Stand-up comedian Katherine Ryan says she wants to be a black woman.
The comedian stars in her own Netflix stand-up special, “Katherine Ryan: In Trouble,” in which she is introduced as a “powerful, beautiful, strong black woman.” And Ryan says that title is an aspirational one.
“When I think about women of color and their place politically in the world and culture … they’ve had two layers of just garbage to overcome,” the comedian said in an interview with TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell. “To me, a black woman is a woman-woman.”
The comedian’s reverence for black women dates back to childhood and has its roots in her love for Destiny’s Child.
“Beyonce and company carried themselves with such poise,” she said, explaining that the group had ownership of their “sensuality” in a way white pop stars didn’t.
“They’re aspirational and I love them,” she said. “And I don’t mean to fetishize them, [but] when will I become a powerful, beautiful, strong black woman? How can I do it?
“I’m not a Rachel Dolezal,” she added, referencing the former NAACP leader who resigned last year after claiming to be black despite having white parents. “I don’t fake tan, I don’t have the cornrows, I don’t misappropriate. I just want to be Beyonce.”
“Katherine Ryan: In Trouble” is now available to stream on Netflix.