'Still my flesh and blood': Gurmit Singh on supporting daughter as drag and burlesque artist despite initial hesitation

His eldest child may have picked an unconventional career path, but veteran local actor Gurmit Singh has come around to it.

Worms, formerly known as Gabrielle and who uses they/them pronouns, is a drag and burlesque artist who performs under the stage name Lychee Bye and has worked with the likes of local drag show Riot! and the Perth International Burlesque Festival.

Worms also previously hosted monthly shows, Sunz and is the founder of The Fruit Basket programme to train upcoming drag kings and queens.

In a recent appearance on CNA Insider's show The Assembly, Gurmit was asked how he came to accept Worm's status as a "well-known icon of the queer community".

The 59-year-old admitted that it was "difficult at first".

"She does a show that's not TV-friendly, for sure," he continued. "But at the end of the day, she's still my daughter. Until the day I die, I will still love her.

"As people say: Hate the game, don't hate the player. We may have differing opinions of things, career paths and life choices, but she's still my flesh and blood. I'll still be there in a blink of an eye if she needs me."

Gurmit likened it to his own parents' reactions when he decided to become an actor and comedian, instead of "a lawyer, a judge or a policeman" as they had wished.

Even though Worms, 27, may not be doing what Gurmit wanted, he added as a parent that as long as it's legal and Worms is happy with it, he would be happy with it.

Being in the queer community has also helped Worms come out of their shell.

"She used to be very, very shy. She used to be afraid of how people think of her," Gurmit said. "So, in that respect, this orientation has helped her to defeat that."

He added that Worms used to be ashamed of their body but told him that being in the community has made them less so.

"She's proud of her skin, what she is and how she is," he said. "So, in some respect, I can kind of appreciate where she is now, as far as her mental well-being."

Gurmit married his wife Melissa Wong in 1995, and they have two other children: Elliot, 22, and Mikaela, 11.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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