"BARBADOS.. ." A CONVERSATION WITH DIVA ALEXANDER


 are so many things that you can sing about and people are going to
 hate you for what you sing about but it's a matter of you being honest
 about what you sing about. But you have to educate the people about
 what you sing.
CG- Do you wish you were born a woman?
DA- Yes Ido. I mean, to emulate a woman. Imean, I admire women because
 they are really strong and women to me have a lot more to contribute
 than men. Men have it made but you notice how the trend is shifting.
 Women are doing what they are supposed to do. It hurts me when
 women put me down 'cause I think so much of them. It hurts me to see
 when they look at me dirty and they say mean things about me. I have
 nothing against the guys. Believe me, they are such a comfort. But
 women, yeah, I've always wanted to be. As you get older, you accept
 how you are. You just go along with it. You don't fight it anymore. I
 mean, yes I've had this thing about sex change. Those things came into
 my mind. I've never had any alterations. Besides, that's a lot of money
 as far as I know.
 I'm writing a song right now for next year, God spare my life, to sing for
 Cropover. It's called "A Song for Men," telling men exactly what their
 role is and what they should be doing. You know, and it just came to
 me last week. That's how I write my songs. And it is going to be a
 beautiful song. I believe so. 'Cause I'm not bashing them. I'm just telling
 them hey, this is my opinion. I can help you here. Men are there to
 assist and to help. They're not leaders. It's a mutual thing. It's a reciprocal
 thing. Men are not leaders because if you notice in ancient tribes, women
 were head of the household. They planted food. Men went out and
 hunted.
 "I couldn't live any other way and it's sad to be so uncomfortable
 in this country and at dis-ease with the whole situation."
 Diva's construction of both her private and performative selves
 challenges both traditional definitions of masculinity as well as
 homogeneous and patriarchal definitions of national identity. Her
 philosophy, as articulated in this interview, illuminates the
 intersections between definitions of masculinity and nationhood.
 Diva embodies J.E. Jer-Don's assertion that "the process by which
 homosexuals are marginalized points to an untenable tension in
 national identity itself, where the political and cultural energy of
 the nation are expended to expunge a homosexuality which,
 according to official rhetoric, does not exist" (25). Various episodes
 in Diva's narrative expose the tension she experiences as her liminal
 subjectivity challenges some patriarchal definitions of Bajan
 nationalism. Diva is also convinced that the seemingly impenetrable