'My ultimate dream is to become a sexless dragon – but I can’t pick my nose any more'
By Michael Moran - The Daily Star
Tiamat Medusa the Dragon Lady, once known as Richard Hernandez, says they have almost reached their final form – a genderless dragon.
But along the way, they explained on the Soft White Underbelly Podcast, they’ve had to give up a few simple pleasures that the rest of us take for granted.
Tiamat, who likes to be called Legion by their friends, has undergone a radical nose-flattening procedure which means they’ll never be able to pick their nose again.
The nose surgery, Legion explains, was done for two reasons. Partly because of their spiritual connection to snakes but also, perhaps surprisingly, because of Harry Potter.
A full 'suit' of tattooed scales emphasises the reptile connection
“When I first saw Harry Potter, and I saw Lord Voldemort uh as one of the characters in that show,” Legion explains, “I immediately became in love”.
“I want to marry Lord Voldemort – we would make such a great couple,” Legion adds.
But Legion’s tribute to the fictional evil wizard comes with certain penalties.
“I can no longer scratch my nose like other people,” the 62-year-old explains – miming a nose-picking action – “where you put your finger in and scratch your nose … there’s certain things I can't do anymore but it's okay I like learning to live anew”.
Legion, who know lives on LA's "Skid Row," feels a connection to snakes because they were abandoned by their mom and stepdad “in rattlesnake country”.
The transformation to become a human rattlesnake has involved numerous radical surgeries as well as extensive tattooing.
Legion is proud of their split tongue surgery
Legion has a scale pattern across their skin, as well as green ink tattooed into the whites of their eyes. Most of their teeth have been removed and a split tongue and a series of horns complete the intimidating look.
Legion’s testicles have already been removed and their penis, nicknamed Mr Bojangles, is next for the chop.
“Mr Bojangles won't go away,” Legion jokes, “he keeps hanging in there but it's time for him to go ‘chop’. Begone! Bye-bye Mr Bojangles…”
The goal is not to become a woman, Legion explains. But a “genderless dragon”.
The dramatic look has sparked a lot of criticism and adverse reaction over the years, but growing up as a gay man in conservative South Texas, Legion is used to dealing with bullies.
“I stood up to those bullies,” they “I got into a couple of fist fights and guess what– I didn't lose any of them”.
Green tattoos on the whites of Legion's eyes create an eerie impression
Legion has an unusually high pain threshold, partly because of their habit of being suspended from meat hooks.
“I hang from hooks …the most hooks I've had in my body at one time when I do the suspension was 50 hooks going through my flesh…”
So getting into a punch-up, Legion explains, is hardly a problem.
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