Queerness

'With all the glitz and glamor I was subjected to growing up, you'd think it would have unwillingly forced me to become a drag queen.' I was just a kid when one of my cousins took me to see John Water's film Pink Flamingos at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles. We smoked a joint before going into the theater, and while we were waiting for the movie to start, I swear I saw a raccoon cross the stage. Then, when the lights went down and the film began to play, I was utterly mesmerized by the screen presence of the incomparable drag queen, Divine. In the scene when the reporter asks her character Babs Johnson if she could give him some of her political beliefs –– her response "Kill everyone now! Condone first-degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth are my politics; filth is my life...

‘With or without the razzle-dazzle of its seductive cover, I hope you can see that I am simply a reflection of all your love and beauty.’ I have never really loved Valentine's Day. So the production and commercialization of Valentine's classics from Hallmark and FTD florist don't interest me. However, if you want to talk about chocolates from See's Candy, I have a moment to sit and chat with you. I took a second to dive into the origins of Valentine's Day, and I don't know how I feel about the celebration. However, the following paragraph was taken directly from the interwebs: "The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of our modern-day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — who were both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the third century. Th...

'Your well-being is most important. A healthy, more vital one will benefit yourself, those close to you, and our community.' As I look back on 2022, there are many things I'm honored and so proud to have played a role in, including the completion of my reign as Empress of The Imperial Council of San Francisco, Inc. with Emperor Mr. David Glamamore. We helped shine a brighter light on the world's oldest and largest LGBTQIA+ organizations.  Pride this year was such an incredibly magical day –– $151,000 in donations from my annual event went directly to the Q Foundation, whose goal is to ensure people have safe housing, which is now more critical than ever. The nonprofit is creating an app that will connect local LGBTQIA+ people looking for or offering safe housing, based on the 'Juanita'...