I woke up Pride morning with that sense of general dread, like I’m sure many of you did – it doesn’t feel like a very Prideful moment in history, and those dark wizards in the Supreme Court almost definitely have Da Queers in the next box on their Spreadsheet of Doom. And I thought surely some angry idiot was gonna ram a jeep down the parade line, or some horrible thing. But Pride Sunday turned out to be really nice: reasonable weather and drama free good spirits. It was a reminder that the queer community can sometimes put aside their petty squabbles and come together as a mighty force, which is the vibe we’re gonna need over the next decade as evil forces try to undo us.
Anyway, I got to wear many hats this Pride Week, starting with event producer on Wednesday at the Monster for the Bacardi Party (fun times working with my iconic sister Holly Dae and a cast of new queens who are already slaying the game, as well as getting to meet the very sweet and professional stunner Rajah O’Hara) and then managing a hotel roof soiree on the East Side (which was classy and fun, but do you know that in those settings every time you settle down and chat with your friends who came out for you, the corporate liaisons will sneak over to the hosting talent you booked and tell them to perform again, even though that’s not the right vibe for the space at that moment? We learned to be vigilant about such things for the future).
Then on the weekend I played Wristband Bitch at the door at Pieces, which is a well-paying gig if you can get it… and much less dreadful this time around without the gross heat from last year. My big takeaway from that is that Kidz These Dayz really, REALLY don’t want to pay a cash cover because they just don’t carry bills anymore. And after they return from an hour detour to the ATM, watching them fumble and twitch while trying to count or just hold the bills is like watching kittens try to catch the spot from the laser pointer. And yet, they will happily Venmo twice as much as what you’re asking for in cash… but setting up a system at the door where all these folks are transferring funds to the venue and a person has to check to confirm the transaction is sent before they let them in seems like a dystopian nightmare situation (to my old ass, at least). Lots of popular venues like C’mon Everybody thrive with pre-paid “ticket” sales, but we all gotta get on board with figuring out a system to accommodate large walk-in crowds before cash gets fully cancelled!
Speaking of cancelled… The Q. Yikes. After getting over my initial, totally inappropriate thrill in Thotyssey being mentioned in Frankie’s Sharp’s publicly filed legal documents detailing his lawsuit against his former co-owners (or employers, or contractors… that’s one of the big things the courts will need to figure out, but in several promotional articles for the venue including one with Thotyssey, Sharp is clearly identifying himself as an owner without dispute), I was left feeling so sad and disappointed. The suit is mostly in regards to alleged unpaid wages, but Sharp also claims a myriad of other gross things were going on with his Q co-owners including: uncompensated use of Frankie’s intellectual property; cruelly, unprofessionally and publicly reprimanding staff; using racist, misogynistic and transphobic practices against patrons and employees and an overall favoring of the circuit party “white twink” model; encouraging the patrons to bring date rape drugs into the club; and engaging in public sex between management and illegally admitted, under drinking aged patrons. If these allegations prove true, it means that all the hopes we had that this was gonna be a game-changing venue have been dashed, and that the same garbage dinosaur tactics of Nightlife Past still have a hold on us. Performers and staffers are defecting by the dozens as I write this… let’s just hope some sort of good comes out in the end. (For more information, read Michael Cook’s article here.)
Oh by the way, did I mention that I’m the Thotyssey guy (lol)? I was busy on that front too this month… did you read my interviews with Drag Race icon Miss Vanjie and icons-in-the-making Angeria Paris VanMicheals and Bosco? Check em’ out.
Bosco Excerpt:
There was a lot of trans visibility on your season, with two queens being openly trans throughout the run, another queen coming out emotionally mid-season (our New York sis Jasmine!) and two queens including yourself coming out after filming. That’s been a really wonderful thing to see! Do you think this opens up many opportunities for non-cis drag performers to be on the show someday?
Who’s to say? It’s hard to say what the impact will be… but I do know that there is no unringing the bell. Our season demonstrated very clearly that trans performers are an important part of the drag community, and including us only elevates the quality of the show.Read the full interview HERE!
Miss Vanjie Excerpt:
You’re one of Drag Race’s most beloved alums — not just because you’re such a fun performer, but also you’re just such an engaging personality. We can listen to you talk in your distinctive way and tell stories for days! Have you ever considered doing a TED Talk, or something?
Biiiitchhh, a TED Talk?! Well, if someone gave me a mic at one of those gigs it’d definitely be about how to be your best hoe self. I’ve also thought about doing some ASMR, but I’d probably blow our yo’ eardrums or something, lol.Read the full interview HERE!
Angeria Excerpt:
Was that whole experience of filming the show and then seeing yourself on the show anything like what you thought it would be, or something completely different?
It was wilder than I could have ever imagined. I was so anxious every week watching it on TV… but very satisfied afterwards, lol!Read the full interview HERE!
Happy July, all!
