I Participated In A Drag Event Last Saturday --

[VickySGV]

Last Saturday, my Trans Chorus Of Los Angeles was asked to do the opening act for a Drag Show at a local community's Museum Of Art, under the show title "The Art Of Drag".  I do see Drag as an entertainment art form and have actually studied it from audience and entertainer perspectives.  A Drag Queen DJ, two Drag Queens and two Drag Kings were the acts after our set.  I was doing photography and videography for The Chorus, not actually acting, but as it was I was wearing my Chorus T-shirt, and know I had some pictures taken of me as well.  I have given waivers for picture taking for that reason many times and so far I have not been sued by  the other photographers for damaging their cameras by being photographed.  I was there early enough that the Queens and Kings did not have full costume on, but there was only show-biz and no hanky-panky going on.  I have shared dressing rooms with my Chorus family, and so I saw skin that the eventual audience never did, but again, that is the show-biz ethics and way of working. 

 

It was about a 40' x 80' audience area with a 12' x 50' show area down the center of the room, and the audience ended up pretty packed against the room walls.  I had to fight for my area to video the Chorus while they were on, and then I racked up my cameras and hung around as a spectator.  The actors did a good job of being Kingly and Queenly in their acts, one King was an Elvis impersonator in a very comic way.  This show was aimed at young adults and up, no alcohol was served, and while some of the language in the jokes would not pass our filters here, it was not outrageous or overly sexual.  I would have had no problem with my 13+ teenage grand children seeing, but for this one the crush of adults in the audience would have overstimulated younger children and neurodivergent older folks.  This was a California beach city where we did not have protest problems, for which I am glad and we did have a city policeman in the lobby who was enjoying the show along with a City Councilman as well.  It was a 3.5 star show aside from the Chorus' number which was our usual 5 for me, but the actors were having fun and explaining some of their art work to the audience including choice of character to play, and scripted routine considerations, as well as make-up and costuming.  Nothing at all worth the attention and fury and panic we hear about these days, none of it. 

[Charlize]

That sounds like a fun time for all.  I've never been a drag performer but during the time i was frequenting gay bars as a safe place to be myself (as well as a part of my alcoholism) i considered doing drag.  I spent time in the dressing rooms and closely watched the performances.  It wasn't for me but i couldn't help but appreciate the performers and the work they put into their shows.  I'll never forget the kindness of one group in a nasty gay bar in Biloxi Mississippi.  I felt all alone as the only trans person and went to visit the gals behind the stage.  They called me up and soon i got a few drinks from some nice gay men.

Mississippi even 25 years ago was otherwise a non accepting place.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize