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In the world of t-girl business, Mandy Goodhandy is a dynamo. This Toronto pre-op transsexual doesn't just live the t-girl life, but makes a living from it as co-owner of Goodhandy's pansexual nightclub, two adult paysites and as a club event promoter. Yet social activism, rather than profit, is at the heart of Mandy's many t-girl activities. Eros Zine caught up with her recently, to learn more about this committed, intelligent, and very busy t-girl entrepreneur.
Mandy Goodhandy: Mandy Goodhandy was a name invented for my spanking video line. Mandy is short for my real name Amanda, and Goodhandy can mean many things including, lending a helping hand, spanking with the hand or giving good hand. I decided to keep the name [that defines] my nightclub and event persona. Eros Zine: You originally intended to be an entertainer, right? Mandy Goodhandy: I had studied musical theatre in College. I had done some professional musical theatre and dinner theatre, before getting into M.C work and stand up comedy. Eros Zine: Please walk us through your adult career, from the beginning to now. Mandy Goodhandy: My adult work started as a male stripper, then I owned and operated a male stripper agency (All Class Males). After and during my transition I worked as a shemale escort. I began my online business just promoting my escort services with a homepage; this advanced into a full-on shemale porn site and t-girl event business. Ladyplus.com became the site to visit when interested in everything Shemale concerning Toronto, and still is. I now hold shemale strip events two days a week at The Lounge in Misssissauga [west of Toronto]. We have two nights at Goodhandy's Nightclub Downtown dedicated to t-girls and their supporters, on Monday and Thursday. We also have a t-girl paysite called amateurcanadiantgirls.com, where members can communicate with the t-girls online, directly from the club; plus enjoy all the t-girl videos we are producing at our studio -- in a private area of our nightclub -- as the video is being produced. They can also tune in to our Midnight Orgies, from our "I Love Sex Parties", being held twice a month, one on a Tuesday and one on a Saturday. Eros Zine: Now Goodhandy's is a classy, multi-level club in downtown Toronto. You call it a 'pansexual playground'; what does this mean?
We have different nights catering to different groups. But every night is welcoming to everybody, regardless of gender and sexual preference. Most clubs start as strictly gay, lesbian or heterosexual, and may provide an event for other groups. We started as a diverse club, and welcome all others in to meet and socialize with us. We are t-girl oriented on Monday and Thursday, gay male/trans male/gender queer on Wednesday, gay women/trans male/gender queer on Friday and everything and anything goes on Saturday Nights. But all these nights are open to anyone who wishes to experience these worlds, as long as they are respectful of our diverse clientele and respectful of our club rules. Eros Zine: Goodhandy's has a section called the "Diamond Room". As I understand it, this is basically an area of the club where people can legally have sex? Mandy Goodhandy: Goodhandy's is fortunate enough to be located in Canada, where recent Supreme Court rulings have opened up opportunities for like-minded adults, including swingers, to safely engage in mutually acceptable activities as long as certain guidelines are followed. The Diamond Room is a small, discreet area of the club, with five beautifully designed curtained booths where adult members may choose to spend time together. There is no alcohol or any drinks other than plastic bottled water allowed in the Diamond Room. Goodhandy's provides the Diamond Room strictly as a service to meet the needs of members wishing more privacy than is available in the public areas of the club. We are non-judgmental and open to any activity that members wish to mutually engage in. Any activity conducted in these private areas is at the sole discretion and risk of the members' concerned and must be by mutual consent. This is considered a private space -- the club accepts no liability for any consequences of any actions performed by a member while in the Diamond Room.
Eros Zine: You mentioned your t-girl strip club, the Lounge. What is it like, and what happens here? Mandy Goodhandy: It is in the basement of a heterosexual strip club, in what used to be there Stag Room. It is a small room, holding about 80 people. It has its own entrance, making it extremely discreet to visit, and there is lots of free parking all around the club. There is a stage and partitions for VIP dances. The t-girls will perform throughout the day and evening on stage, they must at least go topless on stage, or bottomless if they choose to keep on their tops. The VIP dances are performed nude, at $20 per song. There is a large screen on the back wall of the stage; we play t-girl videos for the customers when there is no performer on stage. It is very laid back, and guys come and go all day and evening. It is never packed because it is not a social event for guys to come in with their buddies. Most of the men sit alone at tables, meet a girl and get a dance, and then leave. We do not own this club, so the drink sales all go to club upstairs, we survive on the cover charge and the t-girls survive on their VIP dances. This happens every Tuesday and Wednesday. Eros Zine: And you also produce videos? Mandy Goodhandy: We produce gay videos every Wednesday night at Goodhandy's with our male models (www.amateurcanadianguys.com); this is part of the entertainment, that night. We have started getting into t-girl videos: these are produced on our Monday and Thursday t-girl events
Mandy Goodhandy: It has become one of the best cities in the world for all queer businesses, due to its openness, acceptance and tolerance, but we still have a long way to go. But I can only speak from my own experiences. I do not represent the queer community on these issues. Eros Zine: With all your activities, you are a hard person to pigeonhole. How do you describe who you are and what you do, to yourself? Mandy Goodhandy: "I am what I am", as the song says. I do not attempt to describe myself, catagorize myself or explain myself. I adapt to my surroundings and situations, and keep all soul searching to myself, my family and the people who have honored me by calling me "friend". Eros Zine: Clearly, you are a true entrepreneur. But you seem to have a bigger interest in t-girl sexuality than just making a buck. Mandy Goodhandy: Any money I have made is being continually re-invested, so I have not reaped my rewards yet, and may never. This is what keeps life exciting for me, I love to keep coming up with challenges. As long as I am able to survive financially, afford some luxuries (surgery) what more does one need? The important thing in all this is to bringing more recognition to the queer community. We may be doing this from a sex-positive, sex-trade positive and porn-positive angle, but it is a start. You have to get people's attention first, before you can educate them. When they visit our world they discover there is so much more than the porn and the sex. We are people who deserve to be counted, people who matter and people who deserve respect. This education does not always have to be done in a militant and agressive manner. It can be fun and enjoyable, with underlying messages. Eros Zine: What's next? What heights do you still wish to scale? Mandy Goodhandy: I don't know, and I will not know 'til I turn the corner. But world recognition and tolerance for a third gender would be a step in the right direction.
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