my first drag queens
We got another big sack of old photographs from Grandpa today, and I immediately zeroed in on this one. I used to spend days with my Grandmother in her office, and this one lived under the glass on her desk for years. When I was three or four, I asked her who these ugly ladies were, and she explained to me that they weren't women, they were men in women's clothing. One of them is my grandfather, and all of them were family men*. This was the first time I had ever heard of drag, and I was mystified and fascinated. (Which explains where that all started.)
Now, I'm mystified and fascinated that drag was ever, under any circumstances, an acceptable practice among straight men in 1960's Little Rock. This would have been just a few years after the Central High Crisis, so it's not like tolerance was at a high point. Apparently, though, drag was an annual practice for this particular civic group for a number of years. Interesting.
*Since he doesn't know that I have a blog, much less am posting this, I won't say which one he is.
Comments
I am thinking that men dressed up like women THEN as a joke, or told other ppl it was a joke. My mom's boyfriend dressed up in drag as a joke, or he said it was a joke. Any how. I still like that photo.
Posted by: alexis | August 4, 2003 6:49 PM
I have a photo of my father in drag with three other men, dressed up for a church function. I think it was a spoof beauty contest. Although I don't recall the actual event (and more than likely, as a child, was not invited), the women's reactions to the photos in later life could only be described as hootin' and hollerin'
Posted by: Michelle | August 5, 2003 7:14 PM