Well, the drag show finally happened! My dad and I attended it
Friday night, as did many others - the place was packed! It was a great time.
It was my first time going to a drag show, and I really didn't know what to expect
except for huge wigs and lots of makeup, so if you have no idea what I'm talking
about, let me tell you what I've learned.
(And before you ask, no I don't have pictures of the event because some of the
people at the event didn't want to be in pictures and I didn't want to have to
go up to every single person in the picture and ask for permission)
(also my phone takes bad pictures)
You don't have to be male to dress as a drag queen/king, and you certainly
don't have to be transgender. Dressing in drag is just like acting; you take on the
persona of an entertainer (often female), which is why everyone refers to
the person in drag by their drag name and/or pronouns. You also don't have to be
gay or non-straight (which should be obvious, since Daniel Radcliffe
didn't have to be a wizard to play Harry Potter, but is still a common misconception).
In fact, one of the performers was a straight male. It was also his first
drag show, and everyone was so supportive of him even though he was absolutely
terrified to be on stage.
It was a really terrific event - and apparently they put it on once a month!
So I'll be able to go to a couple more.
In other news, on Monday the One N Ten volleyball team played for the first
time this season (and probably lost, since no one talked about it at all). I believe they
play in a league for youth organizations. Also, our team name is Spike the Rainbow.
 |
| I do not know how to play volleyball. At all. |
game. But I did end up with the most money at the end, which I think is how you win?
We were kind of making up rules by the end anyways. On Wednesday,
we engaged in a team-building exercise. One by one we picked
questions such as "What's your favorite TV show?" from a hat,
answered them in front of the group, and then tried not to topple the giant Jenga tower.
There was a ton of shouting involved.
Since February is Black History Month, Thursday was Black History Day.
Miss Babe, an African-American lesbian, came in an gave a presentation on
notable but often forgotten LGBTQ African-Americans.
She talked about how hard it was to have an identity that was and is
faced with oppressed on so many levels - to be African-American and LGBTQ.
Miss Babe had been born in the 1950's, and she told us stories of how movements
fought that oppression.
In other news, will be posting on Q High, a unique collaboration with AZ
Virtual Academy that One N Ten hosts at the Youth Center. I'm having a little trouble
contacting the person in head of the program, but don't worry! The post will come soon!
My review of the amazing Giovanni's Room will go up tomorrow. Next week's book is
Maurice, by E. M. Forster, a tale of same-sex love in the early 20th century. Although
it was written 1913-1914, it was only published in 1971, after
Forster had died, as he believed it was unpublishable. Remarkably,
the story has a (spoiler) happy ending, rare for books on love between men
from the 1900s. Forster is also known for his books Howards End and A Room with a View.
Hey Stirling! Sounds like you are still having fun at your site! The drag show sounds awesome too! Is there any way you could be a part of a later show, or does that not interest you? Also, what progress did you make regarding your research question this week? Looking forward to your next post! It keeps getting better and better!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll be part of a drag show anytime soon, since it requires dancing and dressing up and makeup and lip-syncing. My research is going really well! I'm learning a lot about the demographics who attend youth organizations, and how the word gets out to other youth. The youth at the center often invite people they know personally or whom they know need help to come and stay for a while.
DeleteThanks for posting! The drag show clearly shows how being LGBTQ no longer stigmatized compared to the mid-20th century. During the equality movements, were LGBTQ African-Americans accepted? Or were they rejected for being LGBTQ?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, being LGBTQ is still definitely stigmatized. Think of how people use "gay" as an insult. But it's getting better!
DeleteIt's interesting to look at how people with different layers of minorities (I don't know if I said that right, but basically if they were POC and LGBTQ, or female and LGBTQ, or female and POC for example) are/were treated within equality movements. I think I remember being taught sometime that feminism during the civil rights movement was rejected because it took away attention from the civil rights movement.
Regarding LGBTQ rights in the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr.'s right-hand man, Bayard Rustin, was an openly gay African-American man. He was a chief organizer of the March on Washington. Yeah, he played a big role. Yet, he was shunned for his sexuality, and denied public credit for his role in planning the March on Washington. So being LGBTQ was certainly not welcomed.
Hi Stirling!
ReplyDeleteThe drag show sounds like it was a lot of fun to watch and be a part of! Was there anything specific about the drag show that helped to answer parts of your research question? How is your research coming along? Anyways, I'm looking forward to reading more posts!
I think for the most part the drag show helped in showing me just how free the youth are to express themselves and how there is an active community (not just the youth, but adults they know) that supports the youth.
DeleteHey Stirling! It sounds like your really enjoying your time at One N Ten! The drag show and the team building exercises seem fun! With Miss Babe's talk, what was your favorite part of the talk? Was there a story that really stuck with you? Also I was wondering what progress you made with your research? Again, great post and can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeleteI was really shocked by how many people I recognized, but didn't know were LGBTQ, because even if we were taught about them at school, like Langston Hughes, we weren't taught that they were LGBTQ. Hughes, for example, was gay and wrote passionate poetry explicitly towards men, but that's never mentioned in school, which means that LGBTQ students aren't being provided with any representation. It also makes it seem that all famous people were straight, which just isn't true.
DeleteMy research is going really well! I'm learning a lot about the demographics who attend youth organizations, and how the word gets out to other youth. The youth at the center often invite people they know personally or whom they know need help to come and stay for a while.
Hi Stirling! Your internship sounds so fun! All the team-building exercises seem awesome too! I'm just curious: did Miss Babe discuss any personal examples of how she encountered oppression as both an African-American and an LGBTQ person? Excited for the next post!
ReplyDeleteHi Shreya! Gina and Miss Babe (who have been friends for forever, I think?) talked about how when they would go to Charlie's (a gay bar in Phoenix) Miss Babe often wouldn't be served. This happened up until about 2000, so unfortunately racism is still alive.
DeleteHi Stirling, your week sounded wonderful! I was wondering whether you feel that you are becoming more part of the community at One N Ten already. Have you met any new people with particularly interesting stories? Also, the Sivatherium sounds like it was an extremely large and impressive animal!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacob! I really feel like part of the community now. The volleyball team played tonight and I got to know a couple of people (I can't say their names) really well, as well as a kid who was new to One N Ten. We laughed a lot and bonded over how cold and rainy and windy it was, as well as over the anime we hadn't watched (to the disappointment of one of the youths, who just shook his head).
DeleteHey Stirling! What do you think the most powerful scene was in Giovanni's Room? The book sounds extremely powerful and dramatic and captivating. Also, did Miss Babe mention if she had participated in any of the movements? Thanks again for keeping us updated!
ReplyDeleteHi Grace! Miss Babe didn't name any movements in particular, but she has been active. She was one of the founding members of One N Ten.
DeleteThere are a lot of powerful scenes in Giovanni's Room. I really liked the last twenty or so pages, when David just lost it and became overcome with guilt. That really hit me hard, probably because I can relate to panic and guilt. (anxiety, again)
Hi Stirling. The drag show sounds like it was fantastic, and I love that you used an allusion to Harry Potter to explain it. I love the volleyball team name. Are you going to see any of the games? Miss Babe's presentation sounds interesting. Did the youth center do anything else for Black History month?
ReplyDeleteI think the Soulfood documentary was part of the activities for Black History month, since we learned all about how "soulfood" came to be. It has its roots in slavery, when the slaves were given the worst food and they had to make not only something tasty but also something high in calories. That's one of the reasons why soulfood (which includes fried chicken, marshmallows, grits, fried collard greens) are considered so unhealthy. They were made for people who used up 3000 calories every day, so they had to be high in calories. Now, of course, we expend much less energy, which is part of the obesity epidemic (especially in the South).
DeleteHi Stirling, cool to see that you're enjoying your time at One n Ten! Was Miss Babe subjected to any kind of specific oppression that she mentioned?
ReplyDeleteOf course she was oppressed as an African American gay woman. Specifically, up until the 2000s the gay bar Charlie's would refuse to serve her because she was African American.
DeleteHey again Stirling! The drag show that you went to...I am guessing that it is a play, but is it put on by the youths at One N Ten or from another firm or..? I love the idea of informing all the youths of things like the "Black History" and it seems like a great place for others to actively participate. Also, is the volleyball team made up of players from the youth center itself? And are there other sports teams, as well? (Great work, though).
ReplyDelete-Adarsh
Hi Adarsh! The drag show (I realize I should have explained the actual event) involves performers going on stage and dancing and lip syncing to a song. It is put on by the youths at One N Ten.
DeleteAs far as I know the only sport team is volleyball, which is amde up of players from the center.