Out In STL Summer 2024

A Guide to Pride in St. Louis

BY JESSICA ROGEN

St. Louis is blessed with no shortage of Pride celebrations — seven in total. While St. Charles Pride and Soulard Pride had already passed by press date (mark your calendars for next year), there’s plenty of festivities still to come.

PrideFest

June 29 to 30

Every year Pride St. Louis’ celebration takes over Downtown West near Soldiers Memorial. This year’s PrideFest has the theme of “Unleash Your Pride” and, as usual, includes entertainment, vendors and a parade, which steps off on Market and 10th streets at noon on June 30.

Entertainment includes both national and local acts. The Saturday national acts include Slayyter, who hails from the St. Louis suburbs; and synth-pop innovator DAYA. Sunday will see “Queen of House Music” Crystal Waters and Broadway, MTV and more multihyphenate Todrick Hall. There will also be local DJs — Tilda, Umami, JoJo, Rico Steele, DJ Taber, JoJo and Rico Steele — spinning in the Red Bull Dance Pavilion. Keep your eye on pridestl.org for the festival map as well as the announcement of the local musicians involved.

Black Pride

August 15 to 18

St. Louis Black Pride always includes a weekend full of events at multiple locations. This year won’t disappoint. Things kick off with a comedy showcase on August 15 and continue on the 16th with a unity walk. The following day will be filled with an expo featuring local businesses and restaurants. Finally, things end on August 18 with a brunch. See blackpridestl.org for details.

Alton Pride Festival

September 14

Alton is a relative newcomer to the scene — Nicci Kincer and Michael Paynic held the inaugural festival in 2020. Since then, the organization has taken over

downtown Alton with a colorful celebration, entertainment and rows of vendor and organization tents. More at altonpride.com.

event will include Drag Story Time with a Summer Pride theme featuring Sarah Shay, Roxie M. Valentine, Misty Terrain and many more. See towergrovepride.com for details.

Metro East Pride

October 5

This year, our neighbors to the east will light up Belleville, Illinois, with the 16th annual Metro East Pride Fest from noon to 10 p.m. on October 5. The event includes more than 100 vendors of food and goods and

Tower Grove Pride

September 28 and 29

Pride doesn’t end in June in St. Louis, with celebrations like Tower Grove Pride extending to the fall and winter. Every September, Tower Grove Park fills with a parade, booths, entertainment and more. But you don’t need to wait that long this year. The organization is also hosting a Pride Pop Up at City Foundry (3730 Foundry Way) beginning at noon on June 22. The

entertainment on West Main Street and the Public Square. Past celebrations have included marches, 5ks, music, spirit awards and more. Keep your eye on metroeastpride.org for details closer to the event. °

The PrideFest Grand Pride Parade brings thousands of revelers to downtown St. Louis to celebrate the city’s queer community. THEO WELLING

AComing to Light

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM ILLUMINATES

ST. LOUIS’ LGBTQ+ HISTORY IN GATEWAY TO PRIDE EXHIBIT

BY JESSICA ROGEN

t first glance, the makeup kit looks like any other. Half open, it’s covered in the type of grime that only accumulates with heavy use — a sort of shimmery muddle of powders, foundation and small flashes of glitter.

One unusual item: a small card depicting a figure hard to make out under layers of makeup.

“That’s a St. Michael, the archangel, holy card,” says Ian Darnell, Missouri History Museum assistant curator of LGBTQIA+ collections. “Michael because of Michael Shreves [who] used that for contouring, so it’s encrusted in makeup.”

Shreves is perhaps best known as Michelle McCausland, a celebrated St. Louis drag queen who was a plaintiff in a 1986 ACLU lawsuit that overturned the city’s ordinance banning masquerading — or wearing clothing of the opposite gender.

The card and the makeup kit are part of the history museum’s new exhibit Gateway to Pride, which launched this month and will be open through Sunday, July 6, 2025. It’s the museum’s firstever exhibition dedicated to tracing the history and contributions of LGBTQ+ St. Louisans.

It’s a history overlooked for far too long.

“You can’t understand St. Louis in the past or in the present without taking into account the struggles and achievements of the LGBTQIA+ people who’ve made lives for themselves here,” Darnell says. “This exhibit is an extraordinary opportunity to let members of the community see St. Louis’ past from a fresh perspective, to see just how integral LGBTQ+ people have always been to the history of this place.”

Jody Sowell, president and CEO of the Missouri Historical Society, adds that he hopes the exhibit will be a model for museums across the country.

“[It will be a model for] how to tell more inclusive history and how to tell that history in ways that are relevant and resonant and memorable,” he says. “So I’m excited for St. Louisans and everyone who comes to the history museum to

come see this.”

Much of the exhibit draws from artifacts collected through the St. Louis LGBT History Project and the Gateway to Pride initiative, a community project to preserve the artifacts, oral histories, photographs and more of queer St. Louisans. Gateway to Pride highlights “some of the best” of what the project has collected, Darnell says.

The exhibit is broken into five sections that begin in the 18th century and end in the present day. Visitors walking in are greeted by an intro video made up of some of the oral histories, which includes St. Louis-native Andy Cohen’s story. The same section introduces essential concepts of gender and sexuality going back through history.

One interesting inclusion is a prophylactic label from the 1940s that the museum found tucked into the cap of a WWII naval uniform that had been donated.

“It’s just a way of getting into the idea that sexuality is always there [in] the human experience,” Darnell says.

The first chronological section after the intro looks at the origins of St. Louis’ LGBTQ+ communities in the 19th and 20th centuries and includes a profile of Harriet Hosmer, who is considered the first female professional sculptor. She had come to St. Louis to study anatomy at the St. Louis Medical College and formed a lifelong connection to the region that included sculpting the statue of Thomas Hart Benton that still resides in Lafayette Park.

Darnell explains that the exhibit doesn’t refer to her as a lesbian because the term would be anachronistic but that she had a series of intimate relationships with women, which included a partner of 25 years — a Scottish noblewoman who served as

her patron.

The exhibit also includes a first-edition copy of Claude Heartland’s The Story of a Life, which was published in 1901, and is the first known autobiography of gay life in St. Louis. There’s also a section on the bans on cross dressing that includes the stories of Florence Smith, a Black trans woman who was repeatedly arrested for masquerading, and John Berger “who was arrested wearing a natty brown suit and a brown hideaway coat.”

Things move into the 1950s through the 1990s and the way public community and LGBTQ+ rights emerged. The exhibit also includes a section on nightlife and includes a mirrorball from the nowclosed Central West End bar Magnolia’s and gowns worn by local drag queens and a binder from a drag king.

“For many queer people in St. Louis over the years, it was an essential space,” Darnell says. “For a lot of people, nightlife is one of the only spaces where they can look and feel like they love themselves.”

One of the most affecting objects in the exhibit is a coffin created by Greg Gerhart after his friend Dennis Chambers died of AIDS-related complications. Within the coffin are Chambers’ hospital bands, and Gerhart would bring the coffin to demonstrations as a sort of “container for a holy object and a memorial to everyone who was lost because of the AIDS crisis,” Darnell explains.

The final section goes to the present day and includes the fight for marriage equality, the concept of family, transgender activism, the ballroom scene and so much more. Then visitors will find themselves back at the start of Gateway to Pride — a purposeful choice.

“In order to leave you have to go back through the intro section, through these voices in the oral history of the big picture of it all [and understand] why it’s important to save this history,” Darnell says. “... [It] will make sense in a different way.” °

Ian Darnell says St. Louis’ past and present can’t be understood without taking LGBTQ+ St. Louis’ history into account. JESSICA ROGEN

Weekend Retreat

JUST AN HOUR FROM THE CITY, SIRENITY FARMS IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS A TOP GAY CAMPING DESTINATION

BY CHRIS ANDOE

IIt’s a surprisingly little-known fact that nearby Franklin County has had a nudist resort since 1951. It took nearly 70 years for SIRenity Farms to add to the county’s bare bona fides with the all-male, clothingoptional campground, which Dennis Duncan and Michael Dekeyser opened in 2020. Since then, it’s grown exponentially, attracting 4,300 unique visitors from all 50 states and multiple countries.

With 62 acres, 26 lodging options and more than 100 RV sites including 70 seasonals and 60 tent sites with electricity, SIRenity has become one of the largest gay campgrounds in America. Many St. Louis guys visit “the Farm” near Sullivan, Missouri, every weekend during the warmer months to swim, lounge, celebrate and socialize — monitoring their 12,000-strong Facebook page for the latest events and community announcements. While many go to enjoy the festive pool area for the day, hundreds of seasonal members spend most weekends or even live there during the warm months. And they make major investments in their sites, leveling the land and even building decks and patios.

Best friends and south city residents Giuliano Mangiore and Eric Wright have been going since the beginning.

“The first two years we slept in tents, then we got

the camper. I’m too old to sleep in a tent,” Mangiore, 51, says with a laugh.

This season they’ve upgraded again, to a larger site that they’ve fenced for the campers’ dogs. A close friend just bought a site within view.

“We call our new site ‘the Barnyard,’” Mangiore says. “We have a big projection screen and plan to have movie nights.”

He spends most weekends at the farm, but because of the close proximity, he can stay plugged into city activities. “It’s a gay village,” he adds. “If you need a deck builder, you know who to call. There’s a tool shed, someone who sells eggs. There’s golf cart parades [and] a food truck, which is our restaurant.”

Seasonal camper Scott Xavier Fieker travels six hours to enjoy weekends at the farm. “SIRenity is the best sanctuary for me as a transgender queer man,” he says. “At nearly 65-years-old, this community is the singular place where I feel safe to embrace all of myself and know that I can be honest, transparent and vulnerable and be honored by inclusiveness and respect.”

Earlier this year, Duncan and Dekeyser announced plans for a new area campground for the entire LGBTQ+ community.

“Michael and I began the journey in 2018 to build and open a campground in Missouri to offer a product that didn’t currently exist to the degree of our vision,” Duncan says. “We envisioned ourselves as a community-minded brand that made it part of its culture to be inclusive and affirming to men and male-identifying persons. Our goal was to create a space where people could freely express themselves in a safe and loving environment, at one with nature and others of like spirits. One of our goals from the inception was to do outreach and be more than a business but rather a caring and contributing member of the LGBTQIA+ community. We have done that and are very proud of the way we have supported and nurtured that community spirit.”

“In 2024,” Duncan continues, “we find ourselves in a position of growth and as our business has matured, it’s become clear to us that there are parts and people in our community that we can’t reach and serve with our present business model. We are excited to announce plans for a new and exciting business model.”

Duncan says the 12-acre campground, dubbed SIRenity Village, which is not clothing-optional, will offer a pool and hot tub, with the home on the property to operate as a lodge with full kitchen privileges for guests. They’ll be adding cabins, RV spaces and tent sites with electricity.

Duncan and Dekeyser have turned a simple patch of Ozark forest into a destination, drawing visitors from around the globe. SIRenity Farm has become a must-visit for gay guys. Now with SIRenity Village, they’re welcoming many more to the campfire. °

Lucy Couture. SCOTT KIRBY

We See You

OUT IN STL NAMES THE 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN LGBTQ+ ST. LOUIS

BY CHRIS ANDOE

Since 2019, Out in STL has been honoring those who’ve made a positive impact on the LGBTQ+ community, and each year we’ve gone about choosing our honorees a bit differently. In 2023, for instance, we presented Icon Awards to three activists who traveled to Jefferson City and succeeded in stopping a drag ban. This year, we selected our honorees in consultation with area Pride organizations. The result is a wonderful variety of honorees, from young people on the rise, to those who’ve spent a lifetime contributing to the community. In the latter camp is our Legacy Award recipient Candy Principle, who graces the cover. Honorees will be celebrated at the Maven’s Pride Unified Ball, which will be held June 21 at the Little Bevo.

Damion Parks-Weekly

Candy Principle

Candy has always been a huge mentor and supporter of new queens. She’ll lend them clothes, jewelry — offer words of encouragement. She’s a former Miss Cosmopolitan, Miss St. Louis USA and Miss Missouri State Classic. And even when

she was competing in pageants, she was still helping the other girls. While recovering from my surgery, she came through with food, money. ... She’s a true sister in every sense of the word.

—Jordan Elizabeth

Braxton, 2023 Icon Award

Meet Damion Parks-Weekly, a vibrant force shaping the landscape of St. Louis with his unwavering commitment to advocacy, leadership and family. As the current President of Black Pride St. Louis, Damion stands at the forefront of the city’s LGBTQ+ community, advocating for equality, empowerment and visibility.

Originally hailing from Birmingham, Damion brings with him a rich tapestry of experiences and

Damien Parks-Weekly. ZACHARY LINHARES

L-R: Roxie Valentine

ZACHARY STEELE

Elizabeth Fuchs

TAYLOR MACMANN/ANDERSON PHOTOS

Ming Lee

COURTESY PHOTO

perspectives. His journey to St. Louis has been one of purpose and dedication, driven by a desire to effect positive change and foster inclusivity.

Beyond his role in Black Pride St. Louis, Damion serves as a National Board Member of Kappa Psi Kappa Inc., a testament to his dedication to uplifting and empowering marginalized communities. Through this platform, he works tirelessly to create opportunities for growth, education and solidarity. However, Damion’s contributions extend far beyond the realm of advocacy. He is also deeply entrenched in the fabric of his community as the First Gentleman and Elder of the Sanctuary Church located in Tower Grove South. Alongside his partner, Romelle Parks-Weekly, Damion embodies the values of compassion, service and spiritual guidance, nurturing a community built on love and acceptance.

In the midst of his many roles and responsibilities, Damion recently embraced a new chapter in his life: fatherhood. Welcoming his son, Cameron, into the world, Damion’s commitment to creating a better future is now more personal than ever. His dedication to fostering a world where his son can

thrive without fear of discrimination or prejudice is a driving force behind his tireless efforts.

—Randy Rafter, Black Pride

Tre’von Griffith

Trey G is such an amazing powerhouse here in the City of St. Louis. They have really inspired me to look at the ways in which we are bringing community together around art and culture. I am so fascinated by the way they integrate their music with their community advocacy, with their knowledge of art and fashion and just badassery. I’m honored to have worked with them several times and have been in their opera. And really, I think my life has been better since I met them.

—Maxi Glamour, 2023 Icon Award

Roxie Valentine

Roxie has been an active community member and advocate in the Metro East and is an inspiration to many. She uses her influence, which was gained through years of hard work, to uplift Pride in the Metro East and beyond. Roxie first became involved in the Metro East Pride organization when she won Queen of Metro East Pride in 2019. She was instrumental in growing the organization through a pivotal time of expansion. After her reign as Queen of Metro East Pride, she joined the Board of Directors. While serving on the board she created an atmosphere of passion, excitement and inclusivity. She has been an incredible ally to so many and has encouraged all members of the queer community to shine their light. Through her community outreach she brought a whole new level of prestige to the Metro East Pride Pageant and the many fundraisers we put on. She has gone on to be crowned Queen of Alton pride and Miss Missouri Comedy Queen, and she has continued to build bridges in the area. She uses her platform to spread awareness of different issues impacting the LGBTQIA+ community. Always quick with a joke, Roxie is a familiar face to many. We believe the work she has put into creating an inclu-

sive and ever-growing community makes her more than worthy of this award.

—Metro East Pride Board of Directors 2024

Melissa Dunn

When Missouri outlawed women’s right to choose, Melissa Dunn, of Abortion Action Missouri, didn’t give up. They have been working tirelessly to overturn unjust laws and stand up to the domination of Missouri by a tyrannical ultra-conservative majority. This is their core mission, but they have also dedicated themselves to protecting the LGBTQ community. Their abortion clinic protectors have used their skills and bravery to shield Drag Story Hours from haters, assisted with the safety of Pride Parades and offered support to anyone in the community to ensure we are never intimidated or scared into hiding ourselves and our culture.

Melissa Dunn has been a fearless and energetic leader in making AAM a force for both free choice and LGBTQ safety.

Lucy Couture

Lucy Couture isn’t just a drag performer; she’s a beacon of inclusivity and community in St. Louis. Having had the pleasure of providing production for Lucy’s Messy Monday Drag show at Rehab Bar & Grill, I’ve had backstage access to their ambitious goals and have repeatedly witnessed that they’re just as positive and helpful offstage as they are during their performances. Always cheerleading their guests by highlighting their contributions.

Lucy’s shows are a catalyst for self-expression and empowerment. Not only do they embrace pageantry with grace and glamor, they also encourage others to step into their own light, even if they’ve been hesitant before. Lucy creates an environment where doubts melt away, replaced by confidence and belonging. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a newcomer, Lucy Couture provides a

—Tower Grove Pride

ment to that. I first met her at Novak’s, greeted by her infectious laugh and sometimes serenaded with a song.

She went on to work with PROMO as the manager of public policy, served as policy consultant with the Metro Trans Umbrella Group and was a reproductive justice activist with Planned Parenthood. She was chosen as the Advocate Magazine’s 2018 Champion of Equality for Missouri.

As a professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, she heals and loves her way into the ripple effect of higher knowledge, understanding and empathy.

The real revolution is found in higher love. Never shying away from the fight, she rises each morning ready to face whatever storm comes her way. She fights for future generations by doing her damnedest to heal the present from the past.

—K. Templeton

Ming Lee

Ming Lee has been crowned Miss Fannie’s 2014, Miss Missouri State 2015, Miss Cosmo Elegance 2017 and Miss Cosmopolitan 2018, to name a few. The energetic performer (who does an amazing Tina Turner) is wellknown as the dazzling host of the Friday night shows at Prism, but those in the Black Trans community know her as a mother figure always looking out for their well-being. Through her work with the Community Wellness Project, Ming’s mission is to ensure her community is cared for.

—Pride St.

Louis

Ian Darnell

As the Founder of the St. Louis LGBT History Project and co-chair of the Missouri Historical Society’s LGBTQIA+ Collecting and Exhibition Committee (Gateway to Pride), I can personally attest to Ian’s many contributions to preserving and promoting St. Louis’ queer history.

I began working with Ian in 2008 and have seen his personal and professional growth propel him into a stellar class of emerging LGBTQIA+ scholars and curators. Examples of his achievements include:

• Researching a PhD dissertation on “Queer St. Louis” – dramatically adding to the growing body of knowledge of St. Louis’ LGBTQIA+ history.

MARK MOORE

Tre’von Griffith

platform for all to shine, fostering a community where everyone’s unique beauty is celebrated and elevated.

—Christopher Taber

Mark Moore

When in 2019, with only 30 days to go, Mark Moore decided to organize a full-scale ticketed New Year’s Eve

event, I was skeptical. But in that short window he nailed down a great venue, delicious food, entertainment and deftly navigated controversy (because St. Louis). The event was a big success, and since then, he’s become one of our community’s main organizers and event planners.

He’s also someone people rely on when things are tough. When a police cruiser plowed into Bar PM late at night, and then officers roughed up and arrested one of the owners, Moore was the first on the scene and was embedded there for days to secure the wrecked space and offer support.

—Chris Andoe

Elizabeth Fuchs

Lilly, who is currently running for Missouri State Representative, embodies love in every phase of her life, and her evolution within our community is a testa-

• Facilitating the Griot Museum of Black History’s innovative program and exhibit on the impact of HIV/ AIDS on St. Louis’ African American community.

• Providing volunteer leadership and research expertise to the St. Louis LGBT History Project with focus on conducting oral histories, creating exhibits for Pride events and obtaining documents.

• Creating the first of its kind St. Louis area LGBTQIA+ walking history tour.

• Serving as a speaker for the American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, Missouri Conference on History, Urban History Association and many others.

• Helping spearhead the Missouri Historical Society’s innovative LGBTQIA+ collecting initiative that is securing rare artifacts and oral histories — dramatically enhancing the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of archives and museums across the St. Louis region.

—Steven Louis Brawley °

Clockwise: Melissa Dunn

ABORTION ACTION MO/TIARE SADARANANDA OF GIRL LOUIS

Mark Moore

LAQUANN DAWSON

“We did use the hashtag stockings,” Christina says. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that Cindy’s gams and the hashtag accidentally got them the foot fetish people.

I asked them how they were handling all the new attention.

“2024 is the year of the block. If you aren’t there to hear and be supportive of disabled people, you get the boot,” Christina says. “No more rudeness or weirdos.”

One frustrating aspect of being a same-sex couple working together in the Metro East and often parts of rural Missouri is that their clients often mistake them for sisters. That’s something many same-sex couples can relate to. I wonder how they navigate uncomfortable and, in some cases, dangerous conversations with people they’re trying to help.

“We try to meet people where their comfort level is,” Christina says. “If I think they can handle the truth, I’ll tell them. If not, I just say no when they

Role Models

CINDY AND CHRISTINA HARDIN-WEISS ARE REVOLUTIONIZING HOW MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS CAN REACH PEOPLE IN NEED

BY ELIZABETH VAN WINKLE

Therapists Cindy and Christina Hardin-Weiss have been experimenting with being social media influencers, posting how-to videos on various social media sites since 2015. At the time, their videos primarily focused on home health topics.

“We realized that the caregivers and patients needed a lot more education, so we started making quick little videos for them,” Christina says. “We would do paperwork with folks while they watched the videos we made.”

Eventually, these modern entrepreneurs realized that making the videos and educating the public could be a business in and of itself, and in 2018, they officially started Adaptive Equipment & Caregiving Corner — and launched their careers as social media influencers.

“We went live in January of 2020 and then immediately went into quarantine in March,” Christina says. “Don’t start a small business during a pandemic. We initially marketed to hospitals, insurance companies, beneficiaries, nursing homes, home health, area agencies on aging, assisted tech-

nologies programs, and we sell products to individuals but prefer to sell to companies.”

Since 2020, they’ve amassed 3.6 million views on YouTube, 7.8 million on Instagram and 9.4 million on TikTok.

“Our message is simple,” Cindy says. “What is the product, who might benefit from the product and where can people find the product?”

Their campy and informational videos have slowly but steadily amassed a large following.

“Sometimes we just end up on TikTok feeds, and we don’t know why,” Christina says. “What we do is not sexy. We don’t ever expect to go viral. When we show up to people, it’s totally organic. That’s when we get some comments that are not great because they say things like, ‘You’re just two old ladies on TikTok.’ Which we are, so we’re trying to use it in like a motherly kind of way.”

“Well, except for that one video,” Cindy interjects. She explains a 28-second video of her trying on compression socks went viral.

“That had a lot of views,” she adds. “We never figured it out.”

ask and move on with the conversation.”

It would seem that even in the benign arena of medical equipment product reviews, it’s hard navigating the positive and negative aspects of having online notoriety.

“We want people to hear about products and not be focusing on who we are,” she adds.

The big difference between what Cindy and Cristina do and other related content out there is that they’re both therapists, so they know how to ask questions about products that suit a patient’s specific needs. They are experts in the field of raising awareness of more obscure or new products that suit specific individuals and circumstances.

“Sometimes videos by companies on products aren’t how-tos; sometimes they are just sales videos, which may increase risk of injury,” explains Cindy.

“We shop for different items from different vendors because it can be hard to find everything people need from different sites,” Christina adds.

“We’re making the shopping experience more personal and decreasing the amount of clicks one must make in order to find what they need, and we help folks find discounts. Caregiving is not only hard on a body but also hard on a wallet.”

“We’ve seen the outcomes for caregivers and patients when they find the right tool,” Cindy says. “Their whole lives can change.”

They put a seal of approval on videos of products that they’ve tested and vetted. And if an item doesn’t meet their criteria, they aren’t afraid to send it back to the company.

It’s all about keeping a person’s dignity. °

This local couple is revolutionizing the way medical professionals can reach people in need who are often left behind by a broken health system.

The Last Bitch Standing

BAR PM’S WILDLY IRREVERENT

TUMARA MAHORNING , ST. LOUIS’ OLDEST DRAG SHOW DIRECTOR, SPILLS A LITTLE TEA

BY CHRIS ANDOE

“Candy James didn’t know what was going on. Sasha didn’t know,” Tumara Mahorning, 62, says in reference to her then-fellow cast members the night she and Michelle McCausland made their clandestine exit from Grey Fox. The pair had performed and directed there for most of the 1990s, during which time the bar reigned as a drag powerhouse, but they’d been secretly lured away by the new Meyer’s Grove (History repeats itself: The Meyer’s Grove space is now occupied by Prism, which was founded in 2021 by a group who left Grey Fox).

“I’d been squirreling things out of my dressing room for weeks, and nobody noticed,” she recalls. “On our last night, mine was empty, but Michelle’s was cram packed. We performed a really long number as friends hurriedly carried everything down the back stairs. When the number was over, we just drove away.”

During Mahorning’s Saturday night shows at Bar PM, she sometimes refers to herself as “the Last Bitch Standing” because she’s the oldest show director in town. She also likes to tease that she knows all the secrets, and will someday tell all. After more than a few interview requests that were politely received but went nowhere, I was finally welcomed into her luxurious, over-the-top South County home on a rainy April afternoon. I learned that Mahorning, whose legal name is Jo-

seph DiMercurio, was born and raised on the Hill by well-to-do parents. Her grandfather worked for the mob, and she had an uncle who lived on the same block as Grey Fox and remembers when it was a grocery market.

Mahorning went to college in Springfield, Missouri, where she earned an MFA in theater directing and costuming. It was during that time, in 1980s Springfield, that she began her drag career. While she has more than 60 drag titles to her name, the first was “Ms. Phelps Park,” a humble pageant illuminated by car headlights.

“My first drag pics were taken at Glamour Shots in the mall in Springfield,” Mahorning recalls. “We walked really fast, but my friend was clocked and thrown against a wall as a crowd formed. No security to be had. I just started screaming, and we

got out of there.”

She’s been held up in her dressing room, has endured nearly two dozen police raids and bailed many friends out of jail. She was performing at Faces in East St. Louis in 2001 when a man stabbed and killed the “First Face of Faces,” doorman Kenny Samples. While that was certainly the most horrific event to happen at Faces, she says more than anywhere she’s performed, something memorable was always happening at the legendary establishment.

“One night, we thought a man had dozed off at the bar, but at the end of the night we discovered that he was dead,” she says. “And then there was the night I was performing Cher when the drapes caught on fire. People were screaming as the bar filled with smoke, but the show never stopped.”

When asked about other memorable drag exits, Mahorning recalls the night in the mid-90s when the cast at Angles walked out amid a dispute with owner Howard Meyer. “Samantha Sky, Cherri Stewart and Nicole Richards came out with suitcases and performed ‘Someday We’ll Be Together,’ then they walked out, leaving the audience completely confused,” she says.

Mahorning has been performing at Bar PM for eight years, and says it’s the most drama-free place she’s ever worked.

As far as all the secrets she threatens to tell, she hesitates when pressed as to what they are.

“But it seems most of these queens have passed on,” I say.

“Yeah, well I don’t want them coming back and haunting me,” she says with a laugh. °