On Exhibit

   The other day I went with Holotta Tymes to the Market Street Gallery in San Francisco to check out the Heroes with Bling exhibit. The exhibit is of a series of photos taken by the amazing Jose A. Guzman Colon and the talented Marianne Larochelle and a series of amazing Drag Queen mosaics by Michael Kruzich.  The reason we were going is that Holotta was part of this exhibit.

   Michael Kruzich had made this beautiful mosaic of Holotta Tymes and when I say beautiful, I mean beautiful. He had captured the image of Holotta so well and brought so many dimensions to it. You can spend forever looking at the piece examining the details, the texture and colors that he used. It is an amazing piece of artwork! Holotta was so honored to be the inspiration for this.

   The thing that amazed me was that Michael used one of my photos as the basis for this great mosaic. I think I was more honored then Holotta was. I still cannot believe how well Michael captured the photo.  I might me a little bias, but I have to say that it was the best one!

   This is not the first time this photo has been put out there in the public either. I am lucky to have it used in the advertising for Sunday’s A Drag at the Harry Denton’s Starlight Room. It is on the flyer for the show and gets used in the ads that they publish in local magazines and newspapers.

   Also, while at the event, Holotta got to see the photo that Marianne Larochelle took of her for the first time. It is in a great photo book put together by Marianne and Jose A. Guzman Colon called Glam Gender. The book is a series of photos that takes the standard rules of gender and throws them out the door! It is a must for any gay coffee table! The photo of Holotta is of her standing in front of a Victorian home. It is a great image that congers up the ideals of San Francisco, drag queens and the expression of life all into one photo. Jose and Marianne are both great photographers to look up to and are amazingly talented.

   If you have the opportunity to check out Heroes with Bling, you should! It is going on only to the 29^th of June at the Market Street Gallery at 1554 Market Street in San Francisco. Also, look for the book Glam Gender at Books Inc in the Castro or at Retro Fit. You can also check it out at www.glamgender.com.

Drag Queens In Our Community.

    I was checking my calendar tonight to see what I going on in the next couple of weeks. One of the events is the AIDS Walk fundraiser that will be happening in a couple of weeks at Club 1220. That got me to thinking about how much money has been raised at the club by all the Drag Queens over the years.   The AIDS Walk fundraiser itself has raised easily over $10,000 in the past five years and that is just one of the fundraiser that happens on a yearly.

   There have been events for all kinds of charities at Club 1220.  We have raised money for The Trevor Project, the campaign against Prop 8, different cancer organizations, numerous HIV and AIDS groups and several kids organizations, like the Sunburst Project that puts on a camp for HIV positive kids. I tried to figure how much money has been raised by the Drag Queens at Club 1220 in just the past fourteen years that we have been putting on shows there.  I could not come up with an exact number, but it is over $100,000. I can’t even think of how much has been raised at Club 1220 since it’s opening days over 33 years ago.

   Now, that is just one club in a suburb of the San Francisco area.  Now think of all the bars and clubs just in and about San Francisco. Think of all the Drag Queens that have organized fundraisers for one organization or another. Now, think of all the Drag Queens across America. That is one hell of a lot of money raised.

   Fundraising is also just one part of what Drag Queens for done for the Gay Community. They have also been very active in advancing equal rights for gays, lesbians and transgender people.  We have even come to credit Drag Queens to leading the revolt against police at Stonewall in 1969, an event that has become to be known as the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement.

   Drag Queens even go back further then that. All the back in 1936, there was a club that opened in the North Beach area of San Francisco. The club was called Finocchio’s and it was on of the first places in America that dazzled their guests with the female illusionist, but I will leave that for another blog.