08/28/20, Vol. 11 Issue 11

voice

georgia VOL.11 • ISSUE 11

GUEST EDITORIAL

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365

BUSINESS

Principal/Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

EDITORIAL

Deputy Editor: Katie Burkholder

kburkholder@thegavoice.com

Editorial Contributors: Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Aidan Ivory Edwards, Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Jeff Graham, Amy Johnston, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Rose Pelham, Toby

PRODUCTION

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

SALES

Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor dtaylor@thegavoice.com

Sales Executive: Jim Brams jbrams@thegavoice.com

Sales Executive: Darryl McNeil dmcneil@thegavoice.com

Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

Publisher Emeritus: Chris Cash

FINE PRINT

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TheGeorgiaVoice.com

For the Love of

Drag Just Toby

The drag scene in Atlanta is like no other, and when I was asked to be a guest editor for Georgia Voice for its drag issue, I was beyond excited! If you are not familiar with me, let me begin by saying, HEY GIRL, I’m Just Toby! As a photographer, I have captured the drag scene for a little over six years along with my colleague, Martin Kincade. I have worked with most of the queens in the city and have been lucky enough to travel the world photographing the most famous entertainers.

I’m privileged to have been voted Best Local Photographer three years in a row and have been featured in Advocate, Out, Instinct, Pride. com, Netflix, and Hulu, to name a few media outlets. Take a moment a check out my work and follow me on social media: @JustTobyme Drag has always been a source of inspiration for me, and I really cannot put into words how invigorating it is to see. There was a time when I was scared of drag performers — they have a sense of self-confidence and intriguing auras. When I moved to Atlanta from Jacksonville, Florida, I knew the city had a huge community of drag entertainers, and even though I knew a few entertainers back home, I wanted to meet more. I wanted to find a way to have that awesome confidence.

Although, what I really wanted was to get to know the people behind the names: what got them started and how they transformed. I wanted to share that with the world.

Ever since I started photography as a hobby, I wanted to capture the essence of what I was seeing, whether it was a building, children, insects or rocks. My first published work was the cover of an organic chemistry lab book.

Needless to say, I wanted to do the same with drag entertainers and capture the moments that moved me to the core. Atlanta has been great to me. I was able to immerse myself in the drag

Just Toby COURTESY PHOTO

scene and learn so much of a culture that has paved the way for our LGBTQ community.

I love all kinds of drag! The drag scene is made up of all kinds of individuals: cis male, cis female, gay, straight, trans, and from all ethnicities. When I speak of drag, it is inclusive to all the different individuals who are here to open your eyes through their performances and elevated gender expression.

I want to make this point, because many of the people I have encountered outside our community believe drag is a gay man who dresses like a woman; or drag queens/ kings must be trans because they are often expressing gender opposite to their assigned sex (which many associate with gender).

Again, there are all kinds of people who do drag, including those who identify as trans.

This is important to call out: much of what I have learned about drag has been from trans queens, they have educated me and shown me the history of the industry I have been working in for so many years.

Drag is an amazing art form. Every entertainer has a blank canvas to work with every time they

do a performance. What I love most about drag is the transformation: not just physical, but also mental. Most of the entertainers I have worked with are nothing like their drag personas, and it always changes during a specific point in the transformation. I relate to that, because I consider my nickname, Toby, to be my drag name. It gives me that self-confidence and a different perspective to life, whereas the name my parents gave me is beautiful, but triggers a lot of emotional pain. Drag gives entertainers a way to express and understand the person they are inside.

If you live in Atlanta or are planning to visit or live here, make sure you check out our entertainers, because we have a city full of amazing shows and performers. I hope the articles I have written about the scene and business of drag give you a deeper perspective and understanding of what an incredible industry and community it is.

To all those drag entertainers in Atlanta (who I know or don’t know), you ALL inspire me and make Atlanta the drag mecca it is. Be true to yourselves, be good and be good to others, enjoy, and I love you all.

August 28, 2020 Editorial 3

NEWS BRIEFS

Chi Chi DeVayne Dies, APC Hosts Gaga Event, and Judge Blocks Anti-Transgender Trump Rule Staff Reports

Donations can be sent via Venmo (@ wussymag), CashApp ($wussymag), or PayPal (info@wussymag.com).

‘Drag Race’ Alum Chi Chi DeVayne Dies at 34 After weeks in the hospital being treated for pneumonia, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Chi Chi DeVayne has died at the age of 34.

DeVayne’s family posted a statement on her Instagram on August 20 confirming her death.

Federal Judge Blocks Anti-Transgender HHS Rule From Going Into Effect A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s rule removing nondiscrimination protections for transgender people in health care from going into effect.

“On behalf of the Davenport/Wyandon family, it is with tremendous sorry that my family and I announce the passing of my beloved son Zavion Michael Davenport, the world-renowned ‘Chi Chi DeVayne,” the family wrote. “Out of respect for the immediate family, please await additional information and directives regarding the final arrangements, memorials, and the m ethod to remit condolences and expressions of kindness. His final words to his family and fans: ‘Never give up!’”

DeVayne, who competed on season eight and All Stars season three, was diagnosed with scleroderma back in 2018, a condition that attacks the internal organs, according to Out. In a recent Instagram Story, she asked fans for prayers while hooked up to a breathing tube.

RuPaul released a statement on the news of DeVayne’s passing.

“I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of Chi Chi DeVayne,” RuPaul wrote. “I am so grateful that we got to experience her kind and beautiful soul. She will be dearly missed, but never forgotten. May her generous and loving spirit shine down on us all. On behalf of VH1, World of Wonder, and the cast and crew of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” I extend my deepest sympathy, from our family to hers.”

DeVayne is remembered as one of the “Drag Race” greats, best known for her lip sync battle against Thorgy Thor to Jennifer Holiday’s “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” during season eight, which has gone down as one of the best in “Drag Race” herstory.

Atlanta Pride Committee Hosts ‘Goo Goo for Gaga’ Virtual Event In partnership with WUSSY MAG, the Atlanta Pride Committee (APC) is hosting a breakdown on Lady Gaga’s latest album, “Chromatica,” 4 News Briefs August 28, 2020

The rule, which was finalized by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in June, would’ve scrapped Obamaera health care protections which prevented health care providers and insurance companies from denying coverage to transgender individuals.

The rule was set to go into effect on Tuesday, but on August 17, U.S. District Court Judge Frederic Block said it contradicts a recent Supreme Court ruling that extended federal civil rights law that protects on the basis of sex to include gay and transgender employees.

Screenshot photo

After weeks in the hospital being treated for pneumonia, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Chi Chi DeVayne has died at the age of 34.

featuring some Atlanta drag favorites.

“Since we can’t be in the club serving this album up ancient city style, we decided to call up some Little Monsters of our own to dissect Gaga’s latest album,” APC said of the event.

The event, hosted by Brigitte Bidet and Ella/Saurus/Rex of Good Judy Podcast, will feature original music, comedy, sketches, drag, and more. Featured guests include Blaire Erskine, Dotte Com, HRO, Olive Lynch, JayBella Banks, Joanie Drago, Octavia Leona Kohner, Julian Modugno, Nathan Pearson, SHI, and Geneva Blaus.

The event will stream on WUSSY MAG’s Twitch (twitch.tv/wussymag) on Saturday, August 29 from 8-11pm. A donation of $10 is suggested to support the performers and tech crew involved in the digital production.

“When the Supreme Court announces a major decisions, it seems a sensible thing to pause and reflect on the decision’s impact,” Block wrote in the preliminary injunction.

“Since HHS has been unwilling to take that path voluntarily the Court now imposes it.”

The injunction comes after a number of LGBTQ advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on behalf of transgender women Tanya AsapansaJohnson Walker and Cecilia Gentili, sued the administration over the rule. HRC President Alphonso David celebrated the injunction, calling it a “crucial early victory.”

“This is a crucial early victory for our plaintiffs, Tanya and Cecilia, and for the entire LGBTQ community, particularly those who are multiply marginalized and suffering disproportionately from the impacts of the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racialized violence,” David said in a statement. “We are please the court recognized this irrational rule for what it is: discrimination, plain and simple.

LGBTQ Americans deserve the health care that they need without fear of mistreatment, harassment, or humiliation.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

CELEBRITY CLOSE-UP!

Celebrity Brief (THE DRAG EDITION)

Whether they’re from “Drag Race” or “Dragula,” some of the biggest names in drag have somethin’ to say! Some of our favorite queens talk voting, the election, and living life to the fullest.

“Why is it that whenever a black person gets close to the presidential office they [sic] citizenship is called into question?”

— Bob the Drag Queen (Twitter)

“You can deposit a check and have the funds available in under 60 seconds with your phone so why is election voting such a raggedy ass tumble weed of a charade?”

— Katya (Twitter)

(PHOTOS VIA FACEBOOK)

“There are people out there who make it a point to make [LGBTQ] lives miserable, some that make it a point to take our lives away.

I’m not going to make easy for them to do either! I’m fighting every step of the way!”

— Mariah Balenciaga (Twitter)

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

“Never take anything for granted. Tomorrow is never [guaranteed]. Tell your queer fam you love them.”

— Biqtch Puddin’ (Twitter)

August 28, 2020 Celebrity Close-Up! 5

FEATURE

The Business of Drag Just Toby

Pride, who provide huge platforms and events for our community. Many of these performances have show directors — like Edie Cheezburger, Phoenix, and Maya Rose Monroe — who are responsible for booking entertainers, creating an ambiance, and making sure a show stands out.

Many people do not think twice about drag as a business. In reality, drag has become a multimillion-dollar industry over the past decade, largely due to the influence of the popular VH1 show “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” When I first started working, some of my closest friends were worried there weren’t enough drag queens to photograph.

The truth is … there’s an abundance of entertainers, and I want to capture more!

Entertainers are paid anywhere from $50 to $30,000 per show, depending on who is entertaining. This inconsistency did not just start with shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” although they did have a huge impact; this variability already existed in the pageant community with queens who had made a name for themselves. These differences can be huge, and many refer to it as the “local queen” fee versus the “RuPaul” fee.

Creating Your Look Becoming a drag entertainer is not easy or cheap. I recently spoke with Jaye Lish, from Costumes, Etc. and a cast member of “The Other Show,” about the expected cost of creating a character. Jaye said basic makeup can run from $100–$500+, ranging in type from drug store, to theatrical, to luxury, and brushes can go from under $50 to $75.

Wigs that can be bought at a beauty shop — shake-n-go versus a custom style — can range from $40–$600+. In this city, we have a few people who style and create wigs, like NavarreCreations, Gigi Monroe, and Katy Cakes Taylor.

You will also need a pair of shoes, on which can really spend whatever you want. Jaye recommends having at least a good beige and black heel that can last about two years. If you desire curves, you may consider buying or making some pads to create them, which can cost from $40–$150+. To get the pads to hold, you will want to get various pairs of tights. Most queens use 4–6 pairs, which can range from $6–$18 per pair.

Many entertainers have bras, and some have bandages to flatten their chests. Either of these can be around $20. If you want to fill up your bras, you have various options, such as silicone breasts or breastplates, which range from $300–500 a plate and can be found at Elea’s Closet. Jaye also reminded me about razors; many entertainers need to shave. These can add about $30 a month to your cost.

6 Feature August 28, 2020

Jaye Lish, from Costumes, Etc. and a cast member of “The Other Show.”

Tours are how many of the well-known queens make their money, either with a production company (like Voss Events and Murray & Peter Presents) or on their own (like Bianca Del Rio, Coco Peru, and Lady Bunny). Ticket sales can range from $50 to more than $150, and most tours sell out in many cities. During these tours, entertainers can sell their merchandise, like shirts, pins, prints, books, music, hair, and makeup. Some well-known queens have reached millionaire status through these diverse ways of managing their brand.

Appearances at conventions like RuPaul’s Drag Con — where fans can spend over $10 million in merch in just a few days! — are also highly profitable.

But that’s not all yet! We haven’t gotten to jewelry, clothes, or accessories, and those expenses really add up. Local businesses that cater to these needs include Costumes, Etc., Chris Tyler Designs, House of Canney, Taejah Thomas, and Elea’s Closet. When Jaye started doing drag, she was spending about $150 a month and shopped at Ross or thrift stores. By her third year, her monthly spending ran up to about $5,000.

At the end of the day, drag entertainers are investing in themselves as a brand while helping other gay businesses succeed. Drag is not easy, but it can be profitable. Next time you see a queen — no matter if they are new, seasoned, or famous — tip them a dollar, or make noise by clapping or snapping your fingers. Let them know you appreciate their hard work. After all, entertainers are there working for you to enjoy.

Photo by Just Toby

Once you have your look, you then want to

have professional shots made for promotion.

I would say that most can run from $150 to a couple of thousand. Photographers in town like me, who specialize in drag photography, are Jon Dean, Blake England, Mark Morin, KenDollMix, and Just Toby’s team member, Martin Kincade.

The Business of Show Business Atlanta has a variety of shows at bars around the city, as well as folks like WUSSY magazine, House of ALXNDR, and Atlanta

Read the full article at thegavoice.com TheGeorgiaVoice.com

FEATURE

Memoirs of the Atlanta Drag Scene Just Toby When Georgia Voice reached out to me to write about the Atlanta drag scene, my first thought was “OMG, that’s a lot, and how much space can I get?” We live in a city that has an extraordinary amount of talent and all kinds of performance styles. When friends from out of town ask me where to see drag, I ask, “What kind of drag are you wanting to see?” If my friends ask for clarification about “kinds” of drag, I suggest, as examples, Midtown, East Atlanta Village (EAV), “Drag Race,” campy drag, drag kings, the circuit scene, and dine-in experiences like LIPS, among many others. I give them a general picture to gauge what they want to experience. One style or scene does not necessarily exclude others. In fact, you will find that many of the entertainers within particular scenes often intertwine with the more general city scene.

Most of the action and shows happen within the MIDTOWN AREA. For decades, Midtown has been the “gay center” of Atlanta (complete with a rainbow crosswalk). Bars like Blake’s on the Park, Midtown Moon, MSR (My Sister’s Room), Friends on Ponce, X Midtown, Oscar’s, Felix’s, Marquette Lounge, Heretic, BJ Roosters, Sequel, and Mixx have provided a space for entertainers to perform.

When I think of the Midtown queens, I think of camp, pageant, edgy, trending drag. Blake’s is where most folks go to see shows like “Celestial Fridays,” hosted by Celeste Holmes; “House of Brooks,” hosted by Nicole Paige Brooks; or “Supersize Sunday Show,” hosted by Edie Cheezburger; which include a plethora of diverse entertainers, including Atlanta icons Raquell Lord and Shawnna Brooks. Across the street is X Midtown, which before COVID-19 held a few shows, such as Industry Night, usually hosted by Mona Lott, Raquel Heart, and Tristan Panucci.

If you head north to the Ansley Mall area, you will find yourself surrounded by bars.

At Midtown Moon you will always find a drag entertainer at almost any time of the day. When I first moved to Atlanta, I was in 8 Feature August 28, 2020

Photo by Just Toby

The drag queens of “The Other Show” (Clockwise from bottom center): Edie Cheezburger, Molly Rimswell, Jay Lish, Taejah Thomas, and Or Child.

“The Square” many times, where I was really introduced to the Atlanta drag scene. Other shows I have seen here include Phoenix’s “Dancefloor Divas,” Brigitte Bidet’s “Tossed Salad,” “The Other Show,” “Divas of the Moonlight,” “Madames of the Moonlight,” and “The Ruby Redd Show.”

Across from Midtown Moon, you’ll find Oscar’s, which has hosted many drag events and shows, like “Cherry Jubilee”; and Felix’s, with Lady Gray’s “Jueves Calientes” and Mo’Dest Volgare’s “Wild Out Wednesday.”

Other Show,” which I consider to be my drag family. “The Other Show” started after Edie won a local competition, Phoenix’s “Dragnificent/Dragnique,”over five years ago. It features a group of newer performers

I want to focus on Edie Cheezburger’s “The

CONTINUES ON PAGE 9 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

FEATURE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

well-known drag entertainer in the city, to try to capture the essence of these scenes: Stars of the Century is all about glamour, impersonations, illusion, pageant girls, and glam entertainers. Taejah said it is also cutthroat, perhaps because everyone is looking to see that performers are giving audiences life from head to toe. When I asked Taejah why there is so much love and admiration for this show, she said many have been fans of these entertainers for decades, having grown with them as they won or lost pageants and created names for themselves. In short, they’re family.

focused on types of drag, art, and performance that were different from the mainstream.

Hosted by Edie Cheezburger and Jaye Lish, “The Other Show” has had internationally recognized cast mates, such as Violet Chachki (Season 7 Winner on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Abhora (Winner of Drag Queen of the Year), Biqtch Puddin’ (Season 2 “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula” Winner), and the chameleonic Evah Destruction. You can find TOS online on Friday nights at 9pm until the pandemic is over.

“Wild Out Wednesday”, hosted by Mo’Dest Volgare and Nicole Paige Brooks — which had a few locations before the pandemic — is now online and truly something you do not want to miss. They are hysterical and always pushing boundaries, getting wild with entertainers from the city and all over the country.

Not too far from this Midtown scene is the CIRCUIT/NIGHTCLUB. This type of drag had a huge impact on me when I was coming out in the early 2000s. To best describe it, imagine yourself at a club listening to some amazing trance remix of your favorite song , when suddenly lights go out, fog is pumped into the air, another song you love starts, the lights are turned on, and there before you is a queen in a gag-worthy outfit, giving you a dance choreographed to the beat, accompanied by lasers and strobe lights.

When it finishes, the queen disappears — either with another blackout or slowly fading along with the song. If you remember Jungle, you might have an idea of what it is like when Phoenix or Kyra Mora perform. You can experience shows like this at events at the Heretic, as well as events from Keith Young, responsible for GA Boy Productions, Xion, Peach Party, and soon to open in Downtown: Future. The latter will be hosting world acclaimed DJs, a weekly drag cabaret, and “Fantasy Girls” hosted by Phoenix.

Another drag scene I am a huge fan of is the one coming out of the EAV, sometimes referred to as the VILLAGE QUEENS, known for including many varieties of performances and entertainers. Ground zero in this scene is Mary’s, an amazing establishment which asserts of itself, “named TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Photo by Just Toby

Phoenix will be hosting “Fantasy Girls,” world acclaimed DJs, and a weekly drag cabaret at the soon to open club Future in Downtown Atlanta.

Best Gay Bar in USA by LOGO!” and “one of the Top 50 Gay Bars in the World by OUT magazine.” Mary’s is a neighborhood bar that has been home to many talented performers. They are edgy, punk, alternative, and retro, with passion and statements in their performances. Their energy is insane.

Shows like Gurl Frandz and Glitz have also showcased both well-known queens and artists just starting out.

Other drag scenes I am greatly intrigued by and that have been immensely influential in

the gay world in general are ballroom, Stars of the Century, and pageant. Once again, Atlanta is a huge hub for these particular styles of drag. Although they are their own separate subcultures, their entertainers intermingle with each other.

STARS OF THE CENTURY (STOC) — one of the longest-running shows in Atlanta — is usually on Mondays, but has had multiple homes during the week. The last venue that hosted this epic show was Heretic.

I had a conversation with Taejah Thomas, a

THE BALLROOM SCENE is an entity in itself, which dates back in the ’80s.

This is a space where people “walk” the runway in various categories, including mix performance, dance, lip syncing, and modeling. The “House Ballroom” community is not all about drag; drag is present, but it doesn’t define this scene.

Nevertheless, many queens/kings and pageant entertainers have emerged from it.

An amazing part of the ballroom scene are the ballroom houses, which gain notoriety based on how their members walk the runway and the trophies they win. Some houses are well known, like Balenciaga, Mizrahi, Gucci, LaBeija, and Xtravaganza.

There are four levels one can achieve in ballroom: Star, Statement, Legend, and Icon (which is the highest). Atlanta has some of the most legendary and iconic entertainers in the ballroom scene: Raquell Lord, Mariah Paris Balenciaga, and Necole Luv Dupree, among many others. Folks who go to either SOTC or ballrooms can be seen at venues like Mixx, Lips, Blake’s on the Park, Marquette Lounge, Bulldogs, and Heretic.

THE PAGEANTRY SYSTEM is like the Oscars of drag. Before “RuPaul’s Drag Race” became what it is today, pageant girls were the drag celebrities, traveling the country and displaying their talents. Entertainers are judged overall by what they present to their peers and panels of judges. A pageant girl is poised, with gorgeous gowns, amazing makeup, impeccable hair, and talent that gives you every ounce of life.

Atlanta has quite a few well-known pageants: Georgia Continental, Georgia US of A, CONTINUES ON PAGE 10 August 28, 2020 Feature 9

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SWEET TEA, a queer variety show; and Chug, a monthly drag show at Georgia Beer Garden on Edgewood Ave. I’m also known for my work through Southern Fried Queer Pride, a queer arts organization and festival I cofounded in 2014. I am the current reigning best drag queen and best LGBTQ performer in Atlanta by Creative Loafing. My drag is everywhere — from DIY warehouse parties to your local bar to music arenas and stadiums.”

Georgia Entertainer of the Year, Black Universe, Wessland, Sweetheart, Black America, and Renaissance. They all have different requirements, but winning one these titles is like winning an Oscar. Because Atlanta has a huge pageant presence, you can see these entertainers all over town. Some of the pageant queens in town I consider royalty are Raquell Lord, Tamisha Iman, Necole Luv Dupree, Shavonna Brooks, Shawnna Brooks, Celeste Holmes, and Trinity K. Bonet (although the list can go on for days). There are also a few local pageants like Atlanta Pride Pageant (organized by Billy Ledford), the Joining Hearts Pageant, and Miss Edgewood.

Another scene I love is the CAMP SCENE. Camp is an aesthetic that appeals because of its bad taste or ironic value. It is fun, creative, crazy, and exaggerated. There are two groups of drag in Atlanta that are the definition of camp for me: The Armorettes and the Possums (formerly the East Point Possums). I spoke with John Jeffrey, a community leader who has been involved with the Armorettes, the Possums and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. He said, “The Possums are a little different in that they are more what some would call ‘booger drag.’ We are not trying to look like women, we are merely amplifying a look, a style, or an image of something that we try to put a form to or portray at that particular time. As it relates to community, the Possums are a once a year thing that raise funds for the community. Our motto is doing good work through bad drag.”

The Armorettes are closer to camp and comedy queens who perform for HIV and AIDS charity fundraising; they have raised more than $2.2 million dollars! I also mention the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, even though they are technically not drag. Rather, they are “an order of 21st century nuns dedicated to the manifestation of cosmic joy through freedom of expression, charitable acts, community outreach, and social activism,” according to their website. John said, “The goal of the Sisters is to be community-based with a common white face and similar traits for a coronet that each house wears and that is unique. The Sisters are a community-based group started in San Francisco more than 10 Feature August 28, 2020

In case you are wondering, at the moment who the House of Alxndr consists of: Molly Rimswell, SZN Alxndr, Aries Alxndr, Avana Alxndr, Ruby Fiasco and Canzara SZN. The drag king scene is also big in Atlanta.

I recently chatted with one of my favorite kings, Perka $exxx, who said that “the king scene is very diverse and is expanding over time, and I am happy to see it grow.” You can see kings all over town, at Mary’s, Sequel, My Sister’s Room, and Midtown Moon. Some of the best-known kings in Atlanta are LJ Van Pelt, Mr. Elle Aye, Aries Alxndr, Channing Taint, Devin Liquor and Davey Swinton.

Photo via Facebook

Taylor Alxndr of the House of Alxndr, created three staple Atlanta shows: AMEN, a monthly show at Sister Louisa’s Church on Edgewood Ave; SWEET TEA, a queer variety show; and Chug, a monthly drag show at Georgia Beer Garden on Edgewood Ave.

40 years ago. The main connection between them and the Possums is that they raise money for community groups.”

I also want to highlight WUSSY Magazine, as well as Taylor Alxndr and the House of Alxndr, for their role in shaping the city.

WUSSY is a Southern + Queer magazine based in Atlanta that encourages the discussion of politics, art, and expression from the perspective of Southern queers.

Founded in May 2015, WUSSY has attracted a dedicated following of readers looking for a curated, singular, queer-centric point of view. WUSSY has been nothing but an amazing force in this city, creating events and showcasing impeccable artists. WUSSY has hosted events all over Atlanta, covering a wide range of entertainment, as well as

online content highlighting the happenings in the scene, current queer issues, and minority advocacy. Recently, they launched a podcast called “Good Judy,” “for queer culture, art, and politics hosted by two Atlanta queens, Ellasaurus Rex and Brigitte Bidet, that comes out every Tuesday.”

Taylor Alxndr and their drag house are influential power brokers. Alxndr started performing in drag in 2012. Alxndr said, “Drag, for me, is a performance of exaggerated gender, that anyone can participate in. When I started, drag was an outlet for all my talents — music, hosting, graphic design, community organizing, and much more.

Since starting drag, I have created three staple Atlanta shows: AMEN, a monthly show at Sister Louisa’s Church on Edgewood Ave;

There are also shows in Atlanta known for helping drag performers get their start.

Friends on Ponce has a show called “New Faces,” created by the late Regina Simms, where people who are starting out showcase their drag. For many established queens, New Faces was their first show. Amber Divine also has a show called “Divine Faces,” which was in Douglasville for a bit but has recently changed locations. It showcases drag that you do not normally see in the city.

Everyone should also be aware of Ruby Redd, who has various shows in town, including “BirdCage Bingo” and Ruby Redd’s “Redd Light District.”

The Atlanta drag scene is magical and has so much to offer. I encourage you to see these entertainers, tip them, and appreciate all the hard work they do to entertain us.

Although I probably missed many aspects of the Atlanta drag scene that I am unaware of or forgot, I hope I was able to shine a light on aspects of the drag scene you did not know about. If I missed something, let me know by sending a message on social media at @JustTobyme.

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FEATURE

Destruction After “Dragula” Evah Destruction talks her reality TV experience and how her drag has grown since

were ever a time for me to come back and do it again, I think you would see a much different monster.

What did you learn from “Dragula” and how did it allow you and your drag to grow over the last year?

Drag always taught me that body hair was not it. For the longest time, I either shaved from the chest up or I catered my closet to the hair with high necks. It was always uncomfortable hiding something that was a part of me. Episode five, Trash Queen, was my moment when I realized I don’t care if [my body hair] is out. That’s when I started listening to my brain and said, “You’re going to do what you think is fun.”

Katie Burkholder In a 2016 interview with Georgia Voice, Evah Destruction said it was her five-year goal to be on TV. Only three years later, her moment came in the form of Season Three of “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula.” “Dragula” is unlike any other show on television. The competition features alternative drag artists — queens, kings, and everyone in between — who embody horror, filth, and glamour as they compete for the title of America’s Next Drag Super Monster. Every week, those whose drag doesn’t meet the mark are up for “extermination” — and it’s just as bad as it sounds. To avoid extermination, competitors must take part in disturbing, painful, and frightening challenges.

I’ve literally changed Evah like night and day: one minute she was wearing rhinestones and sparkle and clean-cut shapes, and the next she’s this grungy, gritty, werewolf rocker bitch.

The biggest reward from “Dragula” was the confidence to make that change and finally take my drag into my own hands and do it for me.

While she’s since taken her talents to the great state of Texas, Destruction is a name well known in the Atlanta scene. We sat down with the self-proclaimed Glamour Sasquatch to discuss the show, how things have changed since the premiere a year ago, and what she hopes for Season Four.

Warning: light spoilers ahead!

Quotes have been edited for clarity. For the full interview, visit thegavoice.com.

Evah Destruction

What would you like to see from “Dragula” Season Four?

Something I heard on the Boulet Brothers’ podcast that I thought was a good point: I would love to see a pageant queen go on there, an ice cold bitch who knows she’s the shit.

They’re definitely looking for alternative drag, but there are a lot of creative pageant queens that do go against the norms in the pageant scene that I would love to see on the show.

PHOTO BY JUST TOBY

Dragula is not for the faint of heart. How were you feeling when you learned you were going to be on the show? [“Dragula”] is a complete roller coaster of emotions. It’s more psychologically intense [than “Drag Race”]. It taps into your fears, and when I got cast there was a lot of excitement, but I definitely had a lot of those anxiety spells where I was just like, “What have I gotten myself into?” That’s when I binge watched seasons one and two; I studied the show in and out because I needed to frame my mind into expecting pain, disgusting and horrific events to take place.

14 Feature August 28, 2020

You did extremely well in the competition, securing two wins before your extermination in episode seven, but you ultimately didn’t win the crown. If you were to do it all over again now, one year later, is there anything you would’ve done differently?

As Evah, I was able to commit to that character 100%, no falter. As Alex, though, there was a lot of stuff during the competition that psychologically shook me to my core that I wasn’t prepared to deal with on TV. I think I should’ve just pushed myself

to have more fun and relax, because being who I am with the following I have, people had really high expectations of me. I think that pressure got to my head. I didn’t want to fuck up or say something wrong, and I didn’t want to present myself in a way that wasn’t how I’ve always carried myself.

At the same time, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword: yeah, I want to have fun, but I’m also competing for $25,000 and the crown.

I definitely have some regrets, but if there

I have very high expectations for Season Four. I want to see some real fighters that will be able to take an extermination challenge without a problem. I want people to gross me out, I want to be freaked out, I want to see some frightening shit.

As far as exterminations go, I want the Boulets to kick their asses, too! I want them to suffer!

You can stream “Dragula Season Three” on Netflix and watch Evah Destruction perform live every Tuesday night at 10pm at twitch.tv/theonlymadd TheGeorgiaVoice.com

FEATURE

Not Just Entertainment: Drag as Community Activism Rose Pelham

In the 20th century, drag performers would remain at the forefront of the LGBTQ political action in the Compton’s Cafeteria riot and the Stonewall rebellion. In the wake of the latter, Marsha P. Johnson, a trans woman and drag performer, would co-found Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries — or STAR for short — alongside fellow trans woman and drag queen Sylvia Rivera.

Drag performers have always been mixing art with the cause of creating a better world.

Atlanta is, of course, the drag capital of the southeastern United States, with a drag scene that is rivaled only by cities like New York and San Francisco. The city is home to innumerable drag queens and kings from diverse backgrounds, as well as the longest running drag queen troupe in the country, the Armorettes.

The Armorettes were founded 41 years ago in 1979, taking their name from the gay club the Armory, in order to raise money for HIV/ AIDS care. At the time, AIDS had only just arrived in the United States and was referred to as “Gay Related Immune Deficiency,” or “GRID,” and the institutions tasked with public health largely dismissed concerns about the then-mysterious virus as it became an epidemic. The LGBTQ community had to pool its resources to confront the killer plague on its own, while activists like Larry Kramer dedicated themselves to demanding the federal government act. Community fundraising, through groups like the Armorettes, was crucial to community survival.

The Armory club no longer stands, having been replaced by an apartment building, but the Armorettes are still thriving and posting live shows on their Facebook page during this pandemic.

Though the HIV/AIDS pandemic is no longer at its height, Georgia has the highest rate of people living with HIV of any state in the country, according to the CDC. Other Atlanta drag performers have their causes that they perform in support of.

Atlanta drag queen, SHI, has been named a drag TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Today, drag remains transgressive for its blurring of gender boundaries, even though it is no longer criminalized in the United States. Programs like Drag Queen Story Hour––which is aimed at providing positive LGBTQ role models for children as well as promoting tolerance — are still targeted by homophobic groups, and in some nations, like Russia, drag remains illegal.

Photo by Darin Kamnetz

Brita Filter performs for Drag Out the Vote

ambassador for Drag Out the Vote, a national, nonpartisan, voter registration organization that seeks to use drag performances to encourage voter turnout.

On its website, Drag Out the Vote cites a 2019 study showing that one-fifth of the LGBTQ community eligible to vote is not registered to do so. According the study, there are currently 9 million registered LGBTQ voters. While that number is relatively small in terms of the scale of the U.S. electorate, in a close election LGBTQ turnout rates could be decisive.

Drag’s involvement in social causes has its roots in a long history of drag performers engaging in activism to demand that LGBTQ equality be recognized and respected.

The first modern drag queen, William Dorsey Swann, was a Black gay man and former slave.

Swann, who was known as “the Queen,” hosted drag balls in Washington, D.C. beginning in the 1880s, where other Black gay men would come in drag to have a party, risking arrest and police raids.

Swann’s drag balls would become the locus of the first LGBTQ political organizing in opposition to police repression in the aftermath of a police raid that sent Swann to prison on the false charge of maintaining a brothel.

Swann’s drag balls would become a template for the subsequent development of the cultural form of the drag performance, while the organized response against the oppression Swann and others who attended the balls faced would become some of the first instances of LGBTQ action for equality.

Last year, drag queen Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker was invited to do a drag queen story hour in the Alpharetta branch of the Fulton County library system, but faced a homophobic backlash and the library system canceled the event. In response, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms invited Miss Sugarbaker to do Drag Queen Story Hour at Atlanta city hall.

In October, Georgia Voice published an article about Drag Queen Story Hour at Posman Books, including an interview with drag queen and comedian Brent Star. Star spoke about the event as an ideal setting for introducing kids to drag queens. As Conswella Bennet wrote: “Brent said young children are going to find out about drag queens, so ‘what better way to introduce them to drag queens than with the story hour with their parents.’”

While the pandemic has disrupted drag shows everywhere, we can reliably expect that so long as there are drag queens and kings, drag activism will continue.

August 28, 2020 Feature 15

FEATURE

Drag in the Age of COVID-19 Conswella Bennett

have been able to reach more people.

For many local drag queens, this spring was the last time they performed in front of a crowded audience. No one would ever have expected that the much-loved and entertaining drag queen performances would ever stop. But just as spring flowers were beginning to bloom, it all came to a halt due to the COVID-19 virus.

Volgare said that the most challenging part of the virtual shows is mastering the technology. In an effort to help others, she has posted several video tutorials on YouTube. You can find links to the tutorials at linktr.ee/MoDestVolgare.

Brooks and Volgare have had well-known special guests, including former Atlanta drag queen and Season two of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Sonique and porn star Jazmin Balenciaga, and most recently they were joined by Balenciaga’s alter ego, Domino Presley. As with the show that was held at Noni’s, Brooks said they continue to give away a $100 prize, provided by show sponsor Night Owl Atl, to the performer who receives the most votes.

In an effort to decrease the number of cases, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency and prohibited gatherings of 50 or more people in March. Under the city’s Phase 1 plan, only necessary trips for food, medical care and work were allowed.

But it wouldn’t take long for drag queens everywhere to look for other avenues to perform and try to make some income. So it was no surprise that some found their way onto virtual platforms to entertain.

Atlanta’s energetic drag queen, Taejah Thomas, went all out when she decided to venture into the world of virtual drag shows.

“One thing I learned during the pandemic is when there’s no work, you create it,” Thomas said.

In an interview with Georgia Voice, Thomas said that after seeing her friend and fellow drag entertainer, season six of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Trinity K. Bonet, as well D’Asia Cassadine doing virtual shows, she was moved to put on her own production.

The plan was to put on a one-time virtual drag show for her birthday on April 19.

Overwhelmed by the support she received, she decided to continue to put on virtual shows on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Thomas was determined to give her audience a “real” show experience when they viewed her DollHouse virtual show, even building a whole set in her house to look like a stage in a club.

Besides herself, Thomas invites guest 16 Feature August 28, 2020

Clockwise from top left: The behind the scenes computer setup of the “Wild Out Wednesday” show. (Photo by Mo’Dest Volgare); Sophia Macintosh serves as host and performs during the DollHouse virtual shows. (Photo by Taejah Thomas); Taejah Thomas performing during one of her DollHouse virtual shows in her home. (Photo by Taejah Thomas); The virtual set of the Wild Out show with Nicole Paige Brooks and Mo’Dest Volgare. (Photo by Mo’Dest Volgare)

performers who aren’t working other virtual shows. Other times, she makes the guest selections interactive and lets fans make requests via Facebook. “The people made the request, and I made it happen for them,” she said.

Two other local entertainers also decided to take their popular “Wild Out Wednesday” show virtual. Well known drag queen and season two of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum, Nicole Paige Brooks, and Mo’Dest Volgare hosted “Wild Out Wednesday” at Noni’s in Edgewood prior to the COVID-19 virus. Although they weren’t the first to

“Virtual shows have been a great way for performers to continue to hone their craft and make some money. Brooks said, “It’s been helpful to have a creative outlet. It’s been helpful for my sanity.” In both Thomas’ show and the “Wild Out” show there is no charge to view, but there is an opportunity to make donations; the performers’ Venmo and CashApp information is provided during shows.

put on a virtual show, Brooks said the idea to transition their “Wild Out” show into a virtual one was an organic process. Brooks said Volgare, who had most of the technical and computer experience, said they could still put on their show and have contestants send in their crazy videos, have special guests Skype into the show and performers send in their talent.

While the virtual shows haven’t brought in as much money as in-person, the virtual shows are a way for them to reach larger audiences.

“Every guest that I have invited was actually happy to be back on stage performing,” Thomas said. “The only downside was that they didn’t have the ability to connect with the audience like when performing in a club. But they were excited to reach another audience virtually.” The virtual platform has also provided an opportunity for someone who may have never seen a drag show to see one online.

For Volgare, the shutdowns came at a good time, because she had been looking for ways to get out of the bars and into an online presence.

At Noni’s they had small audiences on hand for their funny and explicit shows, but now they

Information on upcoming DollHouse shows can be found on Zedyc L. Thomas’ Facebook page. To watch “Wild Out Live” and send in submissions, visit wildoutlive.com.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

FEATURE

A History of Atlanta Drag Bars Backstreet, Armory among the giants that have entertained the masses over the years

Crazy Ray’z. “I honestly took inspiration from every performer I saw,” Pitts says. “I was like a sponge absorbing everything I could from each performance … The one performer who impacted me most was probably Lily White because she was so totally different than any other performer out there.”

Jim Farmer While it’s impossible to list every local establishment that has hosted drag over the years, many have stood out. Acknowledged as one of the first Atlanta bars that featured drag is Sweet Gum Head, a premiere drag bar during the 1970s on Cheshire Bridge Road. It presented entertainers such as Rachel Wells and Lavita Allen.

Manning Harris, an Atlanta writer, has vivid recollections of going there frequently, enjoying the performers in a packed house.

Its chief competitor during that time was the Locker Room, where Lily White was the headliner. Another performer who made noise during this time was Diamond Lil.

Jim Marks — also known as Bubba Dee — has been doing drag since 1989, the year he moved here. That same year he auditioned to be an Armorette and was part of the troupe until 2001. For 10 years he performed at Nickiemoto’s, as well as regular gigs at Red Chair Atlanta and Amsterdam. Bubba Dee also hosted PALS Bingo. These days Bubba is a regular performer at Lips Atlanta, which hosts drag events five nights a week. “It’s like Vegas style entertainment, like going to the Fox Theatre,” Dee says. “At Lips we see 200 people on any night and at Sunday brunch. It’s an opportunity to see some of the best costumes and drag Atlanta has to offer in a very nice environment.” Unusually, Lips brings in many non-LGBTQ attendees as well.

Other early bars of note included Weekends and Illusions, where a young RuPaul got his start, often performing with Lady Bunny, who was RuPaul’s roommate for a while.

Numbers, The Cove, The Answer, Chuck’s Rose Room, Hollywood Hots, The Onyx Bar, and the lesbian bar, Tallulah’s, were also known for drag acts.

During the post-Backstreet, post-Armory years, a newer generation of performers has made noise locally and nationally.

The most prominent of those is Violet Chachki, who won the seventh season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Photo via Facebook

In the late 1980s and 1990s, the Armory and Backstreet became the main hubs for drag. The Armory would hold events with its legendary Armorettes, who began their 41-year-career in 1979. The troupe knew how to entertain a crowd and competition to become an Armorette was fierce. Tony Kearney, also known as Atlanta drag performer Wild Cherry Sucret, was an Armorette from 2000 — 2010, but even he didn’t make it in on his first try.

Meanwhile, Backstreet, literally next door on Peachtree Street and open 24/7, was thriving with its wildly popular (and naughty) “Charlie Brown’s Cabaret,” which started in 1991 and also featured Shawnna Brooks. “Celebrities used to go to that show, 18 Feature August 28, 2020

Drag performers like Lily White (pictured above), Charlie Brown, and others were mainstays at the various Atlanta drag bars.

such as Janet Jackson. That place was always packed,” says Kearney. An HBO special on the performer gave Brown and Backstreet even more visibility.

As prolific — and as near to each other as they were — the two bars strived to keep their own identity. “They were not competitors, but were similar,” says Kearney. “But you would never see Motion (from the Armory) at Backstreet or Shawnna go to the Armory.

It did not happen. You had your own home turf, and that is where you worked.”

The landscape of the city, though, changed

forever in 2004, with the Armory closing that year and Backstreet following suit.

These closings sent shockwaves through the community and scrambled the nature of drag. “When those two big bars closed and there were no venues, that’s when people started working with different bars,” says Kearney. “It changed the dynamic. We did things we weren’t used to doing.”

Richard Cherry, also known as Mary Edith Pitts, is a native Atlantan who has done drag for 30 years. She got her start by entering and winning the Ms. Backstreet 1990 contest.

Soon afterward, she started performing at

As prolific as drag is these days, with more in the way of diversity, Dee, Pitts and Sucret still believe the drag heyday for Atlanta was in the late 1980s and 1990s. “The bar was raised so high and the diversity of quality drag was legendary,” says Pitts. “Everything from campy (The Armorettes) to glamour (Backstreet, Burkhart’s) was easily accessible to the club goer.”

“Midtown Moon and Blake’s are the bars now that have constant drag shows, three or four days a week,” says Kearney. “But at the Armory and Backstreet, you could go there every day and see a drag show. You don’t see that anymore.”

Read the full story at thegavoice.com TheGeorgiaVoice.com

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

August 28, 2020 Ads 19

JIM FARMER ACTING OUT

Broadway Murder Mysteries Debuts New Virtual Game “Drag Race” veteran Ginger Minj in cast of newest entry Monica Hammond is well known in Broadway circles, serving as the Director of Marketing for Davenport Theatrical Enterprises and handling campaigns for such shows as the Tony Award-winning revival of “Once On This Island.” When COVID-19 shut down the theater community earlier this year, she was able to quickly turn to online entertainment with her Broadway Murder Mysteries series.

Hammond came up with the idea in March, launched it in April and watched as it quickly took off. More than a thousand people participated in the first game — “Bullets On Broadway” — over a two-week period.

Now she has a new mystery: “Drama at Drag Brunch: The Slaying of the Sequin Sisters.”

As part of a Halloween party she has been hosting the last seven years, Hammond wrote a murder mystery. It was something she was always passionate about. “I had been toying with the idea of turning this into a business somehow,” she says. “I had done some research and saw that there was some potential out there.

There are a lot of murder mysteries out there and I found the marketing and branding was unappealing to me. I knew with my expertise I could blow it up. COVID hit and my wife gave birth to a son. I knew I had to do something.”

The launch came at a time when everyone was hurting and looking for content. As part of her regular job, she has connections to many actors and reached out to some of them with this. “I knew doing this virtual would give people an outlet to perform and dress up and bring a lot of fun during the pandemic,” she says.

20 Columnist August 28, 2020

Screenshot photos

Clockwise from top left: “Drama at Drag Brunch: The Slaying of the Sequin Sisters” is the fifth in the Broadway Murder Mystery series and has a marquee star — Ginger Minj of the seventh season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”; Titles for the Broadway Murder Mysteries series; Brita Filter and other famous drag queens star in the Broadway Murder Mysteries series.

“Drama at Drag Brunch: The Slaying of the Sequin Sisters” is the fifth in the Broadway Murder Mystery series and has a marquee star — Ginger Minj of the seventh season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Minj headlines as Casey Closed, a drag detective. The “location” here is Fortune Fanny’s, the “only Drag Brunch and Bingo on Long Island.” Two dead bodies show up, and the potential suspects are a colorful lot.

The game is envisioned for as few as three participants and as many as 20 taking on the various characters. Over the course of three rounds, clues are distributed, and in the last round everyone gets a chance to guess the winner.

Hammond admits to being a huge fan of Minj, ever since the two met at Broadway Con a few years ago. “I always thought she

was one of the most talented actors I’ve seen on ‘Drag Race’, so I knew I had to go for her.”

When Minj got a call about the project, the performer didn’t really know what to expect, but had a blast filming the segment.

“I literally cut my teeth on murder mystery for over 12 years at Sleuths here in Orlando, the longest running murder mystery theater in the world,” the performer says. “It holds a near and dear place in my heart.”

Minj calls the character of Casey sassy and punny. “She’s everything you can imagine a drag detective to be. None of her skills are particularly deft, but she has fun with it.”

The performer feels the Murder Mystery series is a nice diversion that allows participants to take their mind off of the craziness of the

world. Minj admits that COVID-19 has dramatically shifted how performers keep themselves visible. “We are forced to be as creative as possible with things that are available to us,” she said. “It can be strange performing to the red light of the camera. You don’t have that live connection to an audience and you don’t get that instant gratification, but it is a lot of fun to do. It’s something I wouldn’t normally do on the road.”

The performer isn’t tech savvy but jokes that her younger husband is very much so.

The performer grew up in Florida and can’t adequately describe what “RuPaul’s Drag Race” did for her career. “I worked 15 years of my life to become an overnight sensation.

The show opened so many doors for me, knocked them off the hinges. All the irons I put in before were suddenly hot.”

For more information on “Drama at Drag Bunch,” visit www.broadwaymurdermysteries.com/ drama-at-drag-brunch.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

August 28, 2020 Ads 21

CLIFF BOSTOCK OLD GAY MEN

How COVID-19 Taught Me to Love Myself Cliff Bostock The pandemic has been a special hell for those of us who suffer so-called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a condition that causes obsessive dissatisfaction with the body’s appearance. I haven’t been to the gym since March, and as any old man knows, muscle evaporates quickly without exercise and requires far more effort to regain than it does for the annoyingly young. BDD hisses, “You look like shit, but you’re invisible!”

Then again, the pandemic has made me fall in love with myself. I haven’t engaged in much masturbation since adolescence because, you know, I’m not attracted to myself. Now that sheltering at home requires abstinence, I’ve finally come to pat my penis on the head and whisper, “You’re not that bad. Let’s play.” I’m joking, sort of, but jerking off really has become epidemic.

When I bought lube at the Kroger recently, I asked the clerk, “Are you selling a lot of this?” She looked shocked, but laughed and said, “It’s like a paper towel.”

While falling in love with my penis, I’ve also learned the loveliness of porn. Heretofore, it never did anything but make me wonder how anyone could find me attractive. No amount of time in the gym would make me look like Jeff Stryker, the ultimate, macro-phallic porn star of the ‘80s. About 20 years ago when I was in West Hollywood at a gas station, Jeff drove up, mysteriously, in a limousine. As he filled the tank, I said, “Hi, Jeff! My favorite movie is the one where the guy told you to stop because your huge dick was hurting him.

You replied, ‘It ain’t no good if it don’t hurt.’”

I laughed. He didn’t. I explained — for real — that I was writing my doctoral dissertation on history’s obsession with enormous cocks. “I’d love to interview you!” He stared ahead and silently drove away in the limo.

I make jokes about BDD, but it is actually classified as a mental illness related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. The cause is unknown, but estimates are that gay men constitute 40 percent of cases while being only 4 to 7 percent of the population. I think 22 Columnist August 28, 2020

PHOTO BY KRAKENIMAGES.COM / SHUTTERSTOCK

its origin is cultural. Gay men historically learn very young that our bodies are shameful because our most basic instinct — to love other men — is sick. Many of us were also bullied as children and adolescents. This causes disassociation and, to compensate, we try to embody the culture’s aesthetic ideal.

We actually organize the bodies of the gay solar system — e.g., bears and twinks — in relation to the muscular ideal they encircle.

Plenty of straight men and probably most women deal with BDD too. My own bullying began with my mother, who regularly told me how unattractive I was. That’s why she threw me in a gym when I was 5. This was projection. Many holidays, my father gave her an envelope containing a picture of a body part she could get fixed. Of course, the gays love cosmetic procedures, but my mother and a bunch of friends have taught me that most surgical procedures are like conspicuous Band-Aids imprinted with pictures of smiley

faces. (Except for you, Jane Fonda!)

There’s no personal “cure” for a condition that originates in cultural pathologizing, and it’s not easy for anyone to deal with the “invisibility” of aging, especially when BDD has you by the sagging testicles. That’s why I made the neurotic decision last week to return to a hyper-disinfected, small gym and resume lifting, despite the risk of COVID-19 and the fact that my arthritic shoulder feels a hundred times better since not going. But I do have a sense of humor about myself, I don’t have any desire or enough money to sugar-daddy myself into deeper denial, and I don’t fear talking openly about my neurosis. That helps.

Cliff Bostock, Ph.D., is a former psychotherapist specializing in life coaching for the LGBTQ community: CliffBostock@gmail.com, CliffBostock. com. Catch present-day Jeff Stryker in the Netflix documentary, Circus of Books.

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