What Does It Mean To Be An American?: An Interview With Flame, Pioneering Trans Comedian

A couple of years ago, I got the opportunity to interview a pioneer in the transgender community: Flame, one of the first trans stand-up comedians. 

Flame, who was born a man and identifies as a woman, worked at the legendary Chicago comedy club All Jokes Aside. The club became a “star factory” in the 1990s. The venue not only ignited Flame's star (pun intended), but also launched the careers of Steve Harvey, Dave Chappelle, Oscar winner Mo’Nique, Chris Rock and Carlos Mencia, among many others.

The All Jokes Aside comedy club is the subject of the book I co-wrote with founder Raymond Lambert about his life and how he made the unlikely leap from investment banking to show biz, “All Jokes Aside: Standup Comedy Is a Phunny Business.” 

Here are some outtakes from my interview with Flame that didn’t make it into the book:

Chris Bournea: Tell me about your experiences in the comedy industry and working at All Jokes Aside, in particular.

Flame: My story is a little bit different from everybody else because I was the first and only transgender comedian  to come through there and do stand up.

CB: I know Raymond was always respectful to you, but how were your interactions with the other comedians?

Flame: It was bittersweet. I worked for 10 years and nobody spoke to me in the green room - the male comedians and even some of the women. I guess it was some kind of stigma that if you were seen talking to me, people would think you like guys. A secure man is a secure man. I guess they had their own insecurities.

CB: What did performing at All Jokes Aside do for your career?

Flame: That was my home base. From there, I did [ BET's]  "Comic View" a few times.

CB: How did the audiences at All Jokes Aside react to you?

Flame: It was always shock value because I always dressed very provocatively. I left very little to the imagination.

CB: Did anyone ever heckle you?

Flame: I could always tell the men from the boys. The men would make a joke about it and move on; the boys would keep talking about it and not let it go.

CB: How did you respond to hecklers?

Flame: I always put hecklers on blast. ... I got a few angry patrons but nobody ever ran up on me. I never had an altercation. I always kept it light: "You know I was joking with you and here's my hotel room number, but, oh, you already have it!"

(This blog is part of an occasional series titled "What Does It Mean to Be An American?" about diversity.)