Friday
Oct 28, 2005
SGN.org
Volume 33
Issue 43
 |
Tuesday, Dec 02, 2008
05:51
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| - - |
|
 |
 |
Drag isn't just for halloween |
||
.jpg) |
||
| Drag isn't just for halloween | ||
| By David Luc Nguyen (Teriyaki Temple) - SGN A&E Writer
Halloween is less than a week away and it's a time when everyone gets to play dress up. Soon you will googles, goblins, and divas roaming the streets, dancing at the bars, and working it at fabulous parties. Each Halloween as guys attempt to make the transformation from circuit queen to drag queen they learn a new respect for the "art" of drag. "I never realized how much work doing drag is. You have to buy the hair, make up, high heels, an outfit including a bra. Bra's are damn expensive! Hell, doing drag is expensive! I can't even begin to imagine how you can even begin to tuck," said Luke Brown who is dressing up for the first time this weekend. I asked him then why do it? "Its exciting dressing up for one night and being something you're not. It's a chance to go out on the town and be glamorous" he said. One of the great Empresses of Seattle, Miss Meme Jenkins, once said "You do drag because it fulfills something for you. Drag is what you make it" This weekend many people will dress up in the desire to have a good time and try something new. It is my hope they will come away with an appreciation of the hard work and effort it takes to be a "Queen." These ladies and their gentleman work and "dress up" not only to have fun to be help others. Over the summer many pageants (or elections) were held crowning (or electing) drag queens and their counter parts (male title holders). What many people fail to realize is that these "Kings and Queens" assume leadership roles in the GBLTQ community as fundraisers, advocates, and even spokespeople. The drag community has always worked hard raising money for HIV/AIDS research and awareness, fighting for civil rights, and has always come to the aid of groups in need of a champion or causes that need attention. It's astonishing what an impact the people who are know for lip-singing can when they allow their real voices to heard. All summer Washington's drag queens and male title-holders not only supported but spearheaded efforts to raise awareness for deserving causes, raised money for local non-profits and charities, and did it all with class and style. "Drag Families" who give back include the Dupont's of Vancouver, Beaute's of Tacoma, The Surreal's, Black's, Cox, of Spokane, and Diors-D's, Finley, Dubois, Maxwell's, Manila's, Starr's, Kwan's, Fetters', and of course the Temple's of Seattle. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence also show you don't need a crown or Sash to good work and effective. Credit is also due club owners and manages such The Urban Onion in Olympia, The Rock in Tacoma, Dempsey's in Spokane, The Elite Tavern, the Cuff Complex, R Place, Manray, and Neighbours Night Club in Seattle all make fundraising possible by providing the venues for fabulous events. Under the management of Gary Donaldson, Neighbours Night Club showed how it was done by generously donating money to the Red Cross for the Hurricane Katrina relief fund after holding the Mr., Miss, and Ms. Neighbours pageant commemorating Neighbour's 23rd year of being in business. The newly elected Mr., Miss and Ms. Neighbours vow to continue the long-standing tradition of community service set forth by the past title holders before them. Let's hope there is a tradition for them to keep going in the upcoming years. Drag is dying in Seattle and if it does so will all of the hard being done by the drag community. If there aren't more people getting involved, taking interest in their causes, and more businesses and groups supporting drag it will disappear. Before I get off my soapbox, I leave you with a final challenge. The next time you see a drag queen out, ask her what is she involved in and find out more about her upcoming projects. More likely than she'll tell you about a group or an organization she's helping out. Then ask yourself is this something I believe in? If so, ask her how you can get involved. By doing this you taking an active interest in what the drag community is up to and shows the queens all the hard being put forth is not going unnoticed. Don't know where to find drag queens besides on Halloween? Come check out the longest running Gay pageant in the country and bid farewell to Mr. Gay Seattle Mark Dubois and Miss Gay Seattle Nina Maxwell at the 42nd Mr. Miss and Ms. Gay Seattle - An Evening of Passion on November 5th, 2005 at Neighbours. For more information check www.imperialcourtofseattle.org. |
||
.jpg) |
||
 |
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
International Readers |
 |
 click here and make a difference |
 |
 Theatre Off Jackson & Vixen Productions Present A Pulp Vixens |
 |
 |
 |
 |
copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2005