Gender.....Fuck!

I have a bad habit of believing that because drag is a constant in my life, that it makes me a scholar, when it comes to the topic of gender. And, then, events come along that prove to me that I still have a long way to go before I will ever be able to teach a gender studies class.

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I got my schooling. Pride! Portland had posted a request for ideas of entertainment for the week. Dan/Shaunna Rai suggested getting some talent that originated in the area, and Ian Harvie was on the list. As Dan told me this, a couple things clicked. Ian was the first trans person that I knew of. I followed him on MySpace, back in the pre-public Facebook days. And, Ian is in the Amazon Prime show, Transparent. And, since I just got a subscription to Amazon Prime, we decided to watch it. And, I'm hooked. I'm actually disappointed that we binge watched it, as there are only 10 episodes, and I have no idea when the new season comes out.

Anyway, the timing was good, because just after we watched it, University of Southern Maine had their annual USM Royal Majesty Drag Show.

And with all the understanding that I had developed, just from watching Jeffrey Tambour's character out himself as a trans woman, and begin his journey, it was all undone, walking into the conference room they used as a dressing room. I, of course walked in with Shaunna Rai, and dropped off her suitcase with her costumes for the show.

And, the need to box people into a gender all of a sudden went into overdrive. A few, I knew for sure, because they're people I interact with on a regular basis...drag queen...cis male...cis female...but then there were the ones I didn't know. And I couldn't stop second guessing myself. That's a boy. That's a girl. And, then I caught myself doing it.

I excused myself from the room, figuring,  "ok, I have my camera, and I'll be shooting like a fiend, so I should go find a seat." Going to get a seat would be the distraction I needed to get back to my "genderless" normality.

Only, because the show has been a staple for 15 years, it's a draw for all people. And, I found myself trying to box people in the audience, as well. (Is that a gay boy in a leather harness, or a drag king? I just don't know.) And, it just would be rude to walk up to someone you don't know, to ask.

Finally, the show starts.  I'm glad,  because,  now, I have something to focus on. Between the performances and the music itself, I no longer am concerned with who's a boy, who's a girl, who used to be a boy, who used to be a girl, or who is just fucking with perceived genders. I have pictures to take. I have music that I can lip sync to, along with the performers.  And, all is right in the world again.

Except, I'm not the official photographer, this time. There are actually a couple of other pro photographers there. And we're all going for the same shots. And, we're trying to avoid getting each other in our pictures.

A few performers in, I'm intrigued by someone I've not seen perform before. I wish I could remember his drag name...but he came out with a glam rock look, with  Stephen Amell's Green Arrow eye makeup on. And suddenly, something that happened years ago made sense to me.

I had taken a group of kids that I worked with to see the show I participated in a year or two later, Guys in Gowns. One of the acts was done by Kings, who called themselves the "Whoa Men." And on the way back someone asked about them. And I explained that it was a group of women dressed as men. It later came out that there was a crush going on, and it became an issue, because "...I'm not a lesbian..."

And, now, not only have I been transported back in time, but I'm the "lesbian" in the equation now. The number was good. And, by the end of it, I had talked myself into just enjoying the show, and not even worrying about gender, for the rest of the show. Because, gender is what's on the inside and not what's on the outside...although, it's important for some people to have both match.

Shaunna did her number, a Pussycat Dolls mix, ending in Hush Hush/I will Survive (a song I could watch her do every show and never get bored.) Her tear away outfits had people gasping,  and left them wanting more.

Prodigy Diamond was up next, and got read by Cherry Lemonade, who was hosting, for being late. A mix including Evanescance's Bring Me to Life. The outfit was along the lines of Beetlejuice, as a blonde drag queen. And the performance left people wondering how much of her tottering around acting like she was drunk was for the performance, and how much was her actually being drunk.

During intermission, I talked to a couple of the judges,  then went out to see what was going on in the dressing room. Shaunna came out and took my chair, as I had decided that the way to go for this show was sit at the end of the stage, on the floor.

The show started up again,  and this time it was the "contestants's" turns to perform. It was almost all Kings competing this year, with one Queen. E standouts were, Michael Jackson, and John Legend. There was another one, but I can't remember the song.

John Legend was good.

Michael Jackson was amazing,  and, in my mind should clearly have won first place. She knew the dance from the music video step for step. And, looks-wise, until she looked you dead on, she was a dead-ringer.

The song I don't remember,  ended up winning. And, she earned it. The lip sync was on point, as was the dancing. And she's deaf. Until they asked her her "pageant" question,  and an interpreter answered for her, I never would've guessed.

Speaking of interpreters, because they want to be inclusive of everyone, they always have ASL interpreters at the show. And, sometimes, it's actually more fun to watch them perform than to watch the actual performance.  They lip sync to it, and occasionally, they get swept up in the music and start dancing, themselves.

The night was fun. And not a bad way to spend the eve of Dan and my 3 year (Facebook official) anniversary. We went home early, ordered pizzas,  and relaxed, before a trip to Boston the next day.

But, the night was the slap in the face that I needed to realize that even I am not immune from putting people in gender boxes. And, I'm one of the people preaching to others not to... And, I again realize that there are still so many questions I have that I don't know how to get answered, without coming off ignorant and rude...

Miss AIDS Awareness 2014

For as long as I've known them, Dan and Shaunna Rai have been synonymous with Miss AIDS Awareness.  Given the fact that the pageant hadn't been held in three years, for various reasons, I, more or less expected Shaunna Rai to carry on the title, indefinitely.

However, after a three year break, the pageant was held again this year.  It was hosted at Paradym (the former Club 313), presented by Envy Chanel's alter ego, and the NH Task Force.  

Chantel Chanel

Tatoola Tess Tosterone

I've taken a long time to write about the pageant, because there was a lot of things that I needed time to process, and think about how to best sum it up.  I was involved in creating the poster for the Pageant, which became a task all in and of itself.  For a donated piece of artwork, I put far more work into it than I have ever put into my paid work, due to multiple change requests.  (That however, I won't get into, because it'll just make me mad about it again.)  I got the poster out as quickly as I could, once I had the information, and had made all the changes to it.  Unfortunately, for the fundraising part of it, the poster wasn't distributed in enough time for there to be a particularly large audience.  

Countess Morticia

Competitors couldn't register online, or early.  Registration happened about an hour before the show.  Sadly, there were only four entrants. For a title that helps fund raise for what is still known as a primarily "Gay Disease," I would have thought that there would have been more interest in helping out with the fight to find a cure.  (But, maybe I'm in the minority, because I want to spread awareness about this kind of thing?)  Scarrlett Cuntyfierce Couture, Tatoola Tess Tosterone, the Countess Morticia, and Chantel Chanel were the contestants, and former title holders, Miss E,on, Shaunna Rai and Porcia J. Chanel all performed, and the whole thing was hosted by Violencia Exclamation Point.

There was a lot of down time, during the personal interviews, to which I was not privy, so I ended up sitting alone, drinking, waiting for the show itself to start.  The show began, and I was impressed.  I was a little sad that Mercadies Chanel wasn't able to host, due to illness, but I was quite impressed with Violencia.  

Scarrlett Cuntyfierce Couture

The things that stood out the most for me, for the night, were: Dueling Chers with the Newspaper wigs, Honey Boo-Boo's entry into the "Gown Competition", the Disney's Pocahontas montage act, and the fact that all of the contestants, when asked why they would be the best pick for Miss AIDS Awareness, they all kind of skirted giving an actual answer.

Going into the night, knowing a little bit of history, I was not surprised that a couple of the entrants brought people with them to tip, given that tips make up part of the points that you earn overall, and can actually change the final outcome.  E,on won the crown over Shaunna Rai, one year, by one point, because E,on brought in more tips.

Tatoola's "Rose's Turn"

I went into the night, rooting for Tatoola, because we're friends.  But, I know that Tatoola is less into the performing than she is the dressing up.  And, the audience was less than receptive of her.  Although, I thought that she was great.  I loved her "Rose's Turn" performance.

Scarrlett took the show.  The minute that she came out and started doing the medley of Pocahontas songs, I was pretty sure that she had it in the bag.  I love the theatricality of drag, and given that she had backup dancers to perform the parts of John Smith and Powhatan...I may have had to pick my jaw up off the floor.  I agreed with the judging, that Scarrlett deserved the crown.

The Passing of the Crown

Overall, it was a great night.  After the show, I found out some things that made me really sad.  There is so much information that needs to still be redistributed over and over to the gay community about HIV/AIDS.  While it may have just been nerves, none of the contestants could answer how you get the disease, and one contestant actually said that there is a cure for it.  Now, I get that we're not living in the 80's and 90's, when the majority of the gay community actually knew someone who had, or had died from AIDS.  But, there is so much information out there about how it's transmitted, that you would hope that someone would at least know that it's passed through bodily fluids, and not just liquids.  Yes, people still live healthy, productive lives, on a cocktail of meds, once they contract the disease, but that is, by no means a cure.  

I can only hope that Scarrlett will help bring awareness to the younger generation of the community, that while it's not a death sentence anymore, it's still far from being cured, and that the best things to do are get tested, talk about it often, and use protection.  Because, I know that Shaunna, in spite of giving up the crown, will still be doing as much as she can for education and fundraising.

I Like Your Beard

9 Days worth of Growth.

It's November, which means you'll be seeing a lot more "hipster" looking guys, due to Mo-vember (where guys grow mustaches) or No-Shave November (where guys just stop shaving) in honor of bringing recognition to Male Health Problems, such as Testicular Cancer.

Every year, since I moved to Portland, I've said that I was going to participate in it, and then always found a reason why I couldn't.  The clients wouldn't recognize me, I've never grown a full out beard, so I don't know how it would look, I'm starting a new job.  Let's just say, I'm really good at finding reasons for not doing something, and not so good at finding reasons to ACTUALLY do them.

For the first time in years, I had Halloween off.  And, I'm with someone, who actually celebrates it.  So, I got into the mood to do something different this year, and decided that for one of the Halloween parties, that I would dress as Captain "Killian Jones" Hook, from Once Upon A Time.  Shaunna Rai, of course went as Maleficent.  Hooray for Disney Villains!  And, given that Killian/Hook has a face full of scruff, I started my No Shave November early.

Mathu Anderson, because, who knew a bearded lady could be so sexy?

So, how does this tie in to Drag, you're probably asking?  Well, for one, it's just as possible for a drag queen to get testicular cancer, as it is for anyone else.  For two, I wanted an excuse to post pictures of Mathu Anderson (RuPaul's bearded makeup artist, and drag queen). For three, I wanted to show off what I look like with full facial hair, before it gets too itchy and I shave it all off.  And, lastly, I wanted an excuse to talk about testicles, and use the word testicles as many times as possible, because the word is funny to say, and I still think like a 12 year old, when it comes to funny body part names.

As we all know, in October, you fondle your chest, to search for lumps, that shouldn't be there.  Susan G. Komen has beaten that into our heads.  But, nobody ever talks about their testicles.  I work in a group home, with young men, and I can't go more than five minutes, without seeing someone adjusting their junk, or just randomly shoving their hand down their pants, to make sure that their penis is still there.  It happens all the time in public.  I can't tell you how many times, I've been out shopping, and seen someone slip a hand down their pants.  My point being, as men, it is almost expected for you to touch yourself.  But, it's surprising how many people touch, but don't check, nor do they acknowledge that there are issues going on with their health.  Over the last two years, I've heard of at least three people I know, who have been affected personally by either Prostate or Testicular Cancers.  I would like to think that that number is far more than I should know.  And, that I'm just lucky that I know fighters, who have survived.

No Shave Gear available at No-shave.org

If you haven't already checked it out, go to No-shave.org, to find out how you can participate in No Shave November, and help by spreading the word, buying gear or donating toward finding a cure.

So, if you're feeling odd, or if, you feel a lump, have it checked out by a doctor.  And, if you're not already doing a monthly self-check, do it.  Not that I need to be the one to do so, but I'm giving you permission to fondle your testicles.  Touch yourself, for your health.