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queerVOICE
Pride 2010
James Duggan
copyright 2010
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If it's June, it's Pride Month
again. There are literally thousands of queer pride events--festivals, street
fairs, parades, dances, panels, speeches, rallies, and maybe even some
protests--planned across the country and around the world.
For the past four decades, queers have gathered in June (but have now expanded
to July, August, and even beyond all the way to November) to proclaim to the
world that we are not ashamed of our sexual orientation and gender identity,
and that we are proud of the diversity of our community.
Our community's strong tradition has evolved from civil rights protest marches
that reached far and wide, where we demanded equal rights free from
discrimination (something that we're still working for today) to our always
festive parades
Our yearly pride parades and
festivals are symbols of strength, hope and courage to the tens of millions of
queers around the world who are still forbidden to be themselves, march or even
celebrate their pride and diversity. We need to continue to march until all can
march free from discrimination.
As QUEERtimes
continues to celebrate "Pride Month," we would be amiss not to take
time to reflect on who we are as a community and where we have come.
This is an important time to reflect, remembering our struggles and our
victories, our joys and our pains, our setbacks and our gains, all part of who
we are and who we will be--as a class of people for generations to come.
Our long history is our badge of honor--from ancient Greece, where the culture
honored gay relations as part of a flourishing empire, a period when Lambda
warriors, an army of homosexual male soldiers, successfully conquered
neighboring lands to, centuries, later, when Barbara Gittings, the mother of
the modern queer rights movement, led the first queer rights protest in the
nation, right here in Philadelphia on July 4th, at Independence Hall
between 1965 to 1969, and now to our current day activists (the next
generation) who continue the struggle for freedom and full citizenship.
What do we do with this rich queer history? What does being burned at the
stake for being queer mean to us today? (Sadly, there are recent examples
of this type of torture and death in our modern world in Iran, Africa
and other countries.) What of the sacrifice of the millions of queers who have
gone before us in history? And may continue to do so?
From ancient times to Stonewall to today, we continue to struggle for basic
civil rights. We must draw on the strength of our history and the promise
of our future for ourselves, our children and our children's children.
Throughout history, we have proved ourselves to be a people of virtue and
honor, of service and dedication, and of love and respect for others, always
remembering that we are queer not because of what we do but for who we are--who
we were born to be.
We must continue to be proud of our history and to make our queer voice
heard--loud, clear, strong, persistent, and united.
Let us not be silent or
silenced. Let us not be ignored, ashamed or afraid. We have our own inner
resources as queer individuals and limitless outer resources as a queer
community nationally and internationally.
These are things to
celebrate. Happy Pride!
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 | Famous Queers in History
Imagine Life Without Them!
|
| Alexander
the Great (King of Macedonia) | | Johnny Mathis
(Singer) | | Alexander von
Humboldt (Explorer, Scientist) | | Jules Verne (Writer) | | Alice Walker
(Author) | | Julius Ceasar
(Emperor of Roman) | | Andy Warhol
(Artist) | | King Edward II of
England | | Aristotle
(Philosopher) | | Laurence Olivier
(Actor) | | Arthur Rimbaud
(Poet) | | Leonard Bernstein
(Conductor, Composer) | | Augustus
(First Emperor of the Roman Empire) | | Leonardo de Vinci
(Painter, Inventor) | | Benjamin
Britten (Composer) | | Luchino Visconti
(Film Director) | | Bessie Smith
(Singer) | | Ma Rainy (Singer,
Mother of the Blues) | | Bill T. Jones
(Dancer, Choreographer) | | Marcel Proust
(Novelist) | | Caravaggio
(Painter) | | Marlon Riggs
(Producer, Filmmaker) | | Cole Porter
(Composer, Songwriter) | | Martina Navratilova
(Tennis Player) | | Donatello
(Painter, Sculptor) | | Michael Stripe
(Singer, Songwriter) | | Eleanor
Roosevelt (First Lady of the U.S.) | | Michelangelo
(Painter, Sculptor, Architect) | | Elton John
(Singer, Composer) | | Montgomery Clift
(Actor) | | Florence
Nightingale (Nurse) | | Nell Carter (Actress,
Singer) | | Freddie
Mercury (Musician, Singer) | | Nicomedes (King of
Bithynia) | | George Cukor
(Film Director) | | Oscar Wilde
(Playwright, Author) | | George
Frideric Handel (Composer) | | Pedro Almodovar (Film
Director) | | George Gordon
Byron (Poet, Philosopher) | | Peter Tchaikosky
(Composer) | | George Michael
(Singer, Songwriter) | | Pyotr Llyich
Tchaikovsky (Composer) | | Gertrude Stein
(Author) | | Rahsaan Patterson
(R&B, Neo-soul Artist) | | Gianni Versace
(Fashion Designer) | | Raphael (Artist) | | Gustave
Flaubert (Novelist) | | Raplh Waldo Emerson
(Author) | | Hadrian
(Emperor of Roman) | | Richard Chamberlain
(Actor) | | Henry David
Thoreau (Author) | | Richard the Lionheart
(King of England) | | Henry James
(Author) | | Rock Hudson (Actor) | | Herman
Melville (Novelist, Poet) | | Sandro Botticelli
(Painter) | | Horatio Alger
(Author) | | Sappho (Poet) | | Ian McKellen
(Actor) | | Segei Eisenstein
(Film Director) | | Igor
Stravinsky (Composer) | | Socrates
(Philosopher) | | J.M. Barrie
(Novelist) | | T.L. Lawrence
(Soldier, "Lawrence of Arabia") | | James Baldwin
(Author) | | Tallulah Bankhead
(Actor) | | James Dean
(Actor) | | Tennessee Williams
(Playwright) | | Jan Ernst
Matzelinger (Inventor) | | Thomas Mann
(Novelist) | | Jean Cocteau
(Poet, Novelist, Filmmaker) | | Truman Capote
(Writer) | | Jean Marais
(Actor) | | Vincent van Gogh
(Artist, Painter) | | Jewelle Gomez
(Activist, Novelist) | | Virginia Woolf
(Novelist) | | Joan of Arc
(Soldier) | | Walt Whitman (Poet) | | John Maynard
Keynes (Economist) | | Yukio Mishima
(Author) |
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What It Looks Like From Here
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2010 |
"I'll do
almost anything for charity," I blurted out the other night when a few friends
asked me why I was donning women's clothes, the hair, the makeup, not to
mention the heels, "the full catastrophe" (only in my own mind) of going drag.
 The charity is our community-based
non-profit, the Traverse Arts
Project, producers of
"Festivale: Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Community,"
a celebration of music, dance and theater, now through June 13. (For full
disclosure, I and Qt's publisher, James Duggan, serve as advisory board members
of Traverse.)
The occasion will be a one-night only, staged
reading of "The Women," the
celebrated play written by Claire Booth Luce
that was adopted for the screen in 1939 with an all star cast headed up by Rosalind Russell. The scathing satire
on the nature of women (let's just call it a brilliant "bitch out") has, for
decades, really became a "camp" work of art, in the true definition by queer
art theorist/critic Susan Sontag,
among the gay audience, and being a
favorite work at Traverse.
Queer director Mark A. Dahl has
amassed an all drag cast starring me, Sandy
Beach, Dan Contarino, Charlie Potje, Freddy Shelley, among a
cast of 19 listed actors, with what Dahl promises will be a few special
appearances during the one performance, 8 pm, July 11, at the Arts Bank, University of the Arts, 601
S. Broad Street, at South Street, and made possible by the generous support of Tavern on Camac. Thanks, owners Stephen Carlino and Dennis Fee!
Of the play, Dahl pointed out: "'The Women' was
written as a satire with all of the women as caricatures of 1930's women. They
are one sided, gossipy home wreckers!"
"The interesting thing about performing 'The Women'
with a male cast is the fact that when the men change costumes and wigs in
front of the audience, it brings a sense of vulnerability and humanity to the
characters. No one likes to be seen without their clothes on and, most
certainly, drag queens do not like to be seen without wigs and dresses. These
Women become human and we see them in their most vulnerable moments without
their claws. That's what's also enjoyable about directing the play," he said.
Now, I don't "do" drag, never have, not even ever
for Halloween. To tell you the truth, my alter ego for Halloween has been Count
Dracula more often than I can actually count. I guess that dressing up as the
Count is simply another kind of drag?
Though I've no objection to drag, drag queens (a
few of them I count among my best friends), drag shows and drag "title"
competitions, in fact, I admire the tremendous hard work that men as female
impersonators go through to delight and entertain, and, let's face it, many
times, look beautiful.
 But I'm doing drag-for the theater. I know that
might sound callous, snobbish, apologetic, defensive, and an intellectual
excuse. The truth is that I'm following
the Elizabethan tradition, from William
Shakespeare's times, when women were second class citizens and not allowed
to be on the stage.
"Drag"
wasn't made-up word, an abbreviation, a stage direction, dr.a.g., appearing in scripts at the time to mean "dress as girl" and the male actors did
and that's how the tradition began. That's show business for you!
You can get your tickets at $15 for "The Women" in
advance by calling 800.595.4849 or at the door. Personally, I wouldn't wait
because the show is likely going to be a sell-out. After all, I'm one of the headliners with my
fellow queer community luminaries. You have no idea what fun and frolic awaits
you!
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| Thom's Table
A QUEERtimes Exclusive
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2010
|
Remember
when there really wasn't very much to say about "bar food"?
 Times
have dramatically changed and clearly good news for the consumer if not to
mention the foodies. Right in the midst of the Philadelphia's Gayborhood,
newcomer, JR's Lounge,
1305 Locust Street, currently offers both Saturday
Lunch and now their growing-in-popular, Sunday Brunch, from noon to 3pm, featuring a brunch buffet, at the
bargain price of $7.50 per person, and even includes a Mimosa or make your own
Bloody Mary at the drink bar.
To
make the brunches more festive, JR's hostess is Hedda along with staffers Geoff,
the bartender, and Marty overseeing
the kitchen.
JR's
is also featuring their house special, Baby
Back Ribs, seasoned and slow cooked for 6 hours in house, and a real
bargain for a half rack at a mere $10!
For
more information, call 215.735.3055; or visit jrsphilly.com
 University
City Dining Days returns July 15-29, with 29 restaurants offering three
courses, at three prices, $15, $25 and $30 new extended for two weeks.
The
impressive list of participating restaurant for the two-week event include: Pizza Rustica, Pod, Distrito, Penne Restaurant & Wine Bar, Zocalo, Rx, Marathon, New Deck Tavern, and Marigold Kitchen, to mention only a
few.
Dining
Days is really a great way to discover and enjoy restaurants that you might not
have had the opportunity to experience at another time. So, ahead, and be
adventuresome with your culinary journey.
For
more information, visit universitycity.org/diningdays
West
Philadelphia's Enterprise Center
will team up with the Philadelphia Delaware Valley Chapter and the Brandywine
Chapter of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association (PRA)
to present the Philadelphia Food and
Beverage Forum, 10 am - 6pm, July 9, and hosted by the Community College of Philadelphia.
The
forum will focus on the future of the food and beverage industry offering
attendees the choice of breaking out sessions, an exhibit hall, noted speakers,
endless networking and even some fresh new ideas.
Other
event highlights will include a book signing with Walter Scheib, former White House chef, and a student cooking
competition
Tickets
are $10 for PRA members; $20 for the public.
For
more information, call 800.345.5353
 Max & Me
Catering
owners Larry Cohen and Barry Gutin have recently announced
that renowned executive chef Jean-Marie
Lacroix has joined their team as chef partner.
Lacroix,
a leader in Philadelphia
culinary culture with his signature name and prestigious reputation, will raise
the level of culinary catering experience at Max & Me Catering for clients
at their events. The former chef at the Four
Seasons for two decades and later his own restaurant at The Rittenhouse Hotel Lacroix is currently
traveling throughout Europe gathering inspiration, researching trends, and
amassing information in order to enhance the catering offerings to
Philadelphians.
Gutin
said that in addition to lending his name, Lacroix will "put his signature touch on every menu at Max & Me Catering,"
sometimes even appearing at events, actually preparing the food and interacting
with guests.
comments@QUEERtimes.net
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What They Said and Did!
copyrighted 2010
| Philadelphian
Grace Kelly, Hollywood actress turned Royal Princess of
Monaco, continues to this day to be appreciated as a style icon, simple,
understated, classic, forever, like a
Greek goddess who never goes out of fashion. Kelly who graced the cover of
Vanity Fair (May, 2010) was discussed in terms of being an inspirational  source
for many different and varied designers. "Every
time I see Grace Kelly I'm influenced by what she wears, the simplicity, it is
so classic, but it's always dramatic," commented Mad Men's" costume
designer Jamie Bryant. "When I branched
out into women's wear," confessed designer Tommy Hilfiger, who has an Andy
Warhol silkscreen of Grace Kelly in his New
York apartment, "I
began to really study icons of style. Grace stood out. Style is enduring and
forever. It's something that you cannot buy. There is a chicness to
conservative style done in an elegant way. You know, we did a book called,
'Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures.' We
did it as an inspirational book, not only for ourselves. We find that the
French are obsessed with her, and the Japanese are intrigued." "Every few
decades Hollywood
finds a way to classicize the look of one of its stars," said film critic
Don Daniels. ________________________________________ The
darling of the contemporary urban literati, Bret Easten Ellis, a product of
his own milieu that he has popularized in his novels, also made into films,
like "American Psycho," with the intriguing but creepy anti-hero, Patrick
Bateman, followed by "Less  Than Zero," has recently released "Imperial
Bedrooms," with the even more shockingly, more morally bankrupt, main
character, Clay. ". . . Bateman is a much more ambiguous case. Because we're really not sure of what his
crimes might or might not have been," he told Details (June/July, 2010), But as
usual Easten Ellis remained about his own sexuality. "I guess that is the perception [that he's bisexual]. I don't know it
that's totally true. It seems to be the narrative that people respond to most,
and there is a desire to keep that narrative going. I just tend not to relate
to either straight or gay culture. That's where I'm at. And it's really not a
confusing place." ________________________________________ Most
times it takes queer eyes to discover someone as sexy, handsome, natural, and
modest (it's part of the appeal) of his good looks, his attractive physique,
his seductive eyes, especially in front of a camera, whether it's a still or
movie shoot,  and that's exactly what originally happened when the then only 18
year old North Dakota native farm boy, now supermodel and movie actor, Kellan Lutz,
was chosen to be the cover of a 2004 A&F Quarterly, lensed by queer fashion
photographer, Bruce Weber. Though Lutz went on to become a top underwear model
for Calvin Klein, he's now seriously turned to concentrating on his very active
career on the big screen in the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street," that
will be released this month in addition to "Eclipse," the next in the popular
vampire series, "Twilight." Lutz was interviewed by queer fashion designer,
Marc Jacobs, in Interview (April, 2010) where he confessed: "It's funny when people say you have sex
appeal or call you the next Brad Pitt. I just laugh. I'm not that. I don't want
to be that. 'You're a sex icon.' Why? Because I played a vampire in a movie? It's all very unearned."
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Do you...
...have something you want to say?
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...have a question you want answered?
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...have news you want to report?
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...have an announcement you want noticed?
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Then email it to
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