Singer and actress Harisu opened up about the difficulties she faced in the early days of her career.
On the 10th, a video titled “13 Dogs, A Chaotic Mess” was released on the YouTube web entertainment show ‘Sisters’ Party’. Harisu and Monica appeared as guests.
Harisu is the first celebrity to debut as a transgender person. She explained, “I stepped into the industry as a male student in 1991. I started as a supporting actor. When it came to signing contracts for advertisements, I had to talk about myself, so I gave up a lot and many opportunities fell through.”
She continued, “I also received movie offers. The plot was about a transgender person who engages in sexual relations and transforms into a man. I didn’t want to be consumed and end up like that. I said I couldn’t do it because I never agreed to it. I also thought a lot about whether I should leave the entertainment industry.”
Harisu shot a cosmetics advertisement in 2001. She said, “I thought it would be a great opportunity. Isn’t it the ultimate dream for female celebrities?” She then revealed, “People questioned whether I was really a transgender person, asking if I was a real woman and demanding that I prove it by having sexual relations or undressing.”
Harisu expressed her frustration, saying, “There were people who were kind in front of me but talked behind my back. They would whisper, ‘Does she go to the women’s restroom?’ Why is that a concern? I’m a woman, so of course I go to the women’s restroom. I underwent gender reassignment surgery because I wanted to live as a woman, and I thought I had achieved that. But from a societal perspective, I was still seen as a transgender person. It was very difficult.”
Monica supported Harisu, saying, “I think there should be respect for someone who has taken the first step to make the unfamiliar familiar, and that part is truly remarkable.”
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
