2014-01-01 outlook columbus

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outlook

january 2014

vol 18 • issue 8

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Get in your closet and donate some clothes to Out of the Closet.

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Does this mean I could get paid to stay home and watch TV? Awesome!

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Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Do sing along, dance in your seat and have a good time! - Taylor Mayde

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Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Do come to the show! - Deez Nutz

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vol 18 • #8

the drag issue

They breezed by laughing and joking, and I didn’t like them at all.

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you are here

8

snapshot

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qmunity

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the gay games

I was sitting on my stoop in Washington, DC, waiting for my friend and downstairs neighbor so we could go wherever we were going.

The drag queens passed by on their way to Pride.

14 16

small pond: bake me happy

It was 1997, the year before I came out.

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feature: drag 101 feature: history of drag

Why did drag queens bother me so much? I’ve thought about it a lot since then, and I’ve come to this conclusion:

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feature: business of drag feature: drag family portraits

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feature: behind the scenes

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feature: drag kings

34

insightout

36

the mario & debbie show

38

interview: jinkx monsoon

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creative class: winter classes

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nightlife: drag shows

42

out & about

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savage love

45

the divine life

46

outlook blog squad

46

puzzling

outlook’s staff

22

Queen-Sized

you are here

How much more out and open and carefree can you be when you’re a man in makeup, a wig, heels and a dress? Those queens were having a great time, as they so often do. They represented the out, open life I was denying myself in the closet.

I love drag queens now, even though they still far outdo me in the carefree department. And I respect them greatly, both as artists and activists.

Welcome to outlook’s first Drag Issue. As you’ll learn, there’s a lot going on behind the sequins.

Gender illusion an old art form, as you’ll learn in J. Briggs Cormier’s piece on the history of drag, on Page 20. Its roots are intertwined with the fight for LGBT rights. Drag queens and kings, along with transgender women and men, were among the first to fight back at

Stonewall as they were among the first targeted in police raids in New York, in Columbus and everywhere.

Over the course of four days, we gathered more than three dozen Columbus queens and kings for individual and group portraits. We envisioned formal family photos, posed in their shiny finery. Most of them had different ideas, though, and we’re glad they did.

Drag is also serious business, as Kailen Nourse reports in a story on Page 22. Wigs on one website are more than $450. Nina West talks about the gown she wore in 2008 when she won an Entertainer of the The work of photographers Robert Year pageant: “It was a car.”

Trautman, Andrew Williams and Emma Parker captures both the art On Pages 16-18, our drag tutorial, and the insanity of the Columbus Drag 101, is all you need to know to drag scene throughout this issue. talk - and tuck - like a true queen.

We also gave local drag queens a All of our usual features are in this chance to vent (they’re usually so issue, too, along with something shy about sharing their feelings, new we’ve added. In August, the right?) on the dos and don’ts for ninth international Gay Games will both performers and audiences. take place in Cleveland and Akron, and we think that’s a pretty big And be sure to check out the drag deal. More than 30,000 will attend names various online generators the quadrennial sporting event, incame up with for a host of Central cluding 10,000 participants.

Ohio celebs, from Mayor Michael Coleman and Gov. John Kasich to Every month until then, we’ll focus Coach Urban Meyer and Brutus on what they’re planning in northBuckeye. eastern Ohio, and how everyone can take part. Our first Gay Games story As much as drag is about in the series is on Page 12. quippy repartée and knowing every word to “My Heart Will Go We’ve got a great year planned in On” like it’s your job (cuz it is), 2014, and we invite you to be part it most importantly is a visual of our coverage of the LGBT comart form. munity. Email me anytime with your thoughts, suggestions and ideas To that end, we set out to photo- for coverage. graph as many performers as we could get our hands on.

Bob Vitale, Editor-in-Chief “Managing drag queens is like bvitale@outlookmedia.com herding cats,” Helena Troy says in Kailen’s story. But that didn’t stop us from taking on the job.

NEXT MONTH: marriage, weddings & love We’re in love!

things that make us happy.

Outlook’s February issue will focus on love and marriage, and we’re putting our bullhorn in storage this time.

We want to tell love stories. We want to write about weddings.

Chris

Chad

Bob

Alexis

Erin

We want to write about love... and marriage. Not as political topics that divide Ohio or even our own community, but as

OK, it’s bound to be a little political, but most of all we want to share your stories. So we hope you’ll share them with us.

ments! Send us your wedding photos!

OWNER & PUBLISHER Christopher Hayes HEADQUARTERS Outlook Media, Inc. 815 N High St, Bsmt Ste G, Columbus, OH 43215 614.268.8525phone / 614.261.8200 fax SALES Chad Frye / cfrye@outlookmedia.com Alexis Perrone / aperrone@outlookmedia.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863 ADVERTISING DEADLINES Reservations by the 15th of each month.

Art in by the 20th.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Bob Vitale / bvitale@outlookmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Erin McCalla / emccalla@outlookmedia.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J. Briggs Cormier, Debé, Jennifer DeLuke, Molly Duerré, Erin McCalla, Kailen Nourse,

Mario Pinardi, Dan Savage, Regina Sewell, Kristen Spicker, Helena Troy, Debbie Van Bommel, Bob Vitale ART DIRECTOR Christopher Hayes /chayes@outlookmedia.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS / DESIGNERS Chris Hayes, Ariel Hout, Emma Parker, Dallas Stover, Robert Trautman, Andrew Williams COVER PHOTO: Virgina West by Robert Trautman CYBERSPACE http://www.outlookcolumbus.com http://www.outlookmedia.com http://www.networkcolumbus.com http://twitter.com/outlookcolumbus http://facebook.com/outlookcolumbus outlook columbus is published and distributed

by Outlook Media, Inc. the first day of each month throughout Ohio. outlook columbus is a free publication provided solely for the use of our readers. Any person who willfully or knowingly obtains or exerts unauthorized control over more than 5 copies of any issue of outlook columbus with the intent to prevent other individuals from reading it shall be considered guilty of the crime of theft. Violators will be prosecuted.

The views expressed in outlook columbus are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or personal, business, or professional practices of Outlook Media, Inc. or its staff, ownership, or management. outlook columbus does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or reliability of any interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.

Outlook Media, Inc. does not investigate or accept responsibility for claims made in any advertisement. Outlook Media, Inc. assumes no responsibility for claims arising in connection with products and services advertised herein, nor for the content of, or reply to, any advertisement. All material is copyrighted ©2014 by Outlook Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

puzzling solution - puzzle on pg 46

Tell us how you met, how long you’ve been together, how you celebrated, and where.

Send them to editor@outlookmedia.com by Jan 15 to be part of the happy occasion.

Send us your wedding announce-

dAily CONTENT: outlookcolumbus.com 6

january 2014

drag Audience dos & don’ts: don’t walk in front of the queen when she’s entertaining. - Sonya Ross

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Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Do practice humility. - Diamond Hunter

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OVR­Leather­Club Toy­Drive 12/09/13 @­The­Toolbox

World­AIDS­DAY 12/01/13 @­The­State­House

Network­Columbus 12/11/13 @­The­Kitchen

Huntington­@­ The­Hub Ribbon­Cutting 12/18/13

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Get­your­event­in­snapshot.­Email­pics­to­editor@outlookmedia.com.

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Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Don’t get on stage with the performer. - Pepe Pocketrocket

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qmunity

Two More Trans Women Murdered in Cleveland

Why Marriage Matters Hires New Jersey Campaign Chief The head of a recently concluded effort to win marriage equality in New Jersey has come to Ohio to run a similar campaign.

Michael Premo, the former campaign manager of New Jersey United for Marriage, will have the same job with Why Marriage Matters Ohio. Both groups are coalitions that include a statewide LGBT-rights group (Equality Ohio here), the Human Rights Campaign, Freedom to Marry and the ACLU. “I’m champing at the bit to get going,” Premo told outlook. “I think both sides rightly recognize: As goes Ohio, so goes the nation. When we win in Ohio, that’s going to generate a huge burst of momentum.”

Premo is a veteran political operative who has run local, state and federal campaigns in Michigan, New York and New Jersey. His job at New Jersey United ended when Gov. Chris Christie decided not to appeal state court rulings granting marriage rights to lesbian and gay couples.

Why Marriage Matters is not part of an effort to put a marriage-equality amendment on the Ohio ballot this fall. Freedom Ohio, the group behind that campaign, says it has enough signatures to force a statewide vote on what’s called the Freedom to Marry and Religious Freedom Amendment.

Premo wouldn’t predict when Why Marriage Matters might get behind a marriage-equality initiative, but he doesn’t think a majority of Ohio voters are behind the idea yet.

“I think as of right now, if we got every single person who supports marriage equality out to vote, we would fall short. People are movable. It’s just that those conversations have to happen.”

Timing, however, will be dictated by Ohioans, not a national priorities list of outside groups, Premo said. Why Marriage Matters groups also exist in Arizona, New Mexico and Pennsylvania.

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Cleveland police and BRAVO officials say the deaths of two transgender women in Cleveland in early December were hate crimes, even though Ohio law won’t let law-enforcement categorize them that way.

Betty Skinner, 52, was found dead Dec 5 by a home-health aide who went to her apartment in Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Brittany Nicole Kidd Stergis, 22, was found Dec 6 in a car near Ohio City and the Flats.

Skinner was beaten to death, according to WKYC-TV. Stergis had been shot in the head, according to The Plain Dealer.

They were the second and third trans women killed in northeastern Ohio during 2013.

Cemia “CeCe” Dove, 20, was killed in January and her body was discovered in a suburban Cuyahoga County pond in April. Her killer was sentenced to life in prison in November.

Cleveland police told The Plain Dealer that there’s no indication the latest killings are related, and they had no suspects by midmonth.

A deputy chief called the murders “crimes of hate” and told a community meeting Dec 15 that police would call in the FBI and Department of Justice because federal hate-crimes law covers acts against LGBT people.

Ohio law excludes crimes motivated by antiLGBT bias, but the Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization didn’t hesitate to call the killings hate crimes.

“It is likely that both Betty and Brittany Nicole were targeted based on others’ perception of their gender identity and expression,” said Aaron Eckhardt, the group’s training and technical assistance director.

Legacy Fund, Bat-N-Rouge Award $45,000 in Grants They don’t call it the season of giving for nothing: LGBT groups in Columbus received nearly $45,000 in grants in December.

ize college campuses, as well as to programs run by the Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association Central Ohio Chapter, BRAVO and the Kaleidoscope Youth Center.

Separately, organizers of Bat-NThe Legacy Rouge, the annual Fund of the post-Pride drag Columbus Bat-N-Rouge members Sam Schisler and Dallas Aldridge softball extravaFoundation present a check to SWC’s Karla Rothan and Jay Poroda. announced $30,000 in awards to help ganza, handed out checks of $4,820 each Central Ohio’s LGBT youth, veterans, col- to AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Kaleidoscope and Stonewall. lege students and more.

The fund didn’t identify the amounts of each grant but said between $1,000 and $10,000 would go to Stonewall Columbus for a new LGBT veterans support group and Equality Ohio for a position to organ-

Bat-N-Rouge raises money each year to run the Columbus Lesbian & Gay Softball Association, but it also has shared more than $250,000 with charities over its 28year run.

Got a wedding or engagement announcement? Send it in for us to print!

“I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Th

- U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington (2012)

Obama Promises $100 Million More Toward AIDS Research The United States will spend $100 million on research into a cure for AIDS, President Obama announced at a White House observation of World AIDS Day. The money will be redirected at the National Institutes of Health to advance research into a new generation of HIV therapies.

“We can’t change the past or undo its wrenching pain,” the president said. “But what we can do - and what we have to do - is to chart a different future, guided by our love for those we couldn’t save.”

Obama noted progress made against HIV/AIDS in awareness, research and treatment. A 9,000-person waiting list for the federal AIDS Drug Assistance Program has been eliminated in the last two years, he said.

Tom bronz He’s b Black and I feel ri

E ri

But he said much work remains.

“Here in the United States, we need to keep focusing on investments to communities that are still being hit hardest, including gay and bisexual men, AfricanAmericans and Latinos. We need to keep up the fight in our cities.”

85%

That’s the number of Ohioans who know someone who is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, according to a December poll by Public Policy Polling for Freedom Ohio, the group seeking a statewide referendum on marriage equality. outlookcolumbus.com

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This Just Out!

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Johnny Weir In, Obama Out for Russian Winter Olympics Gay former figure skater Johnny Weir is facing criticism for his plans to work as a commentator for NBC during next month’s Winter Olympics in anti-gay Russia.

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Tom Daley, a British diver who won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

He’s bi and dating screenwriter Dustin Lance Black: “I still fancy girls, but I’m dating a guy and I couldn’t be happier. It just really does feel right.”

Bob Harper, Biggest Loser star, personal trainer and author. He’s been out privately, but he talked about it publicly on the show for the first time with a contestant who was struggling to tell his father: “Being gay doesn’t mean that you are less than anybody else. It’s just who you are.”

Every Ohio citizen should have the right to marry the person they love, raise a family, and be an equal member of the community...”

And he got even more heat for calling gay activists “idiots” and their protests “useless.”

Members of Queer Nation demonstrated outside a New York college where the former Olympian spoke in December.

“I’ve never had a bad experience in Russia,” said Weir, who noted that he follows neither the nation’s politics nor its 2013 law forbidding any mention of homosexuality. “[I’ve]

not gotten called a fag or beat up. I only see the rosy, golden side.”

Meanwhile, President Obama and several European leaders said in December that they won’t attend the Olympics in Sochi.

The White House blamed the president’s schedule. But officials pointed out that the U.S. delegation, which includes openly gay tennis legend Billie Jean King and hockey medalist Caitlin Cahow, will reflect “the diversity that is the United States.”

The Olympics run from Feb 7-23.

Mandela on LGBT Rights Nelson Mandela, who forgave those who imprisoned him for 27 years, led South Africa out of apartheid and became one of the world’s most beloved statesmen, died Dec 5 at the age of 95.

He was a champion for LGBT rights as well during his time as president of South Africa (199499) and the African National Congress party (1991-99): • His party endorsed marriage equality as early as 1993, although the nation’s highest court

didn’t rule in its favor until 2005.

• South Africa’s 1993 interim constitution and 1996 permanent charter opposed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. It was the first nation in the world to do so in its constitution.

• In 1996, South Africa became the fourth nation to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

• In 1998, the Constitutional Court of South Africa struck down an old law prohibiting homosexual conduct between consenting adults

- Scott Wharton, a Democrat who’s challenging U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, which includes German Village, Italian Village, the Brewery District, Grandview Heights, western suburbs of Columbus, and areas of Ohio from Athens to Wilmington.

Teacher’s Wedding Gift: Termination by Catholic School A Catholic-school teacher in Pennsylvania was fired Dec 6, just hours after applying for a license in neighboring New Jersey to marry his partner of 12 years.

Michael Griffin, who taught French and Spanish at Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem, Pa., said it was no secret among school officials that he’s gay, and that it only became an issue once he planned to marry.

Bensalem is northeast of Philadelphia.

the Rev. James McCloskey, the school president: “He said, ‘It’s not really a secret here that you’re gay.’ I said, ‘Correct.’ He said, ‘I assume this is a same-sex marriage.’ ‘Yes.’ He said if I go through with it, he had no choice but to terminate my position.”

On Facebook, he shared the priest’s email address and wrote: “I am an alumnus of the school and have taught there for 12 years. I feel hurt, saddened, betrayed and except for this post, am at a loss for words.”

Griffin told WPVI-TV of his conversation with outlookcolumbus.com

Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Don’t change a number five minutes before curtain. - Deez Nutz

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gay games

Welcoming Cleveland, the World Akron Gearing Up Cleveland, Akron Gearingfor UpFun for and Fun Gay and Gay Games Games

by Bob Vitale Why does there have to be a Gay Games?

Tom Nobbe gets that question a lot - although the reason becomes a lot more obvious every time the International Olympic Committee must issue a statement assuring LGBT athletes and spectators that they won’t be arrested or assaulted during February’s Winter Olympics in anti-gay Russia.

In a nation where a popular TV star recently said gay people should be burned alive, where President Vladimir Putin called his crusade against LGBT people a fight between good and evil, the IOC has told athletes not to speak out against a law banning all mention of LGBT issues.

“When people say, ‘Why does there have to be a Gay Games?’ I say look over there,” said Nobbe, executive director of the 2014 Gay Games, which are scheduled for Aug 9-16 in Cleveland and Akron.

More than 10,000 participants and about 30,000 total visitors are expected in northeastern Ohio for the weeklong games. Already, people have registered from 24 other countries, mostly in Europe but also including China, India, Brazil and more.

More than 200 Russians have applied for finan-

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cial assistance that organizers make available for people who can’t afford the cost of travel and registration.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has been among Gay Games volunteers and supporters who’ve written personal welcome notes that have gone out to every person registering for the games. They’re mailed in plain envelopes, though.

Midwestern hospitality will be the hallmark of these games, the ninth since the event was founded in 1982 by Dr. Tom Waddell, who came out after competing in the decathlon at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Cleveland/Akron is the smallest metro area to host the Gay Games, which have previously been in places such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Cologne, Amsterdam and Sydney.

It’s also the first host city that’s not an LGBT tourist destination in and of itself.

Ohio organizers see advantages, too, in the 2014 host cities. The Gay Games are just another event for bigger markets; in Cleveland and Akron, they’ll be hard to miss.

Opening ceremonies will be in Quicken Loans Arena, and closing ceremonies will be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Owners of Cleveland’s Terminal Tower will bathe the landmark building in rainbow-colored lights for the week.

The Cleveland Foundation has contributed $250,000 to become the games’ first-ever presenting sponsor.

Competition in 36 events - individual and team sports, winter sports such as figure skating and summer staples such as swimming - will take place at venues that include Cleveland State and Case Western Reserve universities, the University of Akron, Public Hall, the Cleveland Convention Center, Edgewater Park and Lake Erie, and Akron’s Firestone Country Club and Firestone Stadium.

That was a plus for the Gay Games Federation, which chooses host cities for the quadrennial event. Not only will hotels and restaurants be more affordable for travelers, staging the event in the heart of America was viewed as a chance to reach out beyond LGBT Land.

“People will know that the games are here,” Nobbe promised.

“They saw this as an opportunity to change some hearts and minds about our community,” Nobbe said.

Regional leaders hope to showcase Cleveland and Akron as diverse, inclusive places, an important social indicator for potential new busi-

And the games will leave their mark on northeastern Ohio and its LGBT community long after they’re gone, he said.

nesses and residents. Nobbe said he hopes the event will help unite an LGBT community that’s spread out from cities to suburbs.

The Cleveland Foundation’s contribution to the event includes a permanent fund that will benefit the region’s LGBT community.

“When we told our story [to win the right to host the games], we told them how these games are really a catalyst for change,” Nobbe said. “We want a stronger community as a result. That’s the kind of legacy we want to leave.”

2014 Gay Games Cleveland/Akron Aug 9-16 Visit www.gg9cle.com for a full list of events, as well as registration and hotel info.

Latest News: • Registration fees vary by sport, but most go up Jan 8.

• People who can’t afford registration or travel costs can apply for financial help from games organizers. Download the application at www.gg9cle.com. The deadline is Feb 15.

• Central Ohio participants are organizing as Team Columbus. Search Facebook for Team Columbus - GG9.

Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Don't sit in the front row and not tip! - Hellin Bedd

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Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Do shave. - Blanche

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photo: Andrew Williams

small pond

Wendy Miller-Pugh and Letha Pugh

TrickyBake Treats Me Happy It’s Gluten-Free & Good at

by Kristen Spicker The person who first said you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone might have been on a gluten-free diet.

But instead of grudgingly accepting new dietary restrictions when she realized she was gluten- and celiac-intolerant, Wendy Miller-Pugh began experimenting in the kitchen.

And Bake Me Happy, a Clintonville bakery whose products are available through several local stores, was born. The gluten-free treats range from familiar Twinkie-like cakes to cutting-edge cookies that incorporate sea salt and spice.

“I would never want a real Twinkie right now, but I think it’s the thought of you can’t ever have this again,” Miller-Pugh said. “It was fun to recreate it, and it’s something yummy that feels like a real treat.”

After testing gluten-free goodies on friends, including those who weren’t gluten-intolerant but were highly impressed, Wendy’s partner, Letha Pugh, urged her to enter the bakery business.

“Letha is an entrepreneur by heart. For her, it’s always about what are we going to do next,” Miller-

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sensitive or gluten-intolerant. Consuming products that contain the protein can cause digestive problems, stomachaches, joint pain and numbness in legs, arms or fingers.

With the rise of gluten intolerance, many who don’t suffer its effects have voluntarily removed the proPugh said. “We’d always kind of talked about a tein from their diets in hopes of losing weight. But bakery, and she said ‘Let’s go for it. Let’s start. Let’s because of gluten’s vital role in helping bread rise research it.’ And we did it; we and giving it that chewy texstarted it.” ture, lots of people get the notion that gluten-free can’t be With Letha’s business skills tasty. and Wendy’s knack for baking, the couple was ready to go into “A lot of people have gone to business. Miller-Pugh honed the store and had the things the menu down to a handful of that are mass-produced and treats, opting for a small yet are crumbly and dry,” Millerstrong selection. Although she Pugh said. “That’s what we’re was originally inspired by her trying to break. Our products own cravings after removing do taste good and might even gluten from her diet, Millerbe better than products that Pugh said she didn’t want have gluten.”

Bake Me Happy to have a completely traditional menu.

Bake Me Happy uses a mix of flours to create the perfect bal“We’re trying to have more ance between moisture, crumunique products,” she said. bliness and density. A “We have an oatmeal cream combination of various rice pie. We have a spicy peanutflours, starches, sorghum flour butter cookie, a sea-salt dark chocolate chip and amaranth gives its products a texture that cookie. We’re not just trying to replace things that closely mimics those that include gluten. [gluten-intolerant] people miss. We’re trying to make it a little more specialty and take it one notch Miller-Pugh said gluten-free foods that rely solely higher.” on rice flours are the ones that taste too dry.

“I would

never want a real Twinkie right now, but I think it’s

the thought of you can’t ever

have this again.”

-Wendy

Most people who eat gluten-free diets are gluten-

and chive scone and an almond, coconut and chocolate chip scone. For the holidays, she added pies: apple, cherry, pumpkin, sweet potato, sugar cream, chocolate cream and sour cream apple.

Bake Me Happy’s kitchen is located at Arc Industries West in Clintonville, which closed its kitchens but began renting them to local entrepreneurs. Arc Industries’ kitchen is designated as gluten-free, so it was an obvious choice.

The partnership also pairs Bake Me Happy with a staff person who helps out the operation. With an extra set of hands contributing to the baking and cleaning, it allows Wendy and Letha to spend more time out of the bakery and with their 2-year-old daughter.

“You want a good balance for your family as well,” Miller-Pugh said.

While expanding Bake Me Happy into its own storefront is a goal, Miller-Pugh is content to look at short-term goals.

“We just bought a VW bus, and we’re going to renovate it and make it so we can sell out of it,” she said. “That way we can be part of the food-truck festivals and have a venue to sell our items.”

Look for Bake Me Happy’s products at The Hills Market Downtown, Celebrate Local’s Easton location, Spinelli’s Deli and The Kitchen. You also can order online at www.bakemehappygf.com.

Other than cookies, she also makes a ham, cheese

Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Do pay attention and don’t use your phone. - DeMonica Hunter

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We are so excited to see the new Reed Arts space!

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feature

D D

Drag 101

D

It

W Is e

It fu se

How Do They...? D A lady doesn’t tell, but drag queens sure do. YouTube is full of how-to videos that share the tricks of the drag trade:

Get curves?

All it takes is upholstery foam, an electric carving knife, and lots and lots of pantyhose.

Glue stick - it’s got to be the watersoluble kind - hides a multitude of Italian heritage.

It’s rubbed between the fingers into a putty that’s stretched over the brows. A dab of water smooths it down, and makeup covers it all up.

Queens make curvy hips and butts by cutting a piece of foam into what looks like a map of Africa. On each side, the padding goes from the waistline to above the knee and curves behind onto the butt.

That makes it possible to paint those Divine brows halfway up the forehead.

Multiple pairs of hose - five in one tutorial, followed by two pair of dancer’s tights - smooth out imperfections.

Let’s see, how do we do this delicately. Because it has got to be done delicately.

Show cleavage?

There are silicone breastplates for sale that slip around the neck like a Double-D lobster bib. There are also inserts known as “chicken cutlets” that slip into a bra.

But the cleavage is all makeup. It’s done with foundation over the entire upper body, lighter and darker colors curved around the pecs and painted up the center of the chest.

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Hide a unibrow?

january 2014

Hide, umm, you-know-what?

It seems queens have many different ways, but here’s one that sounds logical... The peen is pulled back, and its two friends are gently pushed up into the place they go when the ocean is really, really, really cold.

They’re all held in their new homes with duct tape (we’ll take their word that it comes off easily in the shower) or with the help of a thong-like undergarment called a gaff.

r a g D e f i n e d

A T

Glamazon Helena Troy has compiled a glossary of drag terms to help you know a kiki from a kai kai... as if it wouldn’t be obvious the minute you entered the room.

Fish: Passing for a woman. Ex. Nikki Stone is so fish!

Hunty: An affectionate term that combines honey and a less-than-polite word for a woman’s genitalia. Ex. I’ll meet you at the bar, hunty.

Geish: To be in drag. (Pronounced: gEEsh.) Ex. Do I need to be in geish for this photo shoot?

Booger: Messy drag. Ex. That queen is so booger she could be Diamond Hunter’s twin!

Sickening: The new amazing. Ex. Deva Station’s gown is sickening!

Giving Me Life!: Being impressed to the extreme. Ex. Britney Blaire is giving me life!

This is Everything!: The ultimate compliment. Ex. Nina’s show was everything!

Reading: The art of the insult; light reading is more playful insults between friendly queens. Ex. Mary Nolan and Ashley O’Shea are doing some light reading backstage.

Paint: Applying makeup to the face.

Ex. Mathilda Longfellow knows how to paint for the gods!

Cooking: Leaving powder on the face for a period of time to help set makeup. Ex. I drove to the show while my face was cooking.

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A D fo lo it -

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Beat a Mug: To paint a face. Ex. Maria Garrison sure can beat a fierce mug.

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Kiki: A get-together or impromptu party to share stories and anecdotes.

(Pronounced: KEE-kee.) Ex. The Glamazons’ afterparty was a fullblown kiki.

A in d li

Kai kai: When two queens have sexual relations. (Rhymes with eye or fly.) Ex. I keep telling Hellin Bedd that I won’t kai kai with her!

Serving Realness: Presenting drag in a specific style. Ex. Vivian Von Brokenhymen is serving Marie Antoinette realness in that gown.

Scag Drag: Booger drag that knows it’s booger drag and is therefore entertaining.

Even though the show takes place in a bar, it’s still a show. Treat it like you’re at a theater Downtown.” - Stella Boheme

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K so h

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Face,

Hair & Jewelry

Face,

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Face,

Face!

Bo Oh Sp

All use

Don’t Do That Hunty, Or They Will Read You It’s not hard to get an opinion out of a drag queen.

While the kings and queens were waiting to get their photos taken for this month’s Drag Issue, we asked them to drop some knowledge on their fellow performers and the audiences that come to watch.

It was a common sentiment that the drag community should be respectful, nice and helpful to each other - i.e., don’t be a bitch. We also heard “stay positive and be true to yourself and don’t be afraid to push the envelope.”

And for the audience? TIP! (Oh, and stay off the damn stage when they’re performing.

That’s THEIR stage.)

But overall, their advice to each other and the audience was the same: Have fun! Because, in the words of Blahze Brown, “at the end of the day, we’re just boys in dresses.”

Help your neighbor with his facial hair.

- Deez Nutz Avoid the five D’s before a show: no drinking, no drugs, no drama, nobody in the dressing room, and no derriere (don’t act like an ass). - Virginia West Be gracious when accepting tips. Don’t just grab the money and run; make eye contact.

- Vivian Von Brokenhymen Don’t fuck other drag queens; you’ll lose half your shit in the divorce. - Mary Nolan Know every syllable of that song! There are so many elements to distract you that you have to know it cold. - Mary Ann Brandt Spend money on your wardrobe. Put money back into your craft. - Sonya Ross Don’t apply duct tape directly to your skin.

Trust me on this one. - Mr. Cool Ethan outlookcolumbus.com

Don’t make me take money out of your mouth. - Andrea Benahoe

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Virginia West

Don’t forget to leave your phone number.

- Lustin Bieber Don’t get mad if we can’t take your tip right away because of choreography. It’s perfectly OK to lay money on stage; someone will get it. - Surly Manson

Base coat

Shave your chest - and back. And don’t always read people. It’s not cute.

- Jacquelyn Hyde

Advice for the Audience: Don’t touch my fucking hair. - Summer Day

clean Pallette

Advice for Fellow Queens: Don’t share your opinion with a fellow performer regarding their look/performance/etc., unless they ask for it. But if they ask, all bets are off.

- Helena Troy

Keep the compliments flowing.

- Nikki Stone Do drink a lot! It tends to make us prettier.

- Ashley O’Shea

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Dollar bills only! No coinage.

- Cassandra Terrace

2 eyes & Lips

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DOs& DON’Ts

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Don’t sit in the front row and text on your cell phone, but do take pictures. Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook.

- Diamond Hunter Don’t have idle side conversations.

- Betty Cracker There are no don’ts for the audience; they came to see you! - Georgia Jackson

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photos: Robert Trautman

No matter what people in the audience do, I always remind myself: We're in a bar. We're not in the Palace Theatre. - Nina West

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The Four Major Drag Pageant Systems

Boy, do drag queens like their pageants. Seriously, there are pageants for just about everything from Miss Ohio Gay Pride to Miss International Plus. Drag king Mr. Cool Ethan jokingly suggests a new one: “Miss Gay Spectacular Ohio Entertainer of Half the Year at Medium. Or is that already taken?”

All of the pageants have MANY rules and regulations, but here are the basics and the most interesting. (Druguse is a firm no-no in at least two, but EOY just says don’t do drugs on the pageant premises.)

Miss Gay America • Must be male, at least 21, and a US citizen.

• Contestants are scored in evening gown, solo talent, talent, and interviews in and out of drag.

• Cannot have an open criminal investigation or have more than one misdemeanor.

• No pyrotechnics.

• It’s the only pageant that prohibits hormones, silicone injections below the neck, and/or breast or body implants.

Miss Gay America 2013: Jessica Jade

Miss Continental

• The competition for “fishy” queens or transsexual and transgender contestants.

• Contestants are scored in interview, swimwear, talent and evening gown. If you make it to the finals, you are asked an on-stage question.

• That’s all we know. Organizers refused to share any information publicly.

Miss Continental 2013: Naysha Lopez

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Miss Gay US of A • • • •

Must be male and over 21.

Contestants are scored in interview, talent and evening gown.

No glitter, fire, water or live animals in any talent presentation.

While the pageant does “not discriminate against entertainers with silicone and/or hormones” the use of silicone or hormones should “not be considered” by judges.

Miss Gay US of A 2013: Shae Shae La’Reese

Eyes & Lips

EOY Entertainer of the Year, Female Impersonation • Must be male and over 18.

• Contestants are scored in on stage interview, presentation, evening wear and talent.

• Drugs are deemed a “personal matter” but prohibited on the host bar’s property.

• Any type of talent is acceptable, except those that are “illegal or might cause injury.”

• Does not discriminate against entertainers with silicone or hormones.

Miss National Entertainer of the Year 2013: Raquell Lord

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Love Your Hair, Hope You Win!

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Courtisan, Ohio LOCAL CELEBS RENAMED

There’s an old standby for picking drag names: your first pet’s name, followed by the street you grew up on. The problem is you sometimes end up with names like Buddy Rt. 33, which isn’t very fun or funny. We used several online drag name generators (RuPaul’s on Facebook was our favorite) to rename a whole host Columbus celebs. Mayor Coleman, you betta work...

U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty ...........................Ivanna Beeyou Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky ...........Amanda Reckonwith 10TV meteorologist Chris Bradley..........Layona Davenport Ice cream maven Jeni Britton Bauer.....Suzy Woozy County Commissioner Paula Brooks......Patty O’Furniture U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown..........................Tequila Mockingbird County Recorder Terry Brown ................Sandy Beach Brutus Buckeye .......................................Blenda Drinks Gay-firing Bishop Frederick Campbell ..Holly Goheavily Mayor Michael Coleman ......................Misty Cologne Christopher Columbus...........................Charlamaine Courtisan NBC4 traffic expert Monica Day ...........Monica Duvet NBC4 meteorologist Jim Ganahl...........Carmen Getmee Ex-OSU President Gordon Gee...............Eileen Dover Council President Andy Ginther ............Anna Conda Buckeye legend Archie Griffin...............Miss Construe Columbus Zoo guy Jack Hanna............Ida Ho 10TV anchor Kristyn Hartman ................Molly Lolly Woody Hayes .........................................Gail Force Police Chief Kim Jacobs........................Lucy Juicy Gov. John Kasich ...................................Jean Pool Councilman Zach Klein .........................Kitten Kaboodle Restaurateur Elizabeth Lessner ..............Anita Cocktail ABC6 morning host Marshall McPeek ...Wendy Wantme Buckeyes Coach Urban Meyer ..............Bessie Mae Mucho Restaurateur Cameron Mitchell ............Fifi LaRue U.S. Sen Rob Portman.............................Rusty Coil 10TV anchor Jerry Revish .......................Juicy Sanchez Stonewall Director Karla Rothan ............Peckerina Romano State Sen. Charleta Tavares ..................Shanda Lier Author James Thurber ............................June Cleavage Drag Queen Nina West ..........................Kaye Wye Retail magnate Les Wexner ...................Madam Ovary Formerly Lil’ local Bow Wow ...................Brooke Backmountain

Audience members shouldn't sit and text during the whole show, and drag queens shouldn't be nasty to everyone. - Freesia Balls

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Drag: A History

by J. Briggs Cormier While cross-dressed performance has existed in Western culture since the beginning of recorded history, drag as we know it today is a relatively recent phenomenon.

Drag differs from theatrical cross-dressing. One intentionally sets out to upend the social order, to challenge social norms, and to raise questions about gender and sexuality. But cross-dressing actors - in Greek theater, the Middle Ages and Elizabethan England - were a result of society’s discomfort with women onstage; they reinforced society’s values rather than confronted them.

Our modern expression of drag would not begin to appear until the mid-19th century, about the same time that urban life exploded, an identifiably gay subculture arose and pop-culture was born.

When attending a drag show today, the modern viewer expects to see a revue, a theatrical performance that’s a series of sketches, songs and dances. This format has its origin in the minstrel shows of the Vaudeville stage and touring circuit.

The minstrel show presented a caricature of African-Americans who were portrayed by white actors in blackface makeup.

These minstrel shows are where we find the earliest resemblance of a drag aesthetic. Eugene d’Amilie (1836-1907) was a popular blackface

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photos: Andrew Williams

The Songs Change, but Drag Remains the Same

female impersonator who became something of a superstar. He and other female impersonators often were diminutive men with well-developed soprano voices who sang and danced on the Vaudeville touring circuit.

Their shows were hits, especially in the American West and European capitals like Berlin. The cross-dressing actors had significant wardrobes filled with gowns, fans, costume jewelry and all the other trappings that you might see on a contemporary drag queen.

And like contemporary drag, these performances were designed to titillate and entertain. They were simultaneously alluring and tongue-in-cheek.

Some costumes were sexy, and the performances were risqué. Characters included not only standard minstrel-show fare, but also the ever-popular wench and more sophisticated characters like ballerinas and opera divas. Some parodied the well-known female stars of the day.

That tradition continues today with queens like Sherry Vine, who parodies music videos by pop stars such as Lady Gaga, and Derrick Barry, who headlines sold-out shows in Las Vegas in which he impersonates Britney Spears.

Soldiers in both World Wars developed a taste for cross-dressed performance. Theater groups at military bases and in prisoner-of-war camps produced all-male productions to alleviate their boredom, and shows were even sanctioned by the

military. There as a costumier in Paris who employed a corps of seamstresses to enlarge chorus-girl costumes to fit male bodies.

This open-mindedness would not last, however.

In the 1950s, American cities began enacting restrictions on nightclub drag performances across the country. Private parties such as the annual drag balls and fashion shows, which had been occurring since the 1930s, were ignored by authorities if pre-existing organizations sponsored them and they raised money for charity.

Despite the disapproval, drag remained popular, and nightclubs took great risks to meet public demand. Some turned to organized crime for protection. Police raids were common, and male guests had to have a minimum of five articles of male attire in order to avoid arrest.

Harassment by the police, rising liquor taxes and higher fees charged by musicians’ unions pushed many nightclubs toward pre-recorded music by the 1960s. That led to lip synching, which made it easier for amateurs to grab the drag spotlight.

and straight. Crystal LaBeija created the first “house” in the 1970s when she organized and promoted her own ball. The House of LaBeija was featured in the 1990s documentary, Paris Is Burning.

Drag queens have had a prominent place in the fight for LGBT rights since the Stonewall riots in 1969. They were among the customers who fought back when New York police came to raid the Stonewall Inn. Nowadays you can find a drag show every night of the week in cities large enough for a few gay bars. From weekly cabaret acts to full-length revues that hold a limited run, these shows appeal to straight and gay audiences alike. Some bars go out of their way to welcome bachelorette parties. Jacques Cabaret in Boston hosts shows seven days a week, with two on Saturdays.

Drag queens today don’t need a legitimate soprano voice in order to perform. Those who sing live, such as Joey Arias, are rare.

Drag still titillates and poses questions about gender, sexuality and societal expectations. But, fundamentally, drag is about entertaining an audience. High camp, impeccable lip-synching, flawless impersonation of Hollywood icons, breathtaking choreography, stunning costumes, hair and makeup all help create a performance experience that American audiences continue to crave.

The 1960s also saw the emergence of AfricanAmerican drag balls in Harlem. The high glamour of the costumes drew huge audiences, both gay

If you want more information on this topic, check out Laurence Senelick’s The Changing Room: Sex, Drag and Theatre (2000).

Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Don’t tease performers with your tip money. - Blanche

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Which Sherlock Holmes do you prefer? Robert Downey Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch?

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Yo You Better

Work: Gowns, Wigs, Size 13 Pumps Don’t Come Cheap

by Kailen Nourse Drag is more than glitter, spandex and makeup. It’s a serious business.

Drag performers are workaholics and they have to be, since being a drag performer usually means having two full-time jobs. Getting into drag, rehearsing, putting together costumes, photo-shoots and self-promotion eat up a lot of time.

Helena Troy, a local queen who heads up the Glamazons, made 65 appearances last year alone.

“My face hurts!” she laughed.

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It’s also an expensive business, and queens’ brains are often bigger than their budgets. A lot of pieces are necessary to complete a look, not to mention what’s needed to fit male anatomy into a female mold.

At EmpressBiancaWigs.com, Super Big Wig No. P949 - a 2-feet high pile of curls, in shades from creamy blonde to fire red - runs $459.99. T-strap, open-toe pumps, Size 13, cost $175 at drag-queen.com.

Silicone breastplates at DragQueenBoobs.com start at $235 for C-cups and go up from there: $249 for Dcups, $425 for Double-Ds and $525 for “The Big Girls.”

Gowns - especially those for queens competing on the pageant circuit can run thousands of dollars.

“My pageant gown for Entertainer of the Year? It was a car,” said Nina West, who won the national pageant in 2008.

Successful drag queens are industrious and know how to stretch their dollars, but they can’t always compromise. Shopping at thrift stores or eBay is becoming more popular, but, as Helena Troy said, “If you’re buying pumps in ladies size 13, you can’t ex-

actly go to PayLess.”

They also try to shop local when they can.

Ariel Hout has created a side business by making jewelry for local performers.

She tries to keep her items affordable at $5 to $15, and she said 80 percent to 90 percent of the drag queens in Columbus have one of her designs.

Some queens have their own specialties as well, such as making clothing, creating headpieces, hair forming, or applying makeup.

Jesse Sheard has performed as Amourace Monroe. He now charges others $100 to do their hair and makeup and help organize their gowns and costumes, especially when they’re competing in pageants.

“It’s completely a business,” he said.

“Drag’s a pretend world, but so real.”

Few queens want to talk about the income side of the equation, but there’s obviously money to be made. Why else would there be drag queens performing shows or hosting amateur nights, male revues and other events every night of the week at the bars?

“My main job is bringing money into

the bars I work in,” said Hellin Bedd, who hosts shows at Cavan Irish Pub, Southbend Tavern, Club 20 and Tremont Lounge.

Virginia and Nina West say much of the money they make goes right back into their acts, which include numerous costume changes, sets, big casts, backup dancers and a crew.

“I’ve definitely lost more money on shows than I’ve made,” Nina West said.

“I love having the money to make a fun costume,” said Virginia West.

“Staying fresh is pretty important. It’s competitive. There’s only so many gigs to go around.”

Most queens take care of the promotional part of the business, too. Although venues usually do some of the work, performers must build their brand. Social media has made some things easier, and many drag queens and kings have their own Facebook pages where they post updates about events and appearances.

But drag performances are a group effort, and people outside the theater arts would be surprised how many are involved in each show. For cabaret shows, much of the work falls on the

queens themselves, but a film-credits’ worth are involved in productions: the cast on stage, a stage manager and backstage assistant, dressers, a DJ, video and design specialists, and people responsible for wardrobe, hair and headpieces.

Scheduling within groups of drag performers can be incredibly difficult, because everyone has his or her own schedule. “Managing drag queens is like herding cats,” said Helena Troy.

The majority of queens have day jobs that pay the bills. Only a few can make a living off drag, especially if they remain local. Some want drag to be their whole life, and others just want it to be part of their life: Everyone’s story is different.

But it’s about more than money.

“You get to know the people on a personal basis, both in and out of drag,” Hout said.

Helena Troy said it’s rewarding to educate people about drag through performance.

“It’s always great to hear people coming out of shows saying, ‘That was better than I thought it would be.’”

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Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Don’t be afraid to get close to the stage whether or not you have a tip. - Nikki Stone

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My new year’s resolution is to buy a new car from Crown. At these prices, maybe two!

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Like Lady Gaga, drag queens and those Kia hamsters, outlook lives for the applause.

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My new year’s resolution is to buy a new car from Crown. At these prices, maybe two!

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Like Lady Gaga, drag queens and those Kia hamsters, outlook lives for the applause.

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Columbus Drag Family Portraits

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Vivian Von Vroken Heiman

T Mary Ann Brandt & Company

The Independents

Hellin Bedd & Friends 26

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Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Don’t hand a performer an open bottle of Smirnoff Ice...

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an Left Page Mary ann Brandt & Co. photo: Andrew Williams Top Row: DeMonica Hunter, Betty Cracker, Ashley O’Shea Middle Row: Andrea Benahoe, Blanche Bottom Row: Mary Ann Brandt the Independents photo: Emma Parker Top Row: Deva Station, Vivian Von Brokenhymen, Stella Boheme Bottom Row: Cassandra Terrace, Veronica Skyybottoms Hellin Bedd & friends photo: Andrew Williams Summer Day, Jacquelyn Hyde, Blahze Brown, Hellin Bedd RIgHt Page the West family photo: Andrew Williams Top Row: Ritzy Rocket, Freesia Balls, Nina West, Virginia West, Selena T. West, Plenty O’Smiles Bottom Row: Mr. Cool Ethan, Alexis Stevens,

the West family

Royal Renegades: photo: Andrew Williams Top Row: Pepe Pocketrocket, Bubsy Bouvier, Surly Manson, Deez Nutz Bottom Row: Lustin Bieber, Jayden Jamison, Taylor Mayde

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the Royal Renegades outlookcolumbus.com

...unless you want to pay a grave consequence. - Mr. Cool ethan

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The Glamazons

The Glamazons: photo: Andrew Williams Diamond Hunter, Ashley O’Shea, Helena Troy, Nikki Stone, Mary Nolan The Legends: photo: Emma Parker Sonya Ross, Georgia Jackson

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Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: When you don’t know your words, eat your hair. - Sherri Dribblelipz

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check out more drag photos at outlookcolumbus.com outlookcolumbus.com Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Do respect that drag is an art form and that it takes a lot of work and money. - Deva Station january 2014

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Drag Untucked Behind the Scenes with Virginia and Nina West

by Bob Vitale After three hours of rehearsal for a show that includes singing chipmunks, horny Eskimos and a pratfalling rollerblader lip-synching to Miley Cyrus, Virginia West spots a flaw.

“This,” she says, repeating the armwaving movements of the final number.

“It’s too much.”

Somehow, her critique makes perfect sense.

Eighteen years into a drag career that has seen the art form reach Columbus’s masses, Virginia West knows what works and what doesn’t. What started as a 20-year-old’s stint on stage during an employee turnabout show at Union has turned into something of a local drag franchise.

Virginia West is the drag mother - a mentor - for 17 drag daughters, including Nina West. She’s the drag grandmother of 13 more performers.

Virginia headlines two big productions of her own each year and performs in two shows of Nina’s. She hosts Hump Day every Wednesday night at Union Café and stages two joint shows with Nina West.

“This process was sped up drastically,” she says over the screech of a circular saw in an empty Axis. It’s a Thursday night, two days before the start of a sixshow run of Nina & Virginia’s Holiday Special, a yearly tradition in the Short North.

Sawdust creates a haze as seven performers arrive for the last run-through.

They’re in tracksuits and basketball shorts and T-shirts. Tonight, everyone except drag king Mr. Cool Ethan is sporting at least a 5-o’clock shadow.

There’s not much glam behind the scenes.

Plenty O’Smiles, an OSU student who will be in her first big show, is on a 12foot ladder hanging snowflakes and paper chains from the rafters with care.

Cool Ethan waves his arms to fan away the sawdust haze.

The show is vintage Virginia and quintessential Nina. There are big dance numbers and bawdy comedy. There’s a raunchy, over-the-top bit about what happens when to two gay Eskimos meet after each has thought he’s the only gay person at the North Pole.

It’s the kind of comedy - like a springshow sketch with Virginia rimming a makeshift cow - that might make drag virgins cringe but gets gay audiences howling.

“We are reaping the benefits of a show like [RuPaul’s] Drag Race,” Nina says, referring both to drag’s growing mainstream appeal and its lure for young performers. “After every season, there are 45 who will do it for at least a year.

It makes these new kids go, ‘I can do this.’”

The appeal to the curious? “I think it’s a little bit of that freak factor.”

It took five weeks to plan, choreograph, design, build and promote the Holiday Special. People will pay $12 apiece to see the nearly three-hour extravaganza, including the final number in which overhead arm-waving has been replaced with more subtle rocking.

There will be seven performers on the stage, but that’s a third of the number it takes to put a show together. There will be two people backstage on show nights, helping cast members change costumes and keep things moving. Two will be up in the booth working the lights and sound.

A dozen people helped build the set and backdrop. They’ll be spray-painting things pretty much right until showtime.

“Even as much fun as I have with it, I take it very seriously,” Virginia says.

It’s now 45 minutes before the final show of the run, a Sunday night performance, and Virginia and Nina are in face. If they were women, they’d be in little else, but underneath these bras, bodysuits and tights are hip pads and fake boobs and lord knows how much duct tape.

Nina grabs a roll and does a couple loops around the outside of her undergarments to make her waist a little smaller. Virginia says she’s going to wait, in case there’s one last task to take care of before showtime.

The dressing room behind the Axis stage isn’t from a 1940s musical, the kind with a mirror ringed in lights and a star on the door. A black cloth hangs at both entrances. The stars share a space that’s barely deep enough for two with the entire cast and boxes of bar supplies.

The two headliners met in 1998. Virginia was a few years into drag, and Nina was booking performers for Denison University’s annual drag show. It was part of his duties as president of Outlook, the school’s LGBT student group.

Nina became Virginia’s drag daughter.

On the other side of the lowered curtain, Axis is filling up as dance versions of Christmas carols fill the air.

Even on a cold Sunday night, it’ll be a full house or close to it.

“The crowd keeps coming back, which is nice,” Nina says. “And they’re bringing newbies.”

“I can tell you there are great drag scenes in this country. Of course we’re biased, but do I think ours is the best?

Of course I do.”

“OK, is everybody ready?” Nina asks.

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Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Don’t lose sight of yourself. Trust your instincts. - Deva Station

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Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Respect the queens before you. Don’t think, “I’m so much better!” You’re not. - Veronica Skyybottoms

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by Jennifer DeLuke

Man Up Kings Share the Throne in Columbus Drag Scene

It’s contentiously debated, yet widely accepted that drag-kinging hit the mainstream in 2011 during Lady Gaga’s gender-bending monologue as Jo Calderone at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Yes, many cite Annie Lennox’s time with Eurhythmics or a 1996 pictorial with Demi Moore in Arena magazine as earlier mainstream moments for drag-king culture. But Calderone’s greasy jet-black ducktail, strongly defined eyebrows, and 5-o’clock shadow remains the quintessential, definitive breakthrough moment.

Drag kings in Columbus have been performing masculinity for several decades, and the city’s involvement in drag-king culture is substantial.

In 1999, the H.I.S. Kings of Columbus cohosted the first International Drag King Extravaganza, which continues biennially to this day. Kings, Queens & In-Betweens, a documentary about all facets of the Columbus drag scene, is scheduled for completion this year.

But without reality shows on Logo or cultclassic films, many are left scratching their heads. What exactly is “drag-king culture,” and who are these “kings”?

Liz Balk, better known Mr. Cool Ethan, a fixture of Columbus’s drag-king scene, said it’s quite simply “the exact opposite of being a drag queen.”

“The history behind women dressing up as men, and that transitioning into what is now considered a drag king performance, has a different history than drag queens,” Balk said. “It’s political, bends the idea of gender, tries to make people think. It’s about twisting things and making them funny. Laughing at yourself and laughing at what kind of issues we have in our society.”

Royal Renegade Lustin Bieber photo: Andrew Williams

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gating their way through stand-up shtick, lip-synched love ballads and rollicking rock ’n’ roll anthems.

Or, in the case of Mr. Cool Ethan and The Reverend Roy Rogers, who performed together in the Royal Renegades troupe until Balk joined Nina and Virginia West’s cast last year, a cover of Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” dressed as drag king unicorns.

“Just because we’re staging as men doesn’t mean we stick to only male songs,” said Becky Harrison, who performs as The Rev. “We’re not always jumping around pretending that we’re Justin Timberlake - sometimes were are - but when we do an actual production show its more than that.”

And not all those in the Renegades are butch. There are fem performers in the troupe who are also playing a role.

“I’m not this girly in real life,” said Michelle, aka Taylor Mayde, who is also the group’s creative director. “This is a character for me, too.”

For The Rev, it’s all about “high energy, keeping it positive and keeping it clever. I like to end with a message of what the future could be, and I think it’s also important for the audience to see themselves on stage.”

That combats what Cool Ethan describes as stereotypes of drag kings as trying to “crush down” masculinity. Performances can be fun and political, he said. “There’s a happy marriage between both in drag king shows.”

According to The Rev: “I personally feel that all drag, even in its funniest and silliest form, is political.”

Performances run the gamut, said Dylan Kane, who is auditioning performers later this month for his new Kings of Columbus troupe.

Drag kings, then, are not mere male impersonators. They’re performers looking to parody, mock and exaggerate masculinity and society’s notions about the meaning of gender.

“You’ll see someone come out dressed halfmale, half-female or in a clownish type of costume and it’s all done to take the seriousness out of gender and how we view it as a community.”

Drag king Dylan Kane said “kinging is about the blurring of the lines” and performing “doesn’t necessarily mean that I am this gender or that I should be treated as this gender. It’s about exploiting the concept of gender.”

If Columbus is known for a strong drag scene, it extends to drag kings as well, The Rev said.

“The drag bar is consistently set so high in Columbus,” he said. “Drag king shows are an ongoing evolution.”

Shows feature kings swaggering with puffed-out, taped-down chests and navi-

Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Don’t steal my spirit gum! - Surly Manson

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Some people in the office have never seen Priscilla *cough.* Erin. *cough.* For shame!

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insightout

Drag Liberation Tap Your Inner Queen or King

by Regina Sewell

Edinburg, Texas. 1973: My hair is pulled into double ponytails, and I’m sporting a cotton dress.

The dress I have come to terms with because I have to wear one every day but Friday.

I am a girl; therefore, I must wear dresses. That’s the rule. My parents will not budge on this. But the ponytails, they take the girlification effort too far. I find the idea of ponytails repugnant. My hair is short. They look like little hairy horns.

I don’t ditch the ponytails, though, because I’ve been warned: If I remove them, I’ll have to wear ponytails for a month and lose my dress-free Friday privileges. My classmates think it’s funny. I am mortified.

When I get home, I ditch the ponytails and the dress and climb into my superhero duds: green tights, green and pink gym shorts, red track shoes with white stripes, white T-shirt, blue and green floppy sun hat that’s folded to look like Robin Hood’s, and a cape made from a magical towel with a picture of an elephant on it.

Once I tie on the cape, I become Super Reggie.

Like Superman, I am amazingly strong and I can fly. No one is telling me what to do or laughing at me now.

Super Reggie was my alter ego. In real life, I was a misfit. I was a tomboy crammed into a dress, I was painfully shy, socially awkward, and I had a speech impediment. But in my Super Reggie suit, I became someone else. I was invincible. I was confident. And I was cool. In the alternate world I created, I was important. People looked up to me.

At 8, I understood the power of drag, even though my performance was for an imaginary audience.

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By dressing up as a member of the opposite gender, I escaped the demands and limitations imposed on me because I was born a girl.

Doing drag is a lot more than putting on a pair of heels or taping your chest and drawing on a mustache. It’s putting on a character and making it your own. It’s becoming some one else, at least for a while.

This is why drag can be so liberating. You get a vacation from your usual role. You get to step outside your gender box and put on something that feels more expansive. And oddly, playing someone else lets you show parts of your authentic self that you’re too self-conscious to express in your own skin.

In drag, men can feel pretty or sexy. They don’t have to do everything

on their own. They get to ask for help without feeling like a failure. And people are more willing to buy them drinks.

out that stepping into a different role is good medicine.

When you shift into a different role, even for a moment, you can shift your mood, tap into power you didn’t know you had and break through selfimposed limitations. Social psychologists have found this is helpful for anything from scoring better on tests to shooting hoops to self-defense.

But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself for three to five minutes.

Take a moment to quiet your mind. Sit comfortably. Think of someone who has a lot of power, a superhero, perhaps. Imagine what it feels like to be in his or her shoes. Notice if you breathe differently or hold your body differently. Notice if you feel stronger or more confident.

Now try stepping into the shoes of someone of a different gender. Be mindful of how you hold your body. Gender is very embodied.

If it helps to imagine you’re in drag, do that. Also be mindful of your emotional responses. Explore the feelings you might have as a member of a different gender. Perhaps you have more access to sadness or compassion. Perhaps you have more access to determination or anger.

You don’t have to be a drag king or queen to feel a bit of drag liberation.

You can use this exercise to take a vacation from any role that feels constraining.

To ask Regina a question, propose a column topic, read about her approach to counseling, or check out her books and other writing, go to: www.ReginaSewell.com .

Women doing drag get to feel powerful and important. They aren’t expected to be nice or fade into the background. What they say matters.

The key to drag is not in the costumes. You can slip on a wig or put on a tie without changing the way you engage the world. The key to drag is changing out of you and into a character that acts and feels different. And it turns

Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: If you don’t show up, you don’t get remembered. - Sonya Ross

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Like the Final Cut, June Bugg is truly a cut above.

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the mario and debbie show

When I’m in drag, I look like a Mafia wife, so my drag name should be Folotta Fagina or Sophia Horen. My shtick would be bawdy Lucille Ball-type comedy, purely physical and purely slapstick. I am not pretty enough to be a pageant queen, nor am I wired to be a scream queen. I am good at inciting laughter, at anyone’s expense, so watch out.

vs Debbie What would your drag name be?

I would love to have a “drag dog,” too, kind of like Elle’s in Legally Blonde. Gemma, my Chihuahua, would be great at this.

She doesn’t bark at me in makeup and she will poop on cue, even when I’m in drag. Win!

I adore many drag queens and kings because of their uniqueness, talent and nerve. But my all time favorite is Sharon Needles.

She is Andy Warhol’s love child, and she’s Pittsburghian like me.

I met her here in Columbus and we had a wonderful, yet quick chat about home. Her style is a mixture of comedy and morbidity.

As a mentor once said to me, you can always top yourself but you can never bottom yourself. Sharon Needles is always trying to top herself, and she’s never happy with mediocre.

I hate resolutions, first of all. And I always give up on them. But it would be to work harder at making people laugh and to help show people comedy is fine. Really, who cheers to be around the uptight twat of the group? Over-indulgent seriousness is so unsexy, and it makes me want to hit folks in the face with a pie.

Remember, it’s OK to laugh at yourself, first, before some bully beats you to it.

Having little or no filter. This has made me unpopular with gay men in Columbus, and yet, it has given me a group of wonderfully hilarious friends. I sometimes wonder (for all of five seconds) what I would be like with a filter, then I am like, “hell, no.”

Life is too short to accept people who treat others as less than, and life is too short to go from one self-created drama to another. These are the situations that usually make me lose it.

Tucking Weiner in my pants.

Weiner does a fancy dance.

My man bag is stuck.

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Isn’t there some kind of name generator for this on the Internet?

Or don’t you combine your 1st-grade teacher’s name, then a type of exotic fruit, and then your current street? So, my drag name is Sister Mary Leticia Kumquat Southwood.

Yes, this does work!

I recently left a self-imposed Drag Rehab because I could not get enough of the girly boys and had to take it back a notch.

Now rehabilitated, I can tell you why I love the queens I do.

I cannot just name one.

Who’s your favorite drag queen and why?

So, in no particular order: Mari Jane for extreme star power; Hellin Bedd for brazen power comedy; Samantha Rollins, the truest Diva impressionist; Vivian Von Brokenhymen, a couture powerhouse; Mary Nolan, the sweetest and kindest funny girl; Nikki Stone, my pretty girl steam punk crush; Brittany Blaire, a dynamic entertainer; Vera Sasha, who’s a fierce soul girl; Diamond Hunter as a visionary performer and talent; Nikole Trader because she’s sweet and sassy; Nina West, who’s genuinely kind, gracious and talented; Paige Passion, because no other Dolly can compete; and Rushena Fontaine, an amazing philanthropist who performs for many worthwhile causes. I know there are more...

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

My New Year’s resolution is to (learn to) save money. Really become frugal and be aware of how much I spend. I want to have an amazing wedding in 2014 and not to have it be held at Tee-Jaye’s.

I also am not going to do crack cocaine this year. That’s about 35 years going strong now.

What bad habit will you keep in 2014?

Like I have any. Sheesh.

I will make this very succinct: VODKA.

Haiku! Tucking or Packing

Packing Oh my, hot girl boy.

Is that a sock in your pants?

Yes, must be tube socks.

Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Don’t get on stage with me; that’s my fucking stage! - Nikki Stone

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Bob is jealous of Karla Rothan’s drag name on Page 18.

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interview

High JINKX

Post-Ru, It’s Still Monsoon Season

by Bob Vitale If you didn’t pull for her as the underestimated underdog in Season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon’s reaction to winning had to have made you a fan.

JM: Joan Rivers, Fred Schneider, Neil Patrick Harris, John Cameron Mitchell, Stephen Trask, Jessie Tyler Ferguson, Michelle Visage, RuPaul... I was extremely excited to meet SNL’s Kate McKinnon. I’ve been a fan of hers for so long, and she is a legend in my household.

Each week on the show, she’d whisper, “Water off a duck’s back” as she withstood judges’ criticism and fellow contestants’ nastiness. With the crown on her head, she looked overcome until Ru stuck a mic in her face and asked what she had to say.

BV: How did you get your start, and what would Santino have said about your first outfit/costume?

JM: I was 15, and I was wearing a windup doll ensemble that would have made Santino say, “WTF?!?”

“Get ready, bitches, cuz it’s Monsoon season!” she growled.

BV: You’ve done your share of travelling on the Absolut and the Battle of the Seasons tours. What are your thoughts about drag in America right now? What’s new and fresh out there?

JM: I like the return to the old guard of drag, where creativity and innovation trumps shoes and hair.

And I’m seeing a lot more live singing and comedy, which ALWAYS makes me happy.

Jinkx will stay in the spotlight even after a new season starts in February for the popular Logo show.

She’s starring in New York in The Vaudevillians.

She spoke with outlook about Drag Race, drag and what’s coming next:

“I’m a

whorered

Bob Vitale: Your victory on Drag Race was a triumph for narcoleptic Jewish drag queens everywhere. At what point did you realize you were a serious contender?

Jinkx Monsoon: When I won Snatch Game, I realized I was a serious contender. But in the Top 5 episode with the veterans, I really had a fire lit under me by my vet, Dave.

girl.”

BV: Tell me about your year on the throne. You’ve followed a somewhat different path than the dragtour circuit, and from the sound of a recent Facebook post of yours (“Jinkx Monsoon has not ‘vanished’ and she is far from done with the work she is doing”), it sounds like you’ve felt the need to defend your choices.

JM: That post was actually more preemptive than anything else. I have done so much work in theater that I worried the Drag Race fan base might be wondering, “Where’d she go?!?”

I wanted to assure them I am still very active. Every winner takes the “superstar path” that’s right for them, and I’ve been lucky enough to have a fruitful year in the dramatic arts. As Ru put it when she came to see The Vaudevillians, “This IS your destiny.” So I feel like I’m doing what is best for me and my art.

BV: We like celebrity dish. Who has come to your New York show, and what’s the one celebrity runin story that you couldn’t wait to call home about?

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BV: What’s the one drag cliché we’ll never see Jinkx Monsoon give in to?

JM: A nude lip. I’m a whore-red girl.

BV: Congratulations for being named as one of the Out 100 this year, along with some pretty stellar company. Who would rather have dinner with: Wentworth Miller or Bruce Vilanch?

JM: Wentworth, mainly because I’ve already met Bruce. Ha! BV: I have a friend who doesn’t like drag. He says it’s the worst of gay stereotypes. What would you tell him?

JM: Drag queens are soldiers. It takes a huge amount of courage, grit and stamina to do what we do. We are at the front line of every major movement in the efforts for gay rights and equality. ...

Anyone who thinks we’re ONLY perpetuating negative gay stereotypes needs to look at the contributions we’ve made, and the fights we’ve fought throughout the years, so they can enjoy their rights as a gay man.

If anything, I think your friend should be thanking the drag community, not dismissing it.

BV: Out predicted, “We think we’ll be seeing this triple threat with a heart of gold on stages for a long time to come.” Is that your plan?

JM: I will never not work in drag. It’s been my passion for ages, and will continue to be.

Season 6 contestant Darienne Lake was in a Glamazon show last year.

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Life’s a drag... in a good way!

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creative class

by Molly Duerré On the eve of my graduation from college, I find myself feeling nostalgic.

Yes, I’ll miss the laid-back atmosphere, the friends I’ve made and the traditions I’ll no longer get to be part of. But what I think I’ll miss most is being a student.

In an effort to keep the spirit of learning alive in my own life, I have compiled a list of some of the best - and wildest - classes available this winter: Fitness With a Kick If you haven’t given up the yearly promise to be more lean and fit, consider taking a dance class.

Movement Afoot (www.movementafoottap.com) offers introductory and advanced tap lessons for $8 an hour in the basement of the Ohio Theatre. You can even try your first class for free. Both the Academy of Urban Dance and Fitness (theacademyofurbandance.com) and BalletMet (www.balletmet.org) offer classes, too.

The academy, located on the East Side, offers a six-week dance pass for $59 that can be used for break-dancing, street jazz and West African dance with drums. BalletMet classes, in Worthington, Reynoldsburg and Downtown, are $17 each and cover everything from the expected ballet to men’s dance, flamenco, hip-hop and Zumba.

Fitness That Kicks Ass If you have no sense of rhythm and running three miles a day doesn’t appeal to you, try Ohio Krav Maga and Fitness (www.ohiokravmaga.com).

From Tap to Trap ez e 10 Things You Can Learn This Winter in Columbus

Krav Maga is a fighting style developed and used by the Hungarian and Israeli armies. It focuses on real-life situations and effective counter-attacks; think of it as self-defense on steroids (figurative steroids!). Gyms in Hilliard, Gahanna and Lewis Center bill themselves as very beginner-friendly and offer a 2-for-1 intro package for $19. A “No Whining” T-shirt is included. ...Or Let Your Dog Do All the Work Maybe it’s not you but your dog who needs to shed a few. Too bad that chubby guy can’t walk himself when it’s 17 degrees Adventure Unleashed (www.adventureunleashed.org) gives you indoor options at Anything Goes for Dogs, a pet-training center in Marysville.

Puppy parkour and indoor dog parkour

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Look Mom, no hands!

aren’t your typical game of fetch. Like the human obstacle-course discipline they’re modeled after, the classes teach dogs jumping and balancing and other things.

It’s $80 for a full six-week course.

More Art, Less Crafts If learning a new talent and tapping into your creative side appeals to you more so than working up a sweat, the city’s Recreation and Parks Department offers an array of art classes for adults.

The registration form for classes at the Cultural Arts Center (www.culturalartscenteronline.org) is nearly six pages long, and some classes start in early January, so move fast. (You should have taken that Krav Maga class, no?!)

There’s jewelry-making, bronze-casting, ceramics, stone-carving, life drawing, weaving, watercolors and more. Most classes are $55 for Columbus residents (materials are extra) and run seven or eight weeks. Another term at the city’s Downtown facility starts in February.

More Wine, Too For a more casual environment, try Colors and Bottles (www.colorsandbottles.com), where local artists teach people of all skill levels to paint - usually as everyone’s drinking a little wine. The events happen all over town, and eight are scheduled in January.

Classes usually last about three hours and cost $35.

Take the Stage If your resolution for 2014 involves becoming a star, or maybe just coming out of your shell, Acting in Columbus (www.actingincolumbus.net) offers an eight-week class in acting fundamentals for beginners. It’s $200, takes place at the Ohio Theatre and starts Jan 18.

And Take a Swing If all that’s too tame for you, take a swing on the wild side at Movement Activities (www.movementactivities.com), a local trapeze studio in Franklinton. You’ll learn aerial movement skills on a variety of apparatus, including the low-flying trapeze and rings. Classes are $15 each but less expensive in volume.

And finally, there’s Studio Rouge (www.studiorougecolumbus.com), which offers pole dancing, exotic dance and aerial fitness instruction for as little as $12 per class. If you don’t think your body is ready for something as extreme as being inverted on a pole, consider starting with Pole 101. Classes at the Grandview Heights studio are for women only. outlookcolumbus.com

I ♥ the nightlife

A QUeeN’S WOrk IS Never DONe It’s Drag NIght EvEry NIght IN Columbus

by Bob Vitale

10p and midnight on the third Friday of every month.

bend Tavern @ 10p and midnight weekly.

Every night of the week in Columbus, someone is tucking, plucking and performing in a Variety Night: Hosted by Jill-ette and Joey.

Toolbox Saloon @ 8p and 10p weekly. wig and heels on a gay-bar stage.

South Side Saturday Night Drag Revue: Hellin Bedd hosts a changing cast of performers. Cavan Irish Pub @ 11p weekly.

Drag is part of the regular entertainment lineup at ten bars. There are drag revues that feature a lineup of queens. Others host stripper nights, amateur nights and bingo.

Sundays Nina West Film Series: Nina hosts a monthly movie at the Gateway Film Center, complete with cocktails and a post-film gathering. Dates and times vary.

Here’s where and when you can get your drag fix on a nightly basis, as well as bigger productions coming up in January and February: Fridays Hellin and Friends: Hellin Bedd hosts a cast of three or four performers that changes monthly. Southbend Tavern @

Jock Night: Anisa Love hosts the jock revue in the Axis lounge. Axis @ 10p weekly.

Double Show Divas: The cast rotates weekly from a group of about 20 performers. Among the regulars: Darah Landon, Georgia Jackson, Rushena Fontaine, Vee Love and Hellin Bedd. Southbend Tavern @ 10p and midnight weekly.

Drag Bingo: Hosted by Hellin Bedd. Cavan Irish Pub @ 9p weekly.

Mondays Hanging With Hellin: Hellin Bedd hosts a strip show. Club 20 @ 8p weekly.

Thursdays Thrust Thursdays: Stripper night hosted by Hellin Bedd. Tremont Lounge @ 8p weekly.

Tuesdays Untwisted Tuesdays: Mari Jane and Brent Fabian co-host open-stage night. 9:30p @ Southbend Tavern (sign-in starts at 8:30p).

Studs and Stilettos: Mercedes hosts a changing lineup of strippers and drag queens. Tool Box Saloon @ 10p weekly.

Wednesdays The Dick & Jane Show: Mary Nolan hosts a rotating lineup of strippers, drag performers and special guests as part of the weekly Boys Night Out. Wall Street Nightclub @ 10:30p weekly.

Hanging With Hellin: Strippers perform, and Hellin Bedd hosts. Club 20 @ 6:30 weekly.

Saturdays Double Show Divas: The cast rotates weekly Sunday Church: Anisa Love hosts a weekly from a group of about 20 performers. South- male revue. Axis @ 10p.

bars + Clubs

gaylumbus NIghtlIFE 1. aWol/the barracks 49 Parsons Ave, 614.621.8779, awolbar.com 1b. manhole-Columbus 684 Oak St, 773.555.5555 FB: Manhole-Columbus 2. axis 775 N High St, 614.291.4008, columbusnightlife.com 3. Cavan Irish Pub 1409 S High St, 614.725.5502, cavanirishpub.com 4. Club 20 20 E Duncan St, 614.261.9111, FB: Club 20 5. Club Diversity 863 S High St, 614.224.4050, clubdiversity.com 6. Exile 893 N Fourth St, 614.294.0069, exilebar.com 7. Fuel - rEPortED ClosED 1312 S High St, 614.725.0130, FB: Fuel Bar

8. level 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com 9. the garage 40 E Long St, 614.205.4317 garagecolumbus.com 10. slammers 202 E Long St, 614.221.8880, FB: Slammers 11. southbend 126 E Moler St, 614.444.3386, FB: Southbend Tavern 12. toolbox saloon 744 Frebis Ave, 614.670.8113, FB: The Toolbox Saloon 13. tremont 708 S High St, 614.444.2041, tremontlounge.com 14. union 782 N High St, 614.421.2233, columbusnightlife.com 15. Wall street 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, wallstreetnightclub.com

Hump Day: Virginia West hosts a weekly variety show. Union Café @ 11p weekly.

One Big Show: Southbend hosts two shows a night during the weekends, but a rotating lineup of its headliners performs in one show on Thursdays. Southbend Tavern @ 11p.

UPCOMING DRAG HIGHLIGHTS January 4 Southbend Titans Turnabout Show: The bar’s softball team will be taking the stage - in drag - to raise money for tournaments in Tampa and Dallas. The show will be hosted by Alexis Stevens and will feature the Snatch Sisters, Joe Fleming, Vivi Velure and Tamika Kansas. Southbend Tavern @ 7p.

Flashback Retro Dance Party: Virginia West will do a special hotspot and Alexis Stevens will perform in the cabaret. Axis @ 10p.

January 5 Addicted: A Modern Fairytale: Starring Mari Jane, Cherry Poppins, Jill-ette Knicks, Apollo Summers, Jaymee Sexton, Saphira Heartt and Misty Knight. Wall Street Nightclub @ 7p. Cover.

January 10 Pop Star: Deva Station presents a night of favorite pop tunes performed by a lineup of local queens, including 2013 Miss Gay America Blair Williams. Wall Street Nightclub @ 6:30p. $8 cover.

There’s another show Jan 11 @ 9p.

January 12 2013: A Year in Review: Starring Cassandra Terrace, Leah Halston, Stella Boheme, Ashley O’Shea, Mary Nolan, Teesia Poleman, Joey Fleming, Tabbi Katt, Jada Fenix and Britney Blaire. Wall Street Nightclub @ 8p. Cover.

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Drag Soup: Ashley O’Shea and Helena Troy (pictured above) host a monthly drag revue.

Level Dining Lounge @ 10p on the third Thursday of every month.

January 18 Miss Southbend 2014: Contestants will compete for the crown in categories that include evening gown and talent.

Southbend Tavern @ 6p. (Registration starts at 5p.)

Think You Can Do Drag? Nina West hosts a drag contest that will award $1,000 in prizes. The guest judge is RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage.

Axis @ 8p. $5.

January 19 Stelllllla! A Night at the Movies: Starring Stella Boheme. Wall Street Nightclub @ 8p. Cover.

February 9 Project Glamazon: Helena Troy’s troupe seeks a new member. Hosted by Diamond Hunter and featuring Nikki Stone, Ashley O’Shea, Nikole Trader, Cherry Poppins and 2013 Project Glamazon winner Mary Nolan. Wall Street Nightclub @ 8p. $8 cover.

February 15 Royal Renegades Anniversary Show: Columbus’s drag king family, the second-oldest troupe in the nation, celebrates its 13th year. Wall Street Nightclub @ 9p. $7 cover February 16 Miss Gay Capital City America: Honoring Selena T West, Britney Blaire and Kirby Kolby. Wall Street Nightclub @ 8p (registration starts at 5p). $5 cover.

When an audience doesn’t tip, pretend you’re receiving dollar bills. - sherri Dribblelipz

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Out & About WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1 NURSE THAT HANGOVER New Year’s Day @ Everywhere, All Over the World: (PRO TIP: Drop an Alka Seltzer in a bottle of Gatorade. Done). All day, free. (Well, you’re paying the price for last night.)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 JUST GIVE IT A CHANCE OSU vs Purdue @ Value City Arena, 555 Borror Dr, 614.292.2624, www.schottensteincenter.com: The OSU women’s basketball team is consistently ranked as one of the top squads in the States, and Purdue plays basketball completely opposite of its football (i.e. they actually win). Expand your sports-watching horizon at Value City Arena with the first game of the new year. 7p; $13.25.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3 LET THERE BE LIGHT Bruce Monroe: Light @ @ Franklin Park Conservatory, 1777 E Broad St, 614.645.8733, www.fpconservatory.org: By now, you’ve seen your friends post photos from this art installation on Instagram. (Let’s just hope they didn’t use the Kelvin filter. Gross.) Go see it for yourself before the exhibit ends on Feb 8. 5p-11p; $15 adults, $12 seniors/students, $6 children.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 SERIOUSLY, IS ANYTHING GAYER THAN THIS EVENT? Downton Abbey Season 4 Premiere @ The Columbus Athenaeum, 32 N High St, 614.222.6338, www.wosu.org/downtonabbey: I get it, you’re pissed about last season’s ending.

Cleverly complain about it like the Dowager Countess during tea. Live music, a guest speaker, a silent auction and a special advance screening of the first episode of Downton Abbey’s fourth season. Will SPOILER find out if SPOILER actually SPOILER? RSVP on the website and find out. 1:30p tea, 4:30p screening; $60.

NATIVE SON George Bellows and the American Experience @ Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E Broad St, 614.221.6801, www.columbusmuseum.org: If you’re having one of those introspective, “detach myself from all technology” kind of days, a perusing of the Columbus Museum of Art’s collection of Columbus painter George Bellows’s pieces might be your panacea. Today’s the last day to see the master’s breadth of work, but you’ve got all day to take it all in. 10a-5:30p; $12 adults, $8 seniors, $5 children 6 and under.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5 I’LL SAY IT - GLINDA WAS A BITCH Mari Jane… Addicted: A Modern Fairytale @ Wall Street, 144 N High St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: A contemporary reimagining of The Wizard of Oz. You know, if Dorothy was rehabbing. 7p-10p; $cover.

MONDAY, JANUARY 6 EH, IT’S JUST A FAD...

A New Way to Paint: Computer-Enhanced Photography From the 1980s @ OSU Faculty Club, 181 S Oval Dr, 614.292.2262, www.ohiostatefacultyclub.com: Back when MTV was young and neon colors were the rage, people started using their new-fangled computers to make art. The late OSU professor Glenn Rothman was a pioneer, and his work is on display through Feb 28. Weekdays 8a-5p; free.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7 SO, IS IT A MIGHTY DUCKS MUSICAL? We Will Rock You @ The Palace Theatre, 34 W Broad St, 614.469.9850, www.capa.com: Come check 24 of Queen’s biggest hits in this year’s We Will Rock You: The Musical. Who knows? You might actually hear some “Quack” chants and be motivated to go play hockey with Gordon Bombay.

7:30p Tue-Thu (8p Fri, 2p and 8p Sat, 1p and 6:30p Sun) $29-$62.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13 LAUGHTER IS ADDICTING Mark Lundholm Recovery Show @ Funny Bone, 145 Easton Town Center, 614.471.5653, www.funnybonecentral.com: Addiction itself may not be amusing, but if you’re Mark Lundholm, you can turn it into a stand-up special and use it as both a source of comedy and a sobering reality check. Is there still a two-drink minimum?

7:30p; $20.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8 CAN I GET YO DIGITS? Network Columbus @ Reed Arts, 943 W 3rd Ave, 614.291.0253, www.facebook.com/events/234598240039994: Start the new year with new connections at Columbus’s best networking event, with free food and complimentary drinks courtesy of host Reed Arts. RSVP via the event page, and we hope to see you out and about! 6p-8p; free.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14 SHE’S ROCKIN’ THE ROBYN LOOK Betty Who @ Rumba Cafe, 2507 Summit St, 614.268.1841, www.columbusrumbacafe. com: This 22-year-old singer from Australia has been dubbed the “next big thing” by Elle and is an up-and-coming pop act to watch. Check out her EP, The Movement, and listen to her single, “You’re In Love,” to see what all the (deserved) fuss is about. 7p; $10.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9 DANIEL DAY LEWIS HAS ONE LEFT FOOT, I HAVE TWO Ballroom Dancing @ Stonewall Community Center, 1160 N High St, 614.299.7764, www.stonewallcolumbus.org: Call it cheesy or corny, but knowing how to dance can turn an average night out into something special. A sixweek course from Stonewall is your first step toward creating beautiful memories. 6:30p (through 2/13); $22.50 individual member, $45 couple members, $25 individual non-member, $50 couple non-members.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15 THE WINO THAT I KNOW Wine Wednesday @ Level Dining Lounge, 700 N High St, 614.754.1342, www.levelcolumbus.com: “A bottle of white, a bottle of red, perhaps a bottle of rosé instead.”

All bottles of wine are 50 percent off, so why not double (or triple) up? It’s not like you have to work in the morning.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 HERE WE GO AGAIN (REPRISE) CATCO: Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits: Vol 1 @ Verne Riffe Center Studio Three Theatre, 77 S High St, 614.469.1045, www.catco.com: Nothing is sacred in this satirical sendup of Broadway musicals from Les Miserables to Mamma Mia, Wicked to Phantom of the Opera. 8p; $35.

OH LOOK JUSTIN BIEBER Pop Star @ Wall Street, 144 N Wall St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: A night of your favorite pop tunes performed by your favorite local queens. It’s produced by Deva Station, so you know the dancing will be on point. (Get it, en pointe? Never mind.)The first alternate to 2013 Miss Gay America, Blair Williams, will also perform.

6:30p; $8. Second show on Jan 11 at 9p; $8.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 DOWN TO PUCK 2nd Annual Pride Night @ Schottenstein Center, 555 Borror Drive, 614.292.2624, www.schottensteincenter.com: Show your support for gay athletes everywhere in roundtable discussions with former NFL player and executive director of the You Can Play Foundation, Wade Davis. Get the party started with a pre-game cocktail hour and the match itself; cheer on the OSU men’s hockey team against the Michigan State Spartans. After-party is at The Garage. 4:30p (game starts at 7:05p); $10.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12 TWENTY THIRTEEN 2013: A Year in Review @ Wall Street, 144 N Wall St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Reflect on the year that brought us wrecking balls, getting lucky and seriously blurred lines with the denizens of Wall Street, including Cassandra Terrace, Leah Halston, Stella Boheme and Ashley O’Shea. 7p-10p; cover.

Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Do learn to do your makeup. - Andrea Benahoe

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16 AIN’T TOO PROUD TO BEG The Temptations @ McCoy Center, 100 W Dublin-Granville Rd, New Albany, 614.245.4701, www.mccoycenter.org: There’s only one original member left, but that doesn’t seem to stop the Temps. But the lady that they’re singing about in “My Girl” isn’t a girl anymore - she’s in her 70s.

8p; $35-$55.

IF DA VINCI WAS GAY… Derek Duncan: Pasolini and the Queer Avant Garde @ Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N High St, 614.292.3535, www.wexarts.org: Pier Paolo Pasolini was one of the great post-war Italian filmmakers, as well as an outspoken gay political activist whose many media expressed his substantial and often subversive views. The Wex takes a look at the life and work of one of film’s most controversial and timeless figures.

5p; $8.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17 MUCH DRUNK. VERY BEER. WOW. 4th Annual Columbus Beer Fest @ Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N High St, 614.827.2500, www.columbusconventions. com: A couple of weeks after New Year’s? No one told these guys. Two nights with more than 300 craft beers and thousands of fellow imbibers await at the Convention Center. It SHOULD take all weekend to taste-test them all. Challenge accepted. 7p (also 1/18); $40 regular, $55 (1/11/6), $60 day of, $75 connoisseur.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18 JUST CALL ME PUSSY GALORE Miss Southbend 2014 @ Southbend Tavern, 126 E Moler St, 614.444.3386, www.facebook/SouthBend Tavern: Categories: Opening presentation with a James Bond-girl theme, evening gown, on-stage Q&A and talent. Alexis Stevens claims the crown is “sick,” which we now know is a good thing.

Registration starts at 5p, pageant at 6p; free.

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Something to Do Everyday this Month!

THE VIOLINIST ISN’T SHOWING ENOUGH CHEST HAIR The Columbus Symphony Presents Stayin’ Alive @ The Ohio Theater, 39 E State St, 614.469.0939, www.columbussymphony.com: In this unique show, the Columbus Symphony recreates the Brothers Gibb live in concert, performing Bee Gees fan favorites like “You Should Be Dancing,” “Night Fever,” and “Stayin’ Alive.” We hope dancing in the aisles is acceptable, if not encouraged. 8p; $25-$68.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 ON POINT NOH8 Open Photo Shoot @ Axis, 775 N High St, 614.291.4008, www.axisonhigh.com: Dress in your pre-Labor Day whitest and make a statement against would-be bullies and bigots with the NOH8 campaign at Axis.

Remember to Missy and not Miley: work it before you twerk it. 3p-6p; $25 per person for couple and group photos, $40 solo.

NC-17 STELLLLLLLA!!! A Night at the Movies @ Wall Street, 144 N Wall St, 614.464.2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: Stella Boheme, Brittany Blaire, Drew Terrace and more bring the silver screen to life at Wall Street. Promo pictures have Stella as Princess Leia. Set phasers to stunning. 7p-1a; cover.

MONDAY, JANUARY 20 I THINK THESE GUYS ARE THE NEXT BIG THING The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes @ The Schumacher Gallery, Capital University, 1 College and Main, Bexley, 614.236.6319, www.capital.com/Schumacher: Just when you thought nothing else could be said, here’s some more about The Beatles! Eighty-four never-before-published photographs capturing the lads just before Beatlemania hit the US are on display for you to fangirl over.

1p-5p; free.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 THREE LITTLE BIRDS PITCH

BY MY DOORSTEP The Wailers @ Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, 405 Neil Ave, 614.461.LIVE (5483), www.promowestlive.com: We could make a cannabis joke, but we’re better than that.

(Kinda). The Wailers, of Bob Marley and The Wailers, have been one of the greatest reggae bands to ever perform for a live audience. This year marks the 30th anniversary of their Legend album, and they plan to play it from start to finish. 7:30p; $10 advance, $15 day of show.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22 I’M NOT CRYING. I JUST HAVE ALLERGIES, THAT’S ALL. Madness and Lust @ Shadowbox Live, 503 S Front St, Suite 260, 614.416.7625, www.shadowboxlive.org: This theatrical and dark interpretation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights offers a sexy, intense concentration in the story of a destructive romance. If you’re a crier, it’d be wise to bring your box of Kleenex.

Actually, make that two. 7:30p, $30 general admission, $20 for students, seniors (age 55+) and military.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23 WHAT THE F@#* AM I WATCHING? Niwa Gekidan Penino, The Room Nobody Knows @ Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St, 614.292.3535, www.wexarts.org: Psychologist turned director Kuro Tanino presents an original Japanese art of performance theater that delves into the dark realms of alter-egoism and outrageous concepts of psychosexuality.

It’s a show you certainly will not forget. (No, seriously. It will be implanted in your brain for weeks.) 8p; $16 members, $18 general public, $10 students.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 24 COME ABOARD. WE’RE EXPECTING YOU. The Great Vacations Travel EXPO @ Vets Memorial, 300 W Broad St, 614.221.4341, www.fcvm.com: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll find out about the best vacations, but I’m really going to see Captain Stubing from The Love Boat because for some reason, he’s going to be there. Runs through Sunday 1/26. Noon-7p; $8.

NERD IS THE NEW BLACK OHAYOCON @ Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N High St, 614.827.2500, www.columbusconventions. com: Ohio’s largest three-day gathering of manga, videogame, and anime lovers starts the new year off right with fan-favorite voice actors, raves, panel discussions and more. Come for the swag and costumes, because they’re off-the-wall amazing. Friday through Sunday, 9a-9p; $50.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25 WHY DID THE DRAG QUEEN CROSS THE ROAD… Come Out Laughing Comedy Group @ Wall Street Night Club, 144 N Wall St, 614.464-2800, www.wallstreetnightclub.com: To read a bitch, why else?

It’s an 18-and-up comedy show featuring some of the best gay, lesbian and transgender performers on the circuit today, including Jason Dudey, Dana Goldberg and Ian Harvie. 8p; $20-30.

NO, I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE COMPANY. Keller Williams @ Newport Music Hall, 1722 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201, 614.294.1659, www.promowestlive.com: If there ever was a musician that personified the overused phrase, “One man jam band,” no question it’d be Keller Williams. 8p; $18 in advance, $20 day of show.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 A DOLLA MAKES ME HOLLA Sunday Funday @ Exile, 893 N 4th St, 614.299.0069, www.exilebar.com: Get those singles ready. A lineup of male strippers will grace the stage in front of the St. Andrews Cross. 10p; free.

MONDAY, JANUARY 27 CAN’T TRUST THAT DAY Futuristic Karaoke @ AWOL, 49 Parsons Ave, 614.621.8779, www.awolbar.com: We aren’t really sure what “futuristic karaoke” is, but we assume everyone takes a turn singing “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys. 10p; free.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 MORE LIKE BLUESDAY Columbus Blue Jackets vs Ottawa Senators @ Nationwide Arena, corner of Nationwide and Neil, 614.246.2000, www.NationwideArena.com: Catch ’em before you have to boycott the Olympics. 7p; $28.90 and up.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29 SHOULD WE PLAY FLOCK OF SEAGULLS? WAIT, SEAGULLS ARE KINDA LIKE GEESE, RIGHT? Local Social @ Wild Goose Creative, 2491 Summit St, 614.859.9453, www.wildgoosecreative.com: Join Live Local and various artists of all mediums in a meetand-greet of sorts at Wild Goose Creative.

Network, share ideas and get to know some of your Columbus contemporaries. 6p-9p; free.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30 A COCK IN A FROCK ON A ROCK Big Gay Movie Night: Priscilla Queen of the Desert @ Studio 35, 3055 Indianola Ave, 614.261.1581, www.studio35.com: “Priscilla” is the name of the bus. It’s like Rosebud being a sled in Citizen Kane... Sure; we’ll go with that.

Feel free to sing along. 7p; $5.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31 LEGO MY GREG-O Think Outside the Brick @ Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E Broad St, 614.221.6801, www.columbusmuseum.org: I never thought that playing with Legos could be considered an art form. Maybe that’s because I just built towers and then pummeled them like I was a T-Rex. 10a-5:30p; $12 adults, $8 seniors and students, $5 children.

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There is also a list of drag events on Page 41.

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savageby Danlove Savage talked to my girlfriends, my mom and his mom, but I need some unbiased advice. I’m a 28-yearq I’ve old woman in a relationship for 3.5 years with a wonderful man, also 28. I hit the jackpot: He is loving, sweet, kind, driven, active, handsome, generous, etc. We’re very committed to each other and planning our future together. We’ve lived together for 2.5 years. Life is so great!

Enter the issue: We’ve been discussing marriage since January of last year. Until May, he was opposed to it. Not in the can’t-see-spending-the-rest-of-my-life-with-you way, but in the not-wanting-to-marry-anyone-in-the-near-future way. “I don’t feel old enough yet,” he says, which makes me want to slap him, because my baby-making years are flying by.

We talk about wanting the same things in life, like a family and a home, but those are things I won’t do with him unless we are married and also things I don’t want to start doing when I’m 35. We’ve talked about not wanting to be old parents, and we seem to agree on everything - except he won’t pull the trigger. I just don’t get it!

We did make some progress. In August, he mentioned the possibility of a proposal around the holidays, but when his mom asked if they should go shopping for a ring, he told her no! I am ready for the next phase. He says he is too, but he won’t propose. I don’t get it! Some guidance would be great.

- Put Off Proposal Depresses A Queenslander is going to seem random, a This POPDAQ, but indulge me for a second. There was an article in The New York Times recently about how young men still aren’t doing their fair share of the cooking and cleaning. “Women today make up 40 percent of America’s sole or primary breadwinners for families with children under 18,” Stephen Marche wrote. “[But] men’s time investment in housework has not significantly altered in nearly 30 years.”

Reading Marche’s piece - in which he makes the case not for men to do more housework (God forbid), but for men and women to live together in filth - made me say, “So glad I’m gay.” Out loud. On an airplane.

I sometimes have that reaction when I read stories about the gender wars, which Marche is currently writing a book about, or when I read smut-shaming bullshit about straight men and porn.

But Marche’s essay elicited a different sort of so-glad-I’m-gay response.

It went something like this: I’m so glad I’m gay because my husband and I don’t have the option of defaulting to the stupid gender norms, roles, expectations, neuroses and riptides that plague so

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many straight couples.

So despite the fact that we’re both men, my husband and I do not live together in filth. When a bed needs to be made or a dish needs to be washed or a floor needs to be mopped - or a spouse’s cock needs to be sucked - one of us makes, washes, mops or sucks it.

When there’s something that needs doing, we do it. We don’t sit around staring at an unmade bed or a dirty dish or a grimy floor or an unsucked spousal cock and think, “I have a dick, so bedmaking/dish-doing/floor-mopping/cock-sucking isn’t my job.”

Do you see where I’m going with this, POPDAQ? There’s something at your place that needs doing - a proposal needs making - and you’re sitting around waiting for him to do it. Why? Because he has the dick.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi said that*, POPDAQ, but I don’t need to tell you, right? Because that quote was at the bottom of your email. So here’s a thought: Be the change you want to see in your own fucking relationship. You want to get engaged to this guy? Propose to him.

Drag Audience Dos & Don’ts: Do give me a $20 bill. - Mary Nolan

Yes, yes: He has a penis, and traditionally the penishavers** do the proposing in Breederville. But it’s not unheard of for someone to make a marriage proposal to a man. Just ask my husband. * Gandhi did not say that. He said: “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” ** Do not confuse penishavers with penis-halvers.

Something else not to do: a Google Images search on “genital bisection.”

Savage Love appears every month in outlook and every week at outlookcolumbus.com.

You can email Dan Savage at mail@savagelove.net, follow him on Twitter at @fakedansavage or listen to his weekly podcast, “Savage Lovecast,” every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage.

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the divine life by Debé Capricorn (December 22 - January 19) Usually, this is your month to shine, but something has got your goat. This is the perfect time to turn to your lover (or select one), and dig into some deep lovin’. That will add the magic back into the mix and get your mojo working.

Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) Life is a bit of a funhouse this month at work and at home. You think you know what’s going on, then you find out just the opposite. Don’t freak out. Carnivals can be fun if you don’t get obsessed with Kewpie Dolls.

Pisces (February 19 - March 20) You are fantasizing about your perfect year and where you’d like to see yourself. If your fantasies aren’t writing checks that reality can’t cash, you have a good chance of moving closer to your heart’s desire. In other words: Get real.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) You’re channeling Heidi Klum this month as you re-evaluate your life: what (or who) is out, and what is worth keeping. It’s never too late to teach an old dog some new tricks, and you will find yourself trying on some new ideas for size.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) I see big change ahead as you realize the past is just that - the past. Time to move on. You’ve been dragging your hooves, but you are finally ready.

People will be doing a double take as they realize there is more to you than they thought. Surprise, surprise.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) You must be cold, because you are looking for some heat in your life. Someone shows up suddenly to kindle the flame, or your lover throws some extra logs on the fire. Just be careful you don’t burn the whole house down.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) This is an emotional month for you, and you’re restless and feeling blue. Don’t get your panties in a twist; it’s your attitude that needs adjusting.

Follow the yellow brick road, and you may discover there’s no place like home.

Leo (July 23 - August 22) This month you want to curl up in your den and be gloriously lazy. You are relaxing while you mull over your plans to rule the world, which I’m sure you will get to right after you take a nice long nap.

Sweet dreams. outlookcolumbus.com

Virgo (August 23 - September 22) Your imagination is the key this month. You can get what you want, so be careful what you wish for. Don’t be a size queen unless you can handle it. Bigger isn’t always better, but then again...

Can you take it?

Libra (September 23 - October 22) You are broadening your horizons and getting lots of attention. Combine the new and exciting with the traditional. A hot new outfit with a classic string of pearls perhaps, or take a hot new someone to a steak house. Possibilities are endless.

Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) A bored Scorpio can be dangerous, and I fear for us all if you don’t get out and find something that challenges you. If you can take a vacation and get away, please do it. If not, take a class or find a way to engage that fertile mind of yours.

Otherwise there will be trouble.

Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) You’re feeling some emotional turbulence this month, so keep your seatbelt buckled and ride it out. Otherwise you’ll be looking for love in all the wrong places, and you don’t want anything that will require a prescription to fix.

Famous Capricorns include Marlene Dietrich, J.D. Salinger and Howard Stern.

Handy Tip Your fate line demonstrates your success in career, money and your calling.

Debé is a highly respected palmist, teacher and coowner of Enchanted Elements. She is available for personal readings, parties, events and workshops.

Contact her at www.enchantedelements.com or 614.437.2642.

See the ladies at Enchanted Elements to see what is in store for 2014.

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Every If you want to share month in print and Guest blogs your rants, raves or observaevery week online, we ask run every Monday tions with the rest of Columbus, outlook readers to do our work on our website. call Erin McCalla at 614.268.8525, for us as members of our x2 or email her at emccalla@outblog squad. lookmedia.com. Or call. Email would be better.

Alexis Stevens

Top 5 Tips for New Queens on the Rise 5. When it comes to makeup, there are no rules. It’s a great tool in the transformation, so practice makes perfect.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Most queens enjoy sharing secrets of the trade, so hit up your favorite for some tips!

3. Be true to yourself. We all can’t be the same kind of queen, and that’s more than OK! 2. Song choices can help win over a crowd. Cater your music to your audience. Find out what’s popular, what hasn’t been performed to death, and find your voice through your selections.

1. Respect. Remember those who paved the way for you to perform today and thank them by being respectful with everyone you encounter.

P

To 5 4 3 2 1 h

Ja January 6 Topic: We All Start Somewhere: Advice for Our Next Generation

Deez Nutz

Top 5 Celebrity Drag King Influences: 5. Weird Al Yankovich: The ridiculousness of entertainment and a reminder not to take yourself too seriously.

4. Frank Sinatra: The original crooner and swooner in making an audience connection.

3. Michael Jackson: He teaches how to get lost in the feeling of music.

2. Elvis Presley: Show me the showmanship!

1. Justin Timberlake: The definitive “King of Swagger.”

January 13 Topic: KIDding Around With Royal Renegades Drag King

Diamond Hunter Top 5 Resolutions You SHOULD Have Made 5. Know your own backyard.

4. Know the lay of the land.

3. Build your wardrobe.

2. Reach for inspiration, rather than the radio.

1. Have fun and take your time.

January 20 Topic: Excuse Me, Queen…

Plenty O’Smiles

Top 5 Mistakes I’ve Made as a New Performer 5. Waxing my chest... Ouch.

4. Trying to memorize my song the day of the show.

3. Drinking one too many cocktails before performing.

2. Not using the bathroom before tucking.

1. Wearing 6½-inch heels. (The higher the drag queen is, the harder she falls.)

January 27 Topic: Plenty O’Mistakes: What I’ve Learned So Far

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Gee Whiz, Liz Across

Down

1 Top 5 Path through leaves of grass 10 In need of a massage 14 Just one of those things 15 Eagle on a par five 16 TV’s Trebek 17 South Park composer Shaiman 18 Lubricated 19 One who says, “Let us prey” 20 With 34-Across, where sister Liz is 22 ___ Hari of espionage 23 Part of an IRS return 24 Type of fluid 26 Love Songs poet Sara 30 Bounce on the knee 31 Stroke the ball gently 33 Rods’ partners 34 See 20-Across 39 Error or erection 40 Short term employee 41 Susie Bright, to erotica 43 Game in which you bend over 49 Provides a seat for 51 What Garbo “vanted” to be 52 Bahrain biggie 53 Source of the quote 57 One with flaming pants?

58 Hurricanes of sports 59 Targets of men who make passes 60 Suffix with sermon 61 Banish from a flat 62 Buster Brown’s dog 63 A Scout may do a good one 64 Piddle around 65 Sucker’s start?

1 Tops 2 Monopoly square 3 Style expert Stewart 4 Emulates Paul Cadmus 5 Unload loads 6 Spin like a top 7 Alice’s Restaurant patron 8 Andrew Van de Camp, and others 9 Avoided commitment 10 Giant actor 11 Poisonous bush 12 How an a**hole behaves?

13 Blows out 21 Leno’s announcer Hall 25 Shopping area 27 Letters on love letters to GIs 28 Judy’s daughter Lorna 29 Merman of Broadway fame 32 What cons do 34 Anal type?

35 New member 36 Put off 37 Boy who shoots off arrows 38 Sweaty place 39 Cut at a slope 42 Just missed, on the green 44 “Poppycock!”

45 Commands of admirals 46 Bush predecessor’s nickname 47 Liable to blow 48 Yellowstone sight 50 Easily screwed 54 Train track 55 Village People hit 56 Place for Maupin’s tales

Drag Performer Dos & Don’ts: Don’t steal my shit! - Nikki Stone

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Happy New Year from your friends at outlook!

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