
"And if you do find it, all these doors open up. And that's not just for me, but for other people as well.
"If something scares you, run as fast as you can at it. And just have a go."
Lisa has been performing as Barry Mundi for more than a decade. (ABC South West WA: Pip Waller)
Lisa says while her life has been "difficult and challenging" she wouldn't change anything.
She hopes Barry will continue to have a positive impact on his audience.
"I hope he keeps giving people a sense that they matter," Lisa says.
"When I have no audience and when my body gives out, I might consider retiring him.
"But while I'm making an impact, Barry will live on forever."'