Today marked the 39th Anniversary of the modern birthing forth of our queer liberation. For those who constantly bitch about the necessity for drag being promoted within our community today, I will tell you to take a strong look at what the big mamma's of drag had the courage to do and still do everyday. For by their struggles we are free!
They challenge our community members to be themselves and better the lives of queers now and fags to come. They are a face, a figure head, for the GLBTIQAS Community to the rest of society. As previously stated, in my post a couple of days ago, "The Bars are for Queers, What the Church is for Blacks", Drag Queens are for the Gay Community what the Patron/Matron or Mother/Father of the House or Church is to those within the Pentecostal Movement or the African American Christian Communities.
EDITOR'S UPDATE:
You have to READ this article from 15-July-08
by Eric Leven @ Knuckle Crack via BILERICO!
To the pointe that illustrates this perfectly, even an accomplished Christian author, playwright, and movie and television producer Tyler Perry uses drag to communicate the message of the Gospel and righteous living to the Black Community and all who love the Chronicles of Mable "Madea" Simmons (They are the same person, picture to left).
Pardon me for a moment while my inner baptist black woman comes out for a tour across your mind. She needs no further introduction to the readers of the original F6, a monthly article series, which was published in a traditional publication many years ago, she is Mamma Kahlua Kyler (*see FAQS below).
"Most drag queens today at least in this area don't give two dumps about the history or the future. They is just confused little boyz wanting to play dress up as girls and win the pageants they did not get to as participate in as a child. Yes, I saysd it!"But somewhere over the rainbow on their adventures across the yellow bricked path something clicks (like Dorothy's heels in the ruby slippers) and they begin to realize that their voice has a power for change in the Community! Their presence on stage and in the local arenas is one that makes fundamentalist rile in agony and civil society quiver in fear. That is why certain Drag Queens become pseudo or default leaders within the Community, because while "in character" they have the ability and the definitive power of the people at their disposal and command. Their character or persona can challenge the statistical quotation and educate the public in a similar way to the Vaudeville Shows or Shakespeare's (who used young men in drag on stage for female roles) writings played out on stage. The Drag Queen has the ability to explain and enforce the moral compass of the Community, without necessarily preaching.
Every once in awhile though, as with anyone whom has power or prestige thrust upon them and become default leaders in a Community, that power either corrupts them or makes it almost impossible for them to be challenged or corrected when doing something wrong. That is when some serious drama and rumors develop. It is not just enough to excuse or correct the infraction. However to let it fester and continue, to a point that the damage to the Community is not repairable in the foreseeable future, is even worse and makes for a bad taste in the mouth for all members of the Community.
The problem is created when someone is put into leadership before they learn how to serve the people. I have stated this before several times and will continue to state that: We need to "open every Community institution for review. Bury the skeletons in the ground not back in the closet! We must not make it harder for Community members to self identify as (belonging) by lining their path of realization with (tales of) corruption, greed, scandal, abuse, or outdated stereotypes and reputations", with no merit or historical fact.
LINKS: References and works on Stonewall Riots and the Gay Liberation Movement
Stonewall Revisited | Stonewall and Beyond | Stonewall Movie, 2005 |
FAQS: Drag names are formed by your first pets name and mother's maiden name combined; while porn names, start with your middle initial followed by the first street you lived on.
(using myself eg: R. M. = Ram or Rim Livingston(es), as an example)
VIDEOS: Here are three videos that I think are awesome and have some reference within this post but not directly so please bear with the fact that they are out of sync with the text pretty please.
Day 1 Diner with Rev. Otis Moss of Trinity UCC in Chicago "Guess who is coming to dinner?" The reason for posting this video is because the pastors actually had an open conversation with all sides being heard which before would have hardly ever happened. That shows progress in our fight for equality and recognition as also being made in the image and likeness of GOD!
Chi Chi LaRue speaking out about condom usage even before the SafeSexIsHotSex campaign
Tyler Perry as Madea talking about telling the truth and keeping true people in your life.
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