San Francisco Sentinel
Street Talk
June 21, 1990
Oh No, Not Another Gay Day!
By Doris Fish
My, how time flies! Has it really been a year? I’ve had twelve months to get ready, and I still don’t have a thing to wear!
“What are you wearing luvvie?” I asked Miss X. It was still daytime and she was just waking up.
“I’m in my lovely black negligee. Why do you ask?” Her voice had that ‘this-better-be-good’ tone. I explained that I mean the Gay Day Parade.
“You know I don’t do that sort of thing anymore. I did it once and got my picture in the Chronicle — so I’ve done it. Doris, don’t you think you’re a little old for that now? Daylight is so unflattering.” Yes, perhaps it is — for some people. Some people only look good by candlelight from behind.
“Besides,” she continued, “we’re doing Gina’s Summer Camp Vamp Cabaret at Townsend the night before. Don’t you remember?”
“Luvvie I can’t, I’m sick about it’s but I’ve got myself trapped into doing the AIDS Emergency Fund Care-A-Thon at Civic Center on Sunday, starting at the crack of noon. I couldn’t possibly do a show Saturday night,” I whined. “But you go ahead without me.”
“Don’t worry about it, we’ll be just fine. In fact it’ll be a pleasure not hearing your flat notes and missed cues. Let’s face it, we’ve been carrying you for years.” She was attempting flippancy. Lucky for her I can take an insult without killing.
The Townsend show will be great, with performances by Deborah Iyall, Donna Franklin, Kathy Peck, Jan Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and lots of others, with Bill Spooner heading a special all-star Summer Camp Combo. It’s at 177 Townsend, Saturday June 23 from 9:30 p.m., and proceeds benefit the HIV Niteline.
“You’re not backing out of the ‘Drag USO Show’, are you?” I guess she doesn’t mind carrying me one night a week.
“Maybe I will and maybe I won’t,” I teased. Of course I’m doing it. This is another not-to-be-missed spectacular at Colossus. 1015 Folsom at 6th, with artistes from every corner of this great and …. Nation, like Vaginal Crème Davies from LA, The Lady Bunny from NYC and, if Miss X can sneak out of the ‘Happy Hacienda’ retirement home we’ll prop her up between Tippi and myself and force her to dirge herself. Also appearing are those fabulous teen stars, Jerome and the Girls of High Heeled Wrestling. And we’ll all be gazing in awe at the Emperor and Empress de San Francisco at XXV. Showtime is 10 p.m.. That’s Thursday, June 21.
And earlier that same evening is the wonderful “Liquid Eyeliner” Art Show at SF Arts Commission Gallery, 155 Grove St. It’s an exposition of work by and about Drag Queens and Transsexuals, for which I’m madly trying to finish a pretentious little ‘still life’. The opening of the year is at 7 p.m. and it’s free (my favorite price!) That should be enough Drag for one night.
Let’s hope I’m sufficiently recovered after romping with Phil Ford and Ruby and Lotty, not to mention carrying Miss X through yet another show, to be frivolous and frolicsome on Sunday at the Care-A-Thon. The AIDS Emergency Fund is one of the few AIDS groups I respect. It’s not top-heavy with highly paid staff, as a lot of the work is done by volunteers. They don’t waste time yelling at the power that be to “save us,” instead they’ve jumped right in to help where it’s most needed. Because of the low cost of the organization, the volunteers and generous support from all of you, the Fund has been able to channel 90 percent of contributions directly to people with AIDS.
It’s dreary to have AIDS as a hobby, a career or a life, to think, talk and act AIDS. I hate the ‘gay’ equals ‘disease’ in most people’s minds, that we’ve lost so many leaders and lovers, and yet there’s been great progress. Despite the decimation in our ranks, gay activism seems as fresh and as strong as ever, compassion is rampant and we truly are ‘kinder and gentler’ leading the way again.
We can’t forget about AIDS, but let’s not forget to laugh and smile with our friends this week (and with strangers, too). We’ll celebrate our existence and our commitment to equality (illegible) Doing it.
So I guess I’ll see you all there, just hope I can solve the problem of what to wear.
