Here is my contribution to gay pride!
Kattow Azzya: Nurse Betty?
By Donald D'Haene
Kattow [prounced Cat-u] Azzya is a one-of-a-kind personal support worker in a London nursing home. Not wishing to be upstaged by his environment, we dished at his abode.
A lot of your jobs have been in the service of other people. Coincidence?
I love to give. Im caring. The older people I deal with Im silly and crazy. We have fun.
They probably treat you better than anyone?
Yes, except for the very young, before theyve been influenced by their parents prejudices.
Did you always know you were different?
Yes.
Do you ever make fun of people who are different?
Of course. I live in a city that is predominately white and straight, so why not? I said to one guy, "Youll remember me for the rest of your life. I wont know you in ten minutes!"
Are you too much for London?
No, just enough.
Im sure your first employer didnt think so.
McDonalds. When people said nasty things to me, my boss would side with the customers. But people would drive by just to see me!
You must have been great for business.
Yes, I had regulars, but some were nasty. One guy pulled down his trousers at the drive thru and said, "How about some of this? I said, No thank you. I dont watch Pee Wees play house. And a woman kept returning yelling, Fag and Coon. I realized it didnt make a difference what I said, so I thought Id say what I thought would make a difference. One day she took off her top, flashed these enormous breasts they must have been a double D and shouted, What do you think of these, honey? I replied, Now I know where silicon valley is. That one time my boss did say, Why didnt you call me over? I dont wonder why.
You do answer back with attitude. Does that invite retribution?
What am I supposed to do? Cower into a hole. I give them a spade and tell them to dig their own hole. That does get me in trouble. Ive been slapped and slugged. This is London. You either learn to deal with it and get used to it or you collapse.
If you cut your hair, wore basic black and took your make up off, youd have less trouble, wouldnt you? So doesnt part of you go, What the hell, I might as well go all out?
You know, I tried toning down, even bought some sneakers and I still received all the comments.
Kattow, you travel with Tinky Winky on your back.
Colour me purple! I bought it the year of the Tella Tubby controversy. People didnt appreciate it. I even stopped traffic. I wear it just to cause a disturbance. Why not be someone with a little more flair?
Ever try transit?
When I wear my stilettos and my sequinned mini-skirt with a bell underneath. Every time I walked, it rang. The women were terrified. I said, Dont worry. I have my own purse.'
Which do you take more offence to? Deragatory remarks about your race or your orientation.
Race. When I lived in Manitoba, people threw garbage lids at me and spat at me. Its the thing that people used in many places Ive lived to call me down so its the very thing I use to bring me up. People ask, Where did you get that attitude from? I say, Im black. It comes with the colour. One guy in a church said, Black people did not come first. I could have called him a powder flower or chicken glaze. Instead, I said, I can prove you wrong. We came first. The Bible says, In the beginning there was darkness, and then there was light. Thats when the real problems came.
What do you do with your pain?
I dont deal with baggage. I post it. Seriously, the church has always been my sanctuary.
Then you are one of the lucky ones.
And I will always be grateful.
So you embrace the pain?
I make use of it and I make light of it. If you call me out youre going to get it back. If Im going to walk on thin ice, I might as well dance.
What do you believe Christ thinks of people who are cruel or prejudiced to people who are different?
The Bible says, What you do unto the least of these you do onto me. One woman said to me, How can you go to church? I said, On two legs like the rest of you.
Do you think God laughs at you?
I think Hes getting a big kick out of this. Im not hurting anyone. Theres nothing wrong with the way I am. Im just me.
