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.

Death of a Gay Bar...

Here in Portland, there are a group of gays, who on a monthly basis, take over a straight bar, just because they can.  They call themselves Guerrilla Queer Bar.  I understand the "We're Here, We're Queer, Get Over It" mentality.  Because, let's face it, it's 2014, not 1950.  We've become a visible.  

I've never participated in this, because, to be quite frank, even though, it's totally acceptable for a gay man to frequent "straight" establishments, I've never felt comfortable enough to do so. I would much rather spend my time either hanging out at the local "Cheers" environment, where everybody really does know my name...and everything about me, or go to a dance club, where nobody cares who I am.  But, a club where I'm the minority, that's just not my thing.  Maybe I am still living in a 1950's world, but I think we need the gay bars.

Unfortunately, gay bars, in the Easternmost states, are becoming a rare commodity.  When I first came out, the state of Maine had far more than it has now.  Bangor had a couple of bars, Augusta had one, Portland had (I believe) three at one point, and well, Ogunquit being Ogunquit, the gay capitol of Maine, had a couple.  Over the course of the last few years, the bars have been going out of business.  Bangor has "gay friendly" clubs, but none that cater to an exclusively gay clientele.  Augusta has none.  Portland still has two gay bars, which rumor has it, neither is doing as well as they could be...Lewiston, since I met Dan/Shaunna Rai, has had not one, not even two, but three different gay bars open and close.  And, Ogunquit has Mainestreet and the Front Porch (a dance club and a piano bar.)  

And, the blight that has been taking away the Maine gay bars, has moved on to New Hampshire, as well.  Over the summer, Shaunna Rai hosted a bag night at Elements, a bar in Manchester, NH.  And, a couple of weeks later, they announced that they would be closing.  (They've since reopened...)  And, then, this week, Paradym/Club 313 (whichever name you prefer to use, because it's the same club, under different management) announced that this weekend, they would be closing their doors.

Sadly, the state of business for many of these bars, is that everyone believes that they're doing fine, and then, all of a sudden, they're closed for good.  And, who is to blame?  

As a group, we, the gays, like to complain.  He's too ugly, he's too fat, he's too much of a whore.  This club is too dirty.  That club doesn't pay enough attention to their clientele.  This one has the same five performers, every week.  That one has too many performers, but they're always performing the same act.  We're never happy.  We need something newer.  Something flashier.  Something different.

And yet, the community as a whole, goes berserk when something happens to the club that they've been complaining about for years.  

I have some suggestions:

1.)  Instead of forcing ourselves on the straight people, why don't we invite them once in a while, to our world?

2.)  Even if you've seen the same seven drag queens at the same bar for the last seventeen years, performing the same seventeen numbers, let them know that you appreciate what they're doing.  More often than not, they're being paid minimal amounts, and getting by on tips.  

3.)  If you want to keep your gay bars around, so that when you feel like being gay, you can be gay, and nobody will give a fuck, SUPPORT YOUR BARS!!!!  I can't stress this enough.  People bitch the most about the bars that appeared to be doing well, that all of a sudden, BANG, they're gone.  Well, if you had been going there, instead of trying to "make a point of your queerness", maybe they'd still be around...

4.)  If you have suggestions for your bars, of what they could do to make things better, find out who you need to talk to, and talk to them!  The worst thing that can happen, is that they're going to say, "Hey, we tried that, and nobody liked it, but thanks for the idea." The best that can happen is that they say, "OMG! I hadn't even thought about that!  Thanks for the idea.  We'll try that!"  

5.)  A cover charge is not a rip off.  Often times, the cover charge is split between the bar and the entertainment for the evening.  If you're not interested in paying a cover charge, you might want to consider buying your alcohol, and having drinks with friends at home.  (You have less of an opportunity for getting picked up for an OUI that way...)

Some things just can't take the place of other things.  Your straight bar with a "gay night", is never going to take the place of your local Gay Bar.  It's not the same.  It's like saying that a Kindle is the same as reading a real book.  It's not.  While I love my Kindle, while I'm reading on it, I miss actually turning the pages, and the smell of the paper.  

Respect your present, because eventually, it is going to be your past.  And, if things keep going the way they have been over the last couple of years, in Maine and New Hampshire, the Gay Bar scene is going to be non-existent.  

Sure, you can still go play Guerrilla Queer Bar-hopper, but don't forget that you can go to your ACTUAL Queer Bar, and support them.  Because eventually, if we're not supporting our bars, they won't be there.  And we'll start bitching about the lack of a place to go where you can be gay, and not have to worry about being gay.

I Want To Swing From The Chandelier...

Saturday, I started the morning with an open mind. Today was the day that I was going to hear back about the car I looked at, and, it was also Alyssa Edwards at Paradym.

I got a call from the car place, and it was bad news. The check from the insurance company hadn't been received yet, and so, there was nothing they could do this weekend. It would be at least Tuesday before I would hear back...and Tuesday was the last day that I would be able to drive my rental car.

So, I made other plans. I went to a different dealership, and within two hours, was able to walk away with a new car. And, I'd talked my parents into going to Manchester with us to see Alyssa Edwards.

I dropped off the car at Knaughty, so that Dan would have something to drive home. I went out to eat with Mom and Dad, and then a quick shopping trip,  before going back to the house. By the time we got back, Shaunna Rai was putting on face.

While we waited, Mom asked about upcoming shows, and I gave her a preview of what Latrice Royale will be like.

Finally, Shaunna asked me to help with the corset, and then it was time to go. The trip was uneventful, with the exception of a couple of nails popping off, and not having any nail glue. I stopped and got nail glue, and then it was a hop, skip and a jump to Paradym.

Having won my VIP ticket, I expected that I'd be right on the list. And, for some reason, I wasn't, but the bouncer/check in guy let me in, because "it sounds reasonable."

We get there, and our friend Wendy, from the Portsmouth shows, was already there. We had a seat, and I introduced her to my parents.  We got drinks and munched on fries that Wendy had ordered.

Before the show, we talked about blogs and writing books, and coming out stories. Then, it was time for the show.

Alyssa came out with Miss Toni Weaver, who is a regular performer at Paradym, and told us that she had been doing drag do 50 years. (I'm always in awe of the older queens, because I can only imagine the stories they could tell.)

I forget, when I'm in the karaoke room at Paradym, that the best place to be is toward the middle of the room. Only because if you're at the front, the performers are usually really far away, and if you're in the back of the room, you get a lot of back/butt shots and the lights glare in the pictures.

Monique Toosoon, Lady Sabrina, Britney Lynne, Laila McQueen, Candice Caron, Ivy League-O'deria and Miss Toni Weaver, all did their numbers. Laila looked a bit like Ben Dela Creme, and I loved it. Ivy,  came out looking like an ice queen. These girls all nailed it. And then, out comes Alyssa again. She was a lot funnier than I expected.  (I think a lot of my surprise came from her feud with Coco Montrese on her season.)

This time, she performed Sia's Chandelier.  I was very impressed with her. I hadn't seen the music video, at that point, but Dan showed me the next day that Alyssa actually was doing the dance from the video.

A break, then the spotlight show in the other room. Monique, Lady Sabrina, and  then Alyssa. I spend half the time taking pictures and half the time trying to get mom into a better position, so that she can get some pictures...because, Mom is shorter than I am, so if I'm having trouble, then she definitely is.

Then, it's time for the Meet and Greet. This is the part of these shows that I absolutely hate. Not because I think I'm better than a line, but because I'm against rude people in lines. Much like when I met Raven, I didn't know what to say to Alyssa. Alyssa was not originally a Drag Race girl that I liked very much. I was glad that for the most part, the night did not revolve around the Coco Montrese drama from the show. 

Finally, it was time to go. I really enjoyed the night. I was really happy that I got to share the night with my mom, who was more excited that it was Alyssa than I was.

Luck is a Many Splendored Thing

A week ago today, we brought Benni home, to Lewiston, and my world was shaken up. On the way back home, a lady on her way to work, made a left turn and smashed into us. Everyone was ok, with the exception of my having had a meltdown on the side of the road.

Cue a week of stress, dealing with insurance companies, and being told, "Talk to this person," "No, you need to talk to this person." Finally, I got someone to inspect the car. And, it was considered totalled.

So, in the course of a week, I went from having to dragmobile, to more or less, nothing. I have a rental, and I'm working on a new vehicle. But, the point is, luck has not been on my side (and usually isn't).

So, how I managed to win a ticket to see Alyssa Edwards, at Paradym this weekend, is totally beyond me. Maybe,  it was just time for my luck to change? Maybe the Gods (Goddesses?) of drag had a soft spot for me? Anyway, it happened, and I was shocked.  (Partly because I entered, then promptly forgot that I had, because the likelihood of my winning was nil.

Thank you to Paradym, Monique Toosoon, and especially to the person who was unable to make it, who gave back a pair of VIP tickets to be given away. I really needed something like this, this week. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!