You're a Unicorn, My Dear

August 3rd is a day that I will never forget. When someone finally let's down their guard, and shows vulnerability, it's not something that you just forget.

Ariel Maranda Gibbs was a friend of Shaunna Rai's, and one of the few performers that I never got the chance to meet. I followed her on Facebook, and heard stories about her, from "Back in the day." She had a very long battle with cancer, and ultimately the morning of August 3rd, was the morning we found out that she had lost the battle.

I was up early, and had to be out the door for an 8am shift in Arundel. I had just grabbed all my stuff to head out the door when Dan came upstairs, hugged me, and told me, through tears. I remember being shocked at the news, and glad that I was there for the initial news, and feeling very awkward, because my hands were full and I didn't know whether to drop everything or continue holding it. (Ultimately I ended up doing the latter.)

Throughout the day, information poured in , and this woman who I never met, began to become a person I felt like I knew. A unicorn, of sorts... I knew of her existence, I had never seen her, but I knew that she was real.

Either that day, or a day or two later, I got a message from Diamond Dunhill asking me to submit any photos or video that I had of Ariel, as Diamond was making a video to commemorate Ariel's life.  When I had to tell Diamond that I had never really met Ariel, I realized the enormity of the loss to the community.  Ariel was a pageant girl and a former member of the Imperial Court of Massachusetts. She had been all over the country, and was well known.

When Diamond posted her video on YouTube, I had to watch it. The Link is here. Hearing her voice for the first time, and seeing her doing what she loved, was all it took. I broke down in tears, for someone I felt like I knew, through those around me.

When the day finally came for the memorial service, I was a little nervous. It was happening in Boston, and the only person I was going to know there was Dan.  And, my biggest fear, was that I was going to be out of place.  I don't do drag, and I'm not a trans person, and I wasn't family.  So, I didn't really have a place to be there, other than as Dan's support system.

The ride to Boston was uneventful, until we got to Boston. Then, we ended up going by the place. We ended up parking on the opposite side of Boston Common from the church, and walked the rest of the way.

Inside, we sat in the back row. A friend of Dan's, Colby and her wife, Lee, were there with us..so I felt a little less alone. Discussion,  before the service went to drag shows,  and the lack thereof. 

Back in the day, there was a show or benefit every month, and they lamented the fact that things have changed so much over the years.

I realized that I understood hardly anything about the Imperial Court. When a guy came in decked our in full on robe and crown, I instantly did a mind split. First I thought it was totally inappropriate for him to be in full regal dress. Then, I realized that it was part of the pageantry, part of what Ariel loved, and therefore it was totally appropriate.

I came to the conclusion during the service that I am far more awkward in social situations than I want to admit. At one point, a family member broke down, and I almost had to excuse myself so I wouldn't laugh at the dramatic sobbing.  And, when Dan broke down, I had a napkin ready, but didn't know how he would feel about a PDA so I rubbed his back, as much to make myself feel better, as to make him feel better.

After the poems, stories and songs, it was time to head out. They had everyone write a message which was tied to a balloon. As we went out, we received a balloon, to release. A number of people who had performed with her, were given tear away robes to wear while the balloons were released. Mind you, these were ruffled robes most in single colors, but a few in rainbow colors. 

The balloon release was a nice send off.

After, I faced a fear, and drove around the park, in Boston traffic. That was enough, and I made Dan drive afterward. We went to Club Cafe for the wake, or reception...whatever you want to call it.

We got there, and I got us drinks. Diamond came over, and I had no idea who he was...because I have never seen Diamond out of drag. He introduced us to a queen who had just moved to Boston.

Gigi, a member of the Imperial Court, and the official Queen of Salem came over and said hi. Having been involved in events that she was involved with, over the last two years, I was surprised when she told us that she had just figured out that Dan and I were a couple.

I met the family, and Ariel's husband. It was weird for me, because I never know what to say when I'm in that kind of a position.  So I really didn't say much of anything.

Before sitting down, I scoped out the food tables, to see if I would be able to eat anything. Then we sat with Colby and Lee and again chatted about the old times.

Eventually, they left. After, I got kind of an information overload. I forget sometimes how much drag queens talk. I found out from this one, why that one is on a shit list. I found out that this one is jealous of that one. And someone came out to me (in a manner of speaking.) The last being information that surprised me, and I hoped during the conversation that my face didn't betray me.

At last, it was time to go. I made sure we said our goodbyes. By the end of it, my head was spinning with all the stuff that I had heard.

It was a beautiful service for a truly beautiful person, who, regretfully, I never met. Through everything that I saw and heard, I feel like I actually knew her. And I got just a glimpse of how much of a loss her death was to the community, and to her friends and family.

A Little too Close for Comfort...

Coming off a crazy week of driving for shows, I was actually really excited to go to Club Cafe, for Shaunna Rai and Vanila Honey-Bush's face-off as P!nk and Kelly Clarkson.  That, is, until the Monday before the show... The Boston Marathon Bombing.

I was at work when the special report came on, cutting off whatever was on. And, I ended up being glued to the tv for the rest of the night. Mostly, because I was trying to figure out how close the bombing was to where the girls were going to be performing.  Being the geek that I am, or the Google King, as Dan likes to call me, I Googled it. Club Cafe was a matter of blocks away from the bombing.  SO, I spent the rest of the week, watching every report I could, about the bombing, and the bomber(s).  And, stressed.

Finally, the time was here, to actually go to Boston. Well, to Lewiston, first, to pick up Miss E'on, and then to Boston.  As there was a car full, the Dragging up, happened before we went to Boston. Instead of packing suitcase upon suitcase, which is the usual for going to a show, the only things we had to pack, were boy clothes, for "the girls".

I had agreed to drive to just outside Boston, but not in Boston. Because, I don't drive in Boston. Like, ever.  So, Shaunna Rai set the GPS to get us there. I don't remember a lot of the conversations, on the way down, other than a couple of things that I said, that amused me. At one point, I was trying to figure out how I was supposed to go 57 cell phone towers, because I didn't get that the m was above the i for miles...and then, when we were coming into town, I said to Dan, "You tricked me! You didn't tell the GPS lady that I wasn't driving in the city."  And, that, is how I came to drive in Boston, for the first time.

Anywho, on the way to Boston, they got the music to do their lip-synch to.  It was a nice 6-7 minute mix that went back and forth between Pink and Kelly.

We got to Boston early, and the girls mingled a little bit. And, I just kind of waited. When they finally opened the doors to let us get in to where the show was going to be, I was ready to find a corner and sit.  I was still a little stressed that I ended up driving in Boston.  I asked the DJ and the host of the show if it was okay to take pictures, because I didn't want to get kicked out for doing something wrong. It was fine. The host, was Chris Knievel, a girl that I had met once before. The first time I met her, she had just found out that I hadn't been to many drag shows, and she gave me a lap dance, to a song, I think, about having a big schlong...

So, Chris does her number, and then brings my girls out.  (Yes, I may feel a little possessive of them, since I spend most of my spare time with them.)  The song starts, and they start playing off each other. And, they start bringing their acrobatics into play. After all, the winner of the contest is chosen by the audience. Vanila brings out a back handspring, and all of a sudden, she's down. And, I'm like, "Oh god, what just happened?" even though I watched what had happened. The floor was slippery, and  the recovery just didn't quite happen. Instead of landing on her feet, she landed on her back.  The only way that we knew that she was okay, was that, while she was catching her breath, she was dancing on her back, with her arms in the air. Shaunna Rai did a split-ish. She has a fishnet scar on her knee now. And Vanila decided to do a split as well. None of which went as it was supposed to.  (I'm thinking that the Boston performers must do less acrobatics?)  Finally, it's time to pick a winner.

Vanila won the money, and Shaunna got a nice booze basket.

After all was said and done, Dan told me that we were staying put for a little while. I wasn't sure what was going on, other than it was strongly suggested that we stay put.

It wasn't until later, that I found out that things were getting blown up, and people were being shot, and, just maybe, one of the bombers was killed...or that, a few hours after we got out of the city, on our way home, that they had the entire city of Boston on lockdown, hunting for the bomber(s).

And, of course, on the way out of the city, we drove by "ground zero" of the bombing. It freaked me out, a bit, because A) this was so close to where they were performing, and B) it reminded me that three people died there, and a whole lot more ended up going to the hospital...some with limbs that had been amputated by the blast...

Needless to say, I was never so glad to get home.