DRAG Queen
Queens
LOVE
L
LOVE
Table of contents
Page
Chapter
7
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“It’s a sortyou of piss-take “Whatever proclaimon asculture, your because here a drag is a clown - a is identity in queen the material realm parody of drag. our society. sarcastic also your You areIt’s nota your spoof on You culture, which us to religion. are not yourallows skin color. laugh ourselves - but in a way that You areatnot your gender, your is inclusive ofcareer, everyone.” - RuPaul politics, your or your marital status. You are none of the superficial things that this world deems important. The real you is the energy force that created the entire universe!” - RuPaul
Intro I can still remember the day that I was walking with my girlfriend on the station in Hilversum. It was a cold day, it was snowing and there where not a lot of people on the streets. We walked hand in hand and suddenly a group of boys decided to throw snowballs towards us because they noticed that we were lesbians. If I walk with my girlfriend in the centre of Eindhoven, amsterdam, Utrecht, anywhere actually you always have those type of guys (and sometimes girls) who can’t helpt themselves to throw nasty comments at us. Mostly it is in a sexual way and sometimes they say abusive things. Nowadays you hear a lot of people say that the gaytolerance is becoming more open and open. But as a gay woman myself I can tell you that it is still a risc to walk down the streets holding or kissing your loved one. Which makes me wonder about gay men, I think they have much more to endavior than we. Gay men are seen as ‘sick’ and ‘groose’ by the mainstream public.
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For me it is always really difficult to understand how people can totally freak out about things which are not familiar to them. Or thinking they can openly express their unwanted opinions and feelings towards those people, which almost never is a friendly conversation. To go deeper into this subject with the term ‘gaytolerance’ in the back of my mind I want to dive into the subculture which we call DragQueens or cross-dressing. Men, who dress and behave like beautiful women. It is not a dress up party, it is a life style! I really want to experience a night in their life and I’m very interested in why they express themselfes the way they do. Are they trying to get a statement accross, like we’ve seen in the 60’s? Are they familiar with violence? Is it true that dragqueens are seen as outsiders? Or is the gay tolerance in the Netherlands actually getting better especially towards man and their great artistic self expressions?!
Let’s find out
Gender bender
A function at which the gender roles are reversed, or manipulated in various ways. Also, a person who explores the boundaries of gender roles, or outright denies their existance. A person who disrupts, “bends”, or “fucks with”, expected gender roles. Gender bending is sometimes a form of social activism undertaken to destroy rigid gender roles and defy sex-role stereotypes. It can be a reaction to, and protest of, homophobia, transphobia or misogyny. Some gender benders identify with the sex assigned them at birth, but challenge the societal norms that assign expectations of particular, gendered behavior to that sex. This rebellion can involve androgynous dress, adornment, behavior, and atypical gender roles. Gender benders may self-identify as trans or genderqueer. However, many trans people do not consider themselves “gender benders”.
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Singer-songwriter and political activist Annie Lennox began her career as lead singer with The Tourists in the late 1970s. The Spin Alternative Record Guide described Annie in 1995 as:
“Gender-fuck goddess Annie Lennox�.
The Cockettes were a psychedelic drag queen troupe, founded in San Francisco. In the late 1960s.
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“I want to criticize and poke fun at the “Whatever you proclaim as your roles ofhere women andmaterial of men too. I want identity in the realm is to tryyour anddrag. showYou howare not-normal also not your I can be. I wantYou to ridicule and destroy the religion. are not your skin color. whole of restrictive You arecosmology not your gender, your sex roles andyour sexual identification.” politics, career, or your marital Christopher Lonc status. You are none of the superficial things that this world deems important. The real you is the energy force that created the entire universe!” - RuPaul
To “fuck with” gender, one must have an expectation to be able to rebel against. These expectations are socially constructed and can vary widely between cultures. In many cultures it is only acceptable for an individual to embody one of two polar gender roles; this is known as the gender binary. In these cultures, for a person to be seen as belonging in a particular gender category the individual must not only have a particular genital and chromosomal makeup, but must conform to that culture’s ideas of appropriate sex-role stereotypes, including sexual orientation. To this end, those who go against expected conduct, for example gays and lesbians, may be seen as “less than” or “other”. In Western cultures, gender roles have changed somewhat over the years. However, mainstream western culture still tends to expect stereotypical “feminine” behaviors from females, and “masculine” sex-role stereotypes from males.
Dr. Frank-N-Furter from the movie, Rocky Horror Picture Show, is a male bodied person. Buthe wears lingerie, woman clothing, and accessories thought to be feminine. The character also wears make-up. “I’m just a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania.”
The New York Dolls are a rock band who formed in 1971 and had a protopunk sound. they broke up in 1977 but reformed in 2004. Their genderfuck is generally viewed to be quite subtle.
Gender bending in practice Often, parody and exaggeration are used to transgress gender roles, usually to expose them as artificial. For example, a person who engages in genderfucking may purposefully exaggerate conventional notions of femininity, or masculinity. Genderfucking can also be achieved through cross-dressing and androgyny, both of which challenge and contribute to dismantling the gender binary by separating expression or performance of gender from perceptions of biological or physiological sex. Genderfucking is based in gender performativity: the concept of gender as a performance. It can be achieved through physical presentation e.g. clothing, hair, makeup, and secondary sex characteristics, as well as behavior. Because much of gender performance is expressed through clothing, in societies where a gender binary can be observed, there is an established, widespread notion that some clothes are “masculine” and should be worn only by male-bodied individuals, and others are “feminine” and should be worn only by female-bodied individuals.
Cross-dressing and androgyny Cross-dressing would be a form of genderfucking because the purpose is to “fuck with gender” roles and presentation. Androgyny is not specifically genderfucking, but it can be considered genderfucking if someone is being androgynous on purpose. The origin of the word “androgynous” is from the Greek androgynos: “male and female in one. There have been many famous people who have been accused of cross-dressing and many famous people now who are androgynous. The Rock star, Prince was very well known for his cross dressing or androgynous look. Shakespeare used cross dressing in his performances. Over the centuries some readers have posited that Shakespeare’s sonnets are autobiographical and point to them as evidence of his love for a young man. With this said, Shakespeare had characters in his writings that were considered cross-dressers.
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Boy George a highly androgynous musician, and was part of the English New Romanticism movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He famously stated, “I can do anything. In GQ, I appeared as a man.�
Drag Drag shows are stage performances where people perform in drag. Drag costuming and makeup may in some cases simply involve an actor portraying a character of a sex or gender different from their own. Or the performance itself may be a parody or critique of gender and gender roles. Often “feminine” or “masculine” gender stereoptypes of the persons’s culture are exaggerated for comic or satirical effect. Performers may call themselves drag kings or drag queens. Drag revues typically involve elaborate, glamorous costumes and musical performances. The entertainers may sing, dance, or lip sync. A faux drag performer is a person who performs as the gender they identify as in day-today life, albeit in a usually exaggerated form. For instance a female-bodied person who performs as a drag queen is a faux queen or the other way around for a faux king.
David Bowie, wore a dress on the UK cover of his 1970 album: ‘The Man Who Sold the World’ and often wore dresses, makeup and leotards both onstage and while doing interviews. In a time when very few people were out, he announced that he and his wife were both bisexual.
Lady Gaga is very specific in what she wears and even states that: “But in a sense, I portray myself in a very androgynous way, and I love androgyny.�
HISTORY A Brief History of Drag A drag queen is usually explained as a man impersonating a women, or several women, for the purpose of entertainment or performance. They can range from those who do it as a job to those who do it as a form of artistic expression. Drag shouldn’t be confused with transvestism, which is very similar, in the sense that involves cross dressing and switching gender roles. Most transvestites do not cross dress to be seen, as drag queens are, but to feel like a woman. Transvestism can also be a sexual fetish, whereas drag rarely is. We can see early forms of traditional drag appearing towards the late 1800s and early 20th century. Julian Eltinge began performing in Broadway shows from the age of 10, appearing as a girl, and by 1910 reached height of his fame going on a national tour of America and even producing his own magazine.
After the two world wars, under Joseph McCartney, national paranoia in America was rife. Anything deemed ‘subversive’ was also deemed a national risk. In the 1950s the US State Department decided that homosexuals were part of these ‘subversive’ groups. The FBI and police kept records of ‘known homosexuals’, and printed their photographs in local papers. Cities performed sweeps of bars and nightclubs to ‘rid’ neighbourhoods of gay people. The wearing of opposite gender clothes were banned. Homosexuals were often publically humiliated, harassed, fired from jobs, jailed or institutionalised in mental hospitals.
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Small pockets of activism grew throughout the 1950s and 60s, however the gay rights movement is often though to have begun in 1969 at the Stonewall Bar in New York. It was the only gay bar in New York at that time. It was owned by the Mafia and on June 28th, 1969, the police conducted one of their raids. Raids were common at the time, and if a (gay) women wasn’t wearing at least three items of ‘feminine clothing’, they were arrested. Those in gender opposite clothing were submitted to humiliating ‘gender checking’ and arrested. This raid, however, did not go as planned, and many, particularly the lesbians and drag queens, began to fit back. Many believe riots were instigated after drag queen Sylvia Rivera threw pennies and quarters at police. Three nights of riots ensued, which included another drag queen, Marsha P. Johnson smashing a police car window with her hand bag.
It was the first time gay people had come together as a community, and the events at Stonewall ignited widespread, worldwide LGBT activism. In 1970 the first ever gay Pride happened. It’s because of these drag queens, and these people, that we have many of the freedoms we enjoy today.
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“Whatever you proclaim as your identity here in the material realm is also your drag. You are not your religion. You are not your skin color. You are not your gender, your politics, your career, or your marital status. You are none of the superficial things that this world deems important. The real you is the energy force that created the entire universe!” - RuPaul
the art of drag
It’s more than a wig and lipstick! It is an artform, it is a lifestyle! There are a lot of misconceptions about dragqueens, people say that only misfits and outcasts dress up like slutty girls. But in reality it is a complicated process with takes a lot of time and attention. People assume those arty men want to be women, but that is not the case at all. You have to see it as a job, an alter ego which takes them away from reality for a while. They step in this whole new character and they feel fabulous about it. It is not about being a woman, it is about the power of being whoever you like to be and be proud of it. Another big misconception is that only gay men dress up like Queens, not true at all! Even heterosexual men do this in their free time. It is about time we realize the drag scene is very diverse. There are a lot of different types of drags: Butch Queens, Fishy Queens, Hairy Queens, Pageant queen etc. Every queen has their own preferences. You shouldn’t label drags, like you shouldn’t label any type of person. We are all the same, we are all one!
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must haves
Hip pads Butt pads Breasts (a lot of) Make-up Fabulous wiggs Eye-lashes Glamorous costumes High heels Fake nails (a lot of) Jewelry
Drag clothing
“Drag is all about being arty and creative�
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RuPauls dragrace
One of the reasons drags are so populair and commercial in the last years is because the american tv series Rupauls Drag Race. Rupaul is one the biggest icons in the Drag world. In the 90s he had a carreer as a model, actor and singer. In 2009 season one of his show came on television and thourgh the years it became a big hit! Participants getinternation fame, not only the gay community worshipes them but only the mainstream public weclomes them with open arms. So let’s alls top with looking at drags with disgust or disbelieve and see them as walking pieces of art. Drags are people who turn themselfes into a caricature, they have the convidence to wear high heels and walk in womens
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lellebel Last week I went to Amsterdam to experience the DragQueen scene. After researching, and asking actual Drags to name the hotspots, I ended up in a cafe called “Lellebel�. From the moment I walked in I immediately felt at home. There where not a lot of people, so I assumed people would stare at us, like we didn’t belong there. But the opposite happend, I felt very welcome, even embraced. The vibe in the small cafe was amazing! The walls where covered in glitters and a lot of patterned wallpaper. When we bought our first drink there was a Drag Performance, which was really nice to see. I was impressed by the high heals she weared, her straight eyeliner and the tight dress. Besides that it was really amusing to see her perform! It felt like she become this other person, at first when we where stading at the bar she was standing in the corner a lilttle bit shy I could say. But after she stood on stage something magical happend, there was a lot of energy, confidence and an amazing performance!
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At one point I was talking to this bussiness guy, I think he was around 55 years old. He was with his wife and another straight couple. We started talking about goals, dreams and how to pursue them. Kind of random actually, but it was an interesting conversation. I think it is nice that there where people from all races, ages and gender. After a while I talked to his wife, the conversation was about how the world would be a much better place if everybody would just accept each other and realize that we are all the same. And if we all help eachother where we can, the world would be a much better place! I think it is interesting to realize how much different people go there and there is one thing which them all connects and that is acceptance. It doesn’t matter how you look, what gender you are, your age or how you dance. The most important thing is that you are yourself, you can be yourself! I think this is wonderfull and one of the best feelings ever!
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“Whatever you proclaim as your identity here in the material realm is also your drag. You are not your religion. Youobstacle are not your color. “The Biggest I everskin faced was You are not yourperception gender, your my own limited of myself.” -politics, RuPaul your career, or your marital status. You are none of the superficial things that this world deems important. The real you is the energy force that created the entire universe!” - RuPaul
drag Music
The world of popular music has a venerable history of drag. Marlene Dietrich was a popular actress and singer who sometimes performed dressed as a man, such as in the film Blue Angel. In the glam rock era many male performers such as David Bowie and The New York Dolls donned partial or full drag. This tradition waned somewhat in the late 1970s but was revived in the new wave era of the 1980s, as pop singers Boy George, Pete Burns, and Philip Oakey frequently appeared in a sort of semi-drag. While female musicians of the era dabbled in their own form of androgyny, with performers like Annie Lennox, Phranc and The Bloods sometimes performing as drag kings. The male grunge musicians of the 1990s sometimes performed wearing deliberately ugly drag – that is, wearing dresses but making no attempt to look feminine, not wearing makeup and often not even shaving their beards. Nirvana did this several times, notably in the In Bloom video. However, possibly the most famous drag artist in music in the 1990s was RuPaul!
Jeffree Star - Prom Night We’re gonna party like it’s prom night We’re gonna fuck like it’s our first time We’re gonna party like it’s prom night I just wanna sweat it out On my clothes and in your mouth,yeah Dress me up, paint the town Spike the punch Got me gone, I’m blown, I’m out to lunch Taser in my pocket Got the flask, got the pipe I know, I know what you like I know, I know what you like I’ll come pick you up Disappear with us Underneath your love I’ll make you remember this Dress me down, turn me on Spill my drink Push it hard, push it good Make me scream I’ve never done this before Condom wrappers on the floor Oops I lied Yeah we do this all the time
Pearl - Love Slave
Alaska Thunderfuck - your makeup is terrible Now, I heard this is the best motherfucking club in all the land Is that correct? (ahuh) uhum Well, it better be because I never had no stunt shows or shenanigans at the doorway Mr Doorman, what’s that? You need my ID? This face is my ID, motherfucker! Now, I’m not the kind of bitch who’s gonna go behind your back and talk shit on you If I have an issue with you, I’ll bring it right to your busted face Now, let’s discuss it right now, shall we? Alrightalrightalright Are you ready? You specifically! Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready!? Your makeup is terrible Your makeup is terrible Your makeup is terrible Your makeup is terrible But I love you anyway
Willam Belli - “RuPaulogize”
Sharon Needles - Dressed To Kill My accessory’s a cigarette No I don’t need your Heatherette These leather boots kick off my St. Marks look I’m hard as concrete, rubber licked My rotten fresh will make you sick You know I never do it by the book I’m rough around the edge it seems I need a little flaw on me Over the top but keep it underground Taxidermy round my neck My perfume is my whiskey breath While you are wearing rhinestones by the pound. This isn’t a fucking costume This is a way of life This isn’t a fucking costume This is a way of life BANG! BANG! BANG! I, I dress to kill BANG! BANG! BANG! I, I aim to thrill BANG! BANG! BANG! I, I dress to kill BANG! BANG! BANG! I, I aim to thrill
Jay
I live in Zundert a little village near Breda. I am 19 years old.
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“Being accepted by everyone would be a great world!” My name is Jay Oostvogels and I’m 19 years old. My Drag name is Joy Stique because Joy would have been my girls name. The surname Stique comes from the joystick, as in the d*ck. I live in Zundert, a little village near Breda. I’m a Drag queen for almost one and a half year. So it’s all fresh and kind of new. When I’m in Drag I feel like I’m almost Lady Gaga. The whole package of wearing high heels, wearing a long hair wig and all this make up and of course the dress makes you feel like a whole new and other person. It makes you like a ‘real’ women. People mostly don’t know you so you behave like you’re someone else. You feel yourself a lot more confidence. I think as a drag queen you have to stand there as a performer or an artist. A lot of people think Drag queens are transgender. This is not true. We all know what a transgender is and I’m happy that the world is on his way of accepting this more! But a Drag queen is not a transgender. We are totally happy with being a men and having this body! Drag queens just like to be that women that’s kind of inside of us for some times. We love to feel ourselves fierce on high heels, with long blonde hair and lot’s of make up. It’s just that girls can do a lot more with their hair and clothing than men can.
“Just treat us like normal people and you will see we are not that bad at all. You can even laugh with us!” This year Drag is coming much more popular than before. More people getting to know it, more people are starting to accept it. I don’t think Drag will be accepted very soon because the world even can’t accept being gay 100% yet so why would they already accept gay men dressed up as women. But it’s coming with baby steps and that’s already nice to see! Most of the queens are gay, but people mostly forget that there are also Drag queens who are straight men or are even married. They are just as open minded and isn’t that what the world needs?! There’s a place in amsterdam, which is called ‘Club Nyx’ where most of the Drag queens come together. The thing I hate the most isn’t even the prejudices. It’s the point that people already yell nasty words at you by just seeing you being gay. The only thing they probably think is “grose” without even knowing how we are, what we do, how we live our lifes. They think we are too feminine. So what? We don’t do you anything. And yes, ofcourse we have sex. But we don’t ask you to watch! ;)
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JoyStique “Joy would have been my girls name. Stique comes from joystick, as in the d*ck.”
Sources History information http://www.tqsmagazine.co.uk/a-brief-history-of-drag-part-1/ Quotes http://www.dragofficial.com/ali/25-rupaul-quotes-to-live-by RuPaul picture https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/403775922820600999/ Jay Oostvogels https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=534097230086097&set =a.108285752667249.18452.100004574744239&type=3&theater https://www.facebook.com/JayRhymesOnFay/media_set?set =a.108302235998934.18488.100004574744239&type=3 Drag picture when in doubt https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/497507090064396793/ Jeffree Star https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/407435097519503540/ Jeffree star - prom night https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwl6YTDQ0 picture https://www.google.nl/search?q=jeffree+star+prom+night&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiL9IfnncDLAhWEDw8KHbatCMUQ_AUIBygB&biw=1600&bih=775#imgrc=1dQTvw_sPRf1kM%3A
Lyrics http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jeffreestar/promnight.html Gender Bender information http://nl.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gender+bender https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_bender David Bowie picture http://www.dezeen.com/2016/01/12/dezeen-selects-david-bowie-most-iconic-design-moments/ Drag Clothing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_(clothing) http://www.drag-queen.com/ Drag must haves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfnn9mzTcQQ&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dyfnn9mzTcQQ&has_verified=1 The art of drag Rupauls dragrace http://cult.tpo.nl/2014/11/04/drag-queens-meer-dan-een-jurk-en-lippenstift/ Rupauls DragRace picture https://www.google.nl/search?q=rupaul+drag+race&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJu9yup83LAhWBkA8KHd_zBsAQ_AUIBygB&biw=1600&bih=775#q=rupaul+drag+race&tbm=isch&tbs=isz:l&imgrc=rBivnsXZgNxHgM%3A
Drag must haves picture: https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/148196643966204821/ Drag pink hair https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/505740233131964597/ Drag https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/126804545733233285/ Sharon Needles https://www.google.nl/search?q=sharon+needles+dressed+to+kill&esp v=2&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&biw=1600&bih=731&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQw-7Qv83LAhVJQhQKHaSoA74Q_AUIBigB#q=sharon+needles+dressed+to+kill&tbm=isch&tbs=isz:l&imgrc=-Bo3OkHSAc-OPM%3A Lyrics http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/sharon+needles/dressed+to+kill_21054693. html Intro picture https://www.google.nl/search?q=gaypride+2016+amsterdam&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjllrKV8s3LAhUGMZoKHVMEDawQ_AUIBygB&biw=1600&bih=731#tbm=isch&q=gay+pride+2016+amsterdam&imgrc=FcJGXKu6VPit3M%3A
Alaska Thunderfuck https://www.google.nl/search?q=alaska+thunderfuck&biw=1600&bih=731&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrm_Ps7c3LAhViJpoKHWN_C54Q_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=alaska+thunderfuck+your+makeup+is+terrible&imgrc=sMS7eOz2MTbXfM%3A Lyrics http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/alaskathunderfuck/yourmakeupisterrible. html William Belli https://www.google.nl/search?q=Willam+Belli+%22RuPaulogize%22+feat.+Sharon+Needles+(Directed+by+The+Directors+from+Dance+Moms)&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQm5Ci6s3LAhULXBoKHaHrAvoQ_AUIBygB&biw=1600&bih=731#tbs=isz:l&tbm=isch&q=Willam+Belli+&imgrc=vN7e-0IWRZtkqM%3A Pearl - Love slave https://www.google.nl/search?q=pearl+love+slave&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib8o2x783LAhVGYJoKHcQrA7QQ_AUIBygB&biw=1600&bih=731#imgrc=6av_BvJTNDjRxM%3A Drag spread https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/126804545733233285/
Gender Bender famous people https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_bender Annie Lennox https://www.google.nl/search?q=annie+lennox+70s&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwieoouG1M_ LAhWGnA4KHRSWAWQQ_AUIBygB&biw=1455&bih=665#q=annie+lennox+70s&tbm=isch&tbs=isz:l&imgrc=U_-U2HHxXw7o2M%3A The cockettes picture https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/543598617495025482/ Rocky horror show picture https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/199565827215472279/ NewYork Dolls https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/127789708151333536/ Boy George https://www.google.nl/search?q=boy+george+1977&rlz=1C1CHJX_enNL453NL453&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirr-qI0c_ LAhUHShQKHXN6BfMQ_AUIBygB&biw=1455&bih=665#q=boy+george+1977&tbm=isch&tbs=isz:l&imgdii=gepI5z_vSny9nM%3A%3BgepI5z_vSny9nM%3A%3B5oCrb5-DysoZpM%3A&imgrc=gepI5z_vSny9nM%3A
“You have to use what you have to get what you want.” - RuPaul