Juju Loves Me

April 12, was a night, a long time in coming, that I won't soon forget.  Jujubee came to Maine.

Now, this may sound foolish, because she's from Boston, so why wouldn't she come to Maine?  She goes everywhere else around the world... But, this was important to me, because Jujubee and Raven were my introduction to RuPaul's Drag Race.

I had seen Raven at Club 313 in Manchester, shortly after Dan and I started dating.  So, seeing Jujubee was on of the things that I felt was a "Must Do" activity.  And, given the fact that she was going to be right in my own back yard (so to speak) it didn't make sense to NOT go.

It was an interesting day, to say the least.  I had to work.  And, I had to ask someone to cover for the last 3 hours of my shift, because I had stupidly forgotten, when I told them my days that I needed to have off for prior commitments, that I was doing this.  So, I got out of work, and had to run to the other job, to pick up a phone charger that I'd forgotten the day before.  Then, it was clear sailing for the rest of the night.

Shaunna Rai was working at Blackstones, doing a Jujubee Pre-Party Happy Hour.  And, my parents came for that.  It was great.  Not nearly as busy as I'd expected it to be.  But, it was a good crowd.  When I got there, my parents had already been there for a little bit.  And my mom was excited that sh
e was going to be able to cross some things off her bucket list.  Namely ordering a "cocktail"  really, just a Shirley Temple.  And, she was going to be "bar-hopping."  And, she was going to be seeing her first Drag Race girl.  Not just seeing, but meeting, as well.  That was a little surprise that I kept right up until just before we went.

Having worked a full day, and having been excited about it for months, I was wearing myself down on the way to Styxx.  Shaunna had had a long day too, so tensions were a little high.  Which, usually can be cut with a drink.  Or three.

Once we got to Styxx, it was a bit of "stand around," and wait for them to open up the back room, where

the show was going to be.  That's where my mom made sure that we knew that she was knocking stuff off her bucket list.  Finally, it was time to go get in to get a place for the show.  And, it was packed.  I haven't seen Styxx that packed since the first time I went there with my ex.  And that was like 8 years ago...

As always happens, during a show, whether Shaunna is performing, or not, the mingling happens.  I stayed with my parents, and tried to get them to a spot where they'd be able to see the show well.  In the meantime, Shaunna met her "fairy godmother".  A woman from Wiscasset, who runs an antiques shop, who thought that she was the most beautiful queen there.  And, randomly, just gave Shaunna some jewelry, because "it's nothing that I'm going to wear, but it would look beautiful on you."

Once I got my parents settled, in what looked like a good place to get pictures, I got a text from Sheneeda Diet, asking if I could come help get stuff out of the car.  Being the person that I am, I said I would.  And, somewhere along the way, I managed to lose my meet and greet ticket.  Which I didn't find out until just
before it was time to "meet and greet."

The show started, and it was a lot of girls that I know from other venues.  Mikayla Loveheart, Jacinda, Sheneeda Diet, Miss Joanne and Cherry Lemonade.  Partway through the show, Jujubee showed up, and people started to get really excited.

During a show, I go into a kind of zone, where I'm just snapping pictures like crazy, because I need to have something good to post afterward.  A way of documenting that I was there.  They were there.  And this is something that needs to be saved.  Because lord knows that there is not a whole lot of drag going on in Maine.  Especially, compared to what there used to be...but that's a subject for another post...

Juju finally came out and took the stage.  In the back of my mind, I was disappointed, because she didn't do
"Dancing on my Own," which was the song that she and Raven did, which was my intro to Drag Race.  On her way off the stage, Sheneeda Diet asked her to stop for a picture, which she did.  And, she talked to Shaunna Rai.  Which shocked my mom.  And, reminded me that, A) Jujubee is a real person. B) Shaunna and Sheneeda have both been friends with her for years.  C) She's a Drag
Race sweetheart.

Before I knew it, the show was over.  Sheneeda, whose alter ego Michael, is my boss, asked for help taking things back out to his car, because he was the on call person, and needed to go to work.  Then came the wait for the meet and greet.  This was a process that I didn't care much for.  The way that it was made to sound initially, was that there would be a photographer there, who would be taking pictures for you, as you did have to pay for the meet and greet. You were responsible for finding your own person to take your own pictures.  As, the
photos were being taken in the front room, instead of the back room, the line was blocking off people from being able to move freely. So, people kept pushing their way through, if and when they weren't trying to get a place closer to the front of the line.  That was when I found that my ticket was gone.

The tension of the night flared.  I got grouchy.  I just wanted to get the stupid pictures out of the way and leave.  My dad, who also had a ticket, and was just tired, gave me his ticket.  "You'll get more out of it, than I will," he said.  While I was standing in line, I kept
looking over at my dad, because he looked tired.  And, I happened to look up just in time to see an older man...older than my dad...was checking my dad out.
 And, that snapped me back to reality, that this is a fun night.  And, I need to get over my bad attitude before I get to the front of the line.

Finally, it was mom's turn with Jujubee.  She went up, and talked with her.  And,
I snapped more pictures than the paparazzi.

And, then it was my turn.  I got a little star struck.  And, had no idea what I was going to say to her.  And then, it just came tumbling out of my mouth that, "I'm excited to be here with you, because you and Raven were my intro to Drag Race." And we were laughing and I was grinning like an idiot. And I

got a kiss on the lips from her.  And then it was time to go.  And, I told her I loved her and she told me she loved me.

Overall, it was a great night.


On the way out to the car, my mom was talking about the show, and how she had had a good time.  And, Shaunna told me that while I was snapping pictures of Juju during the show, my mom had said that she was a little disappointed.  Because Shaunna is more of a performer than Jujubee is, my mom had the expectation that Juju would be a dance-y performer as well.  So, that was a little disappointing for my mom.  But, she had a great time overall.

Give to Me Your Leather, Take From Me, My Lace

Shaunna's Cousin from Deliverance...

 Even a little snow can't keep a show from going on...Thank Goodness.  And, you always know, when Shaunna Rai's "cousin" shows up, that you're in for a VERY interesting night.

After a drink, I was asked to call a cab, since I had to stake my claim on a free parking spot, due to the parking ban, knowing that the lot would be full by the time the show was over.  So, I did.  More than an hour and a half before we needed the cab to be here.  I thought nothing of it, as there was no reason for me to.  I received the confirmation that someone would be here by 8:30pm to pick us up, and no calls saying that that was inaccurate.

So, the girls got ready, and we did the usual photo shoot, before we leave the house.  Shaunna had a couple of shots done, because she's modeling nails for a company called X-Tar Cosmetics.  And, because I'm going to be bored for the next week, due to a severe shortage of hours that I'll be working, I wanted something that I could play with, for a poster to promote Shaunna Rai's Happy Hours, at Blackstones.  And, Vanila got a couple of shots done as well, just because, well, that's what we do. That's how we roll here...

So, finally, it's time for us to go wait for the cab.  Our neighbors arrived home, and we got to listen in to a phone conversation (because they were on the stoop, and yelling into the phone.)  8:30 came and went, and the cab wasn't here.  Vanila called the cab company, who proceeded to tell her, that "It's not our problem that when you called to order the cab, the dispatcher was new, and didn't know that we didn't have any cabs available."

Seriously, Unacceptable.

Abbey Road Taxi quoted us a 10 minute wait, and they were here sooner than that.  And, the show was back on the slippery, snowy road.  And, I started breathing again.  Because, in my crazy head, somehow, I had screwed up the taxi thing.

Upon arrival, I ordered drinks for Shaunna and I.  Shaunna was not performing in the show, so it was a different kind of night than the usual show night.  And, I was pretty excited.  My Facebook page will say otherwise, but I have few enough friends...but I had friends, who Dan/Shaunna Rai didn't know, coming in from Chicago, to see us and the show.

Shows normally start relatively early, like around 9 or 9:30pm.  This one, was scheduled for a 10pm start.  Around 9:15, I started to think that the snow was keeping the boys away.  And, I was a bit disappointed.  And, then, Brian and Patrick walked in.  And, they brought Liz, one of my favorite people from when I worked for the bank.  Big hugs all around, and I got a couple of slaps for leaving the bank...which, as much as I hate to say it, was one of the best choices that I've made for myself.

Introductions were made, and things went well.  And, I found out that I'm being stalked from Chicago.  Well, the boys have been watching the progressions in my life since I originally became single, up through now.  And, for the second time in a week, I heard, "You've gained so much confidence, and you seem so much happier. I'm proud of you."  The boys were actually in town to look for wedding venues, for their upcoming wedding.

I spent the weeks prior to the show, convinced that someone was going to be singing the Stevie Nicks/Don Henley song, "Leather and Lace", because I kept hearing the name of the show was Leather and Lace...it was really Leather and Love.  I need to pay better attention to promotion materials, and keep my head out of things.

The show started, and I was in a spot different from my usual perch by the front of the stage.  I spent the entire show, standing, trying to stay out of people's way, but, keep them out of my way, as well.  It was a delicate balance to not knock people in the head for getting too close to me.

It would be great, if I could actually remember after the show is over, what songs were performed.  But, I spend so much time, focused on taking the pictures, that I tend to forget to pay attention to the music.

What I did focus on though, was the performers.  Danielle was trying a new look, with her mesh (fishnet?) outfit, and managed to pull it off well.  I remember when I first heard about the show, that this particular outfit was the topic of a lot of speculation.  Cherry Lemonade, who had put a tax return into a chestplate, was looking bustier than I've ever seen her.  She was on it with both her lip sync number, and with her live number.  I have to say, when you've got the voice, you need to play it up.  And, Cherry has the voice.  Madame Sheena always puts on a good lip sync.   Vanila, who is usually pretty energetic in her performances wasn't quite there for this show.  This would probably be because she spent the entire week before the show, hacking up lungs, and dealing with a bum tooth.  The performance was good, just, I could tell she wasn't feeling it.

Shaunna Rai, after the show, did her mingling thing.  Because it was a Valentine's day show, she handed out some Cherry Blow Pops, that we'd bought earlier.  To each recipient, she made a request.  "Tell me how long it takes you to get to my center."  (I don't think anyone actually did mention how long it took...)  She managed to find the two girls who had never been to Blackstones before, much less a drag show...and welcomed them with her Blow Pops.

While she did her thing, I checked in with Vanila, to see kind of where we were at, as far as needing to get another cab.  Vanila went downhill quickly after the show.  And, so the cab was called pretty close to when I asked.  "It'll be about 10 minutes," was the cab company response.  And, like before, since it was the same company, they were there much sooner than the 10 minutes.  Vanila booked it for the cab, while I found Shaunna to tell her that the cab was here.  She said she'd be right out.  And then got caught up with taking pictures with fans.  So, when she finally got to the cab, I wasn't sure that she was going to get a fan out of the cabbie.



I just have to remember, that miss Shaunna Rai, is quite resourceful, and makes it hard to NOT like her.  She climbed in, after Vanila bribed the driver to not leave without her.  As she got in, she mentioned something about being good and covering up her "hoo-hah."  And, the conversation went something like this:

Cabbie: I don't know what a hoo-hah is.
Shaunna: If I have to explain it, I'll have to charge you.  Here, have my cherry.
Cabbie: What is it?
Shaunna: It's a Blow Pop.  It's my cherry.  Tell me how long it takes to get to my center.

Outwardly, I was laughing, because the driver was an older gentleman.  Friendly as all get out.  And he didn't seem at all thrown by the fact that he had two drag queens in his cab.  But, inwardly, I was cringing, because, this is a person that none of us knows.  And, he could very well take offense at anything that Shaunna said, and it could all blow up.  Fortunately, nothing like that actually happened.  The guy laughed along with us.  And, he told us a bit about the company, and was happy to hear that Vanila was now going to be a repeat customer.

Then, just like that, the night was over.  We were home.  The drag came off, the TV came on. And, I ended up being the last one awake.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.  Good friends, good show at a great bar.

I Don't Know How to Thank You...

Danielle Renee Phillips

So, last night, was the benefit show, at Blackstones, to raise money for the victims of last Sunday's fire on Irving Street.  With less than a week's notice, I wasn't sure what to expect for a crowd.  Shaunna, Vanila, Dan, Ryan and I were promoting via Facebook, as was Blackstones.

Vanila Honey-Bush

We got there early, as the show itself was early in the night.  There was a good sized crowd.  And, as it got closer to show time, the crowd grew a bit.

The girls mingle with the crowd, on show nights, before shows.  It's an awesome way to build a fan base, and let people get to know who you are.  And, to show that you're a real person under all the masking of drag.  So, while the ladies were mingling, I was finding my usual seat, to get the best pictures during the show.  This is normally the time, when I get all anti-social, and only talk to people I know, and avoid contact with everyone that I don't know, in hopes that they'll leave me alone. (I say that half joking, because I know subconsciously that's exactly what I do.)

Shaunna Rai

For whatever reason, though, last night was a different night for me.  A guy I didn't know, started chatting with me.  He kinda buttered me up, and made me talk to him, by telling me that I was the best looking thing in the bar. (It was nice to hear...) I got nervous, so I immediately brought up the fact that I am not a single man. He continued the conversation, and it was a nice change. A good way to experiment with breaking out of my comfort zone.  He eventually moved on, to order a drink, and continue making his way through the bar.

Cherry Lemonade

It turns out, that the lady who was sitting next to me, was there in support of her brother...one of the victims of the fire.  She and I spent a bit of time talking.  She was impressed that the community would pull together something like this.  And, said that her brother couldn't believe that the queens would put on a show, to help raise money to help him out.  The final count, I believe that I heard from Dan, was $500 was raised to help out the fire victims, both from raffles, and tips that the queens received.

Danielle Renee Phillips

During, and after the show, I spent some time getting to know a couple who has recently moved to Maine, who had friended Shaunna Rai on Facebook.  Andy and Tommy were really good company, after the show, while Shaunna Rai was off mingling again.  They were friendly, and nice.  You know, all the qualities that I look for in people who I'm hoping aren't going to turn out to be ax murderers.  (Just kidding.  My list of qualities that I look for in an ax murderer is much, much, much longer than that.)

Cherry Lemonade

 I personally want to thank everyone who came out to support the show, because this is the kind of thing that helps us to remind people that we're good guys too.  Aside from our witty sarcasm, and anal sex, the gay community, is known for their contributions to charitable causes.  And, given that we as a community raised $500 in one night, we were on our game.

Shaunna Rai

 And, I want to thank Ralph, the owner of Blackstones.  Every time he sees me without my camera, when I'm out with Shaunna and Vanila, he asks me where it is.  This time, I actually got vouchers for free drinks.  It was a very sweet gesture, given that while I do promote shows, I don't do nearly as much promotion for the bar as Shaunna and Dan do.

Vanila Honey-Bush

 Contrary to what usually happens, it was an early night.  I had to work at 5am, so bed was calling my name.  As was a gluten free half pizza, that I hadn't eaten at lunch.

What's Community Got to Do With It?

The gay community as a whole, tends to be a little more giving than your average community.  Part of this, is that there is more disposable income.  Part of this, is that we tend to band together to support our own.  This however, can be a double edged sword for the community.  If we're banding together for the right reasons, we can make things happen.  We can raise money for our causes.  We can donate enough food to stock a food pantry, completely, without the help of our hetero friends and family.

Tomorrow night, at Blackstone's, at 9pm, there is a benefit drag show.  Four of the Portland favorites will be performing, and there's potential for some other guests. Vanila Honey-Bush, Shaunna Rai, Danielle Renee Phillips, and Cherry Lemonade will be the performers for the evening.

Blackstone's shows are usually on Sundays, with JR playing DJ and bartender.  So, why on a Saturday?

Last Sunday, Shaunna Rai, Vanila Honey-Bush and I went to Styxx, to watch the Lip Synch For Your Life event, with DJ Cherry Lemonade. While there, between making fun of the performers, OR being surprised at how well they'd done, I happened to check my Facebook.  Front and center, there was a story about a house in Portland that was ablaze as of 9:30pm.  Now we'd just left the house, prior to that. There was a non-descript picture of where it was.  And, for a minute, I thought, "God, that could be our place." And, I quickly ran through my memory, to make sure that I remembered blowing out all the candles, and everything before we left.

Anyway, we came home to a home.  Some others in our community were not so lucky.  Three of our own were living in the building that had caught fire.

The show tomorrow night, is a benefit for those who were not as lucky as we were, to be able to come home to a home.  There will be a 50/50 and raffles. And, I encourage anyone who will be in the area tomorrow, to come out for this show.  Help us show those effected that we're behind them, and willing to help them out.  And, help us prove again, why the drag community is among the top of the fund raisers in the LGBT community as a whole.  

Tell Me a Story?

So, last week was a busy week. Taffy's RuPaul's Drag Race Viewing Party was Monday. Wednesday, was the Blackstones' Valentine's Day show, Thursday was Taffy's show at Geno's, and Friday night was Andrew Christian Models and Kenya Michaels at Machine in Boston.

Needless to say, by the end of the weekend, I was a bit exhausted. And, with a bit of personal drama that stemmed from the night at Geno's, my mind was in a place of complete and utter chaos. And, I needed a distraction, stat. So, Monday, I asked Dan to tell me about Shaunna Rai. When and why she made her first appearance, and how she was "born".

I was surprised to learn that Shaunna Rai's birth came at about the same time as Dan's coming out. She was born to a former roommate. She only went out for an hour, the first time she went out. And, originally, she was a way of getting into bars without being ID'ed.

As time went on, Shaunna Rai started being asked to participate in shows around the state, and eventually, even out of state.

Back when Shaunna Rai first hit the scene, drag was bigger than it is now. The "cities" in Maine all had their own queens. Or, the queens claimed their city. Shaunna Rai saw every show as a way to get her name out, so, she didn't claim one city over another.

Over time, Shaunna Rai got involved in events. She was one of the first performers at the Portland Pride Pier Dance. She has been involved with the Frannie Peabody Center, and was named Miss AIDS Awareness. She has been a part of the Screaming Queens show, in Waterville, which is another fundraiser for the Eastern Maine AIDS Network. She promotes the First Friday Art walks, here in Portland, along with some friends. And, I know there is a ton of stuff I've forgotten.

Anyway, as he told me Shaunna Rai's story, I got lost in it.  Though she's applied multiple times for RuPaul's Drag Race, and made it quite far in the process, she has yet to make it to the show. In my eyes though, the glitz and glamour of that life is already there. And, I look forward to being there for the next chapter in both Dan and Shaunna Rai's life.

Wait...What!?

So, you meet this guy. He's good looking. He's sweet. He's the kind of guy that you want to get to know, so you can take him home to meet the parents. And, then, he drops the bomb.  You've met before.  Only, he looked different. He was a she...

This has happened to me twice. Well, technically, only once, since I didn't meet T, until after the fact. But, I've had two boyfriends "come out" of "the drag closet."  It's not really something that you easily acclimate to.  Although, I suppose it's easier than finding out that he did time in Prison, and is the bitch of two 7 foot tall, 350 pound brutes, named Bubba...

So, how do you come to terms with this little revelation?

You either accept it, and go from there, or you run the other way, as fast as you can.  And, sometimes, it may be a little difficult to know which is the proper option.  With T, it was a case of, I'm going to be extremely cautious about this, because I don't know what to make of it.  With Shaunna Rai, it was a little different. I'd already been through this once with T. And, Shaunna Rai and I had actually interacted, before the dating thing started.

The biggest thing about the whole, my boyfriend is sometimes a girl, issue, was "What are the ground rules for this?" Do I have to go buy dresses with him? Does he buy dresses as a boy or a girl? What exactly does he expect of me?  And, what if I'm not comfortable with this, or that?

I'm getting better with the whole drag shopping thing. I've gone with Dan enough, to get stuff for Shaunna Rai, or just to window shop for her.  Am I always comfortable with it? No. Am I always uncomfortable with it? That's also a no.  It's really a day by day thing for me. I'm less comfortable with looking at women's clothing with Dan, than I am at women's shoes.  (I may have a bit of a shoe thing, and dammit, women have way more choices of pretty shoes.)  And, if the most uncomfortable thing I have to do, is spend time wandering around in the dress section of a store, I think I can handle it.

Honestly, there are much worse things than being told that your boyfriend dresses in drag...and has done so for the last 20 years...

Blackstones Portland Valentine's Day Show

Blackstone's Portland

Because the poster forgot to say where it takes place