RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

 

HARLOW

Children, if you're in the LGBTQ community, unless you lived under a rock, or very young, then you most likely know who Rachel Harlow is. This legendary drag queen and tran woman, originally from South Philly, first appeared in the 1969 documentary The Queen, which I highly recommend viewing, especially if you want to see a drag show and competition like no other, where many legends started and many taglines and manners were born... and one where she got read for filth by co-legend queen Crystal LaBeija, when Rachel Harlow won the show and many thought it was because of her being white...of course Crystal left the system and started her own shows, which was the start of ballroom. But unlike the short life Crystal had, Rachel Harlow...better known as just Harlow the world over went on to have a glorious life.

After a brief stint in Hollywood where she made one movie with Jack Nicholson, she returned to her hometown, opened Philly's first and greatest Disco of the city Harlow's and was feted by the local press and treated like one of the city's most exciting citizens. She appeared on talk shows and did modeling. Her gender confirmation surgery made huge headlines. Then she made even bigger headlines again when she entered a very public relationship with Princess Grace of Monaco's brother Jack Kelly,, who was a local golden boy and a city councilman. His political opponents, his mother and Princess Grace all threatened to make a big stink about the relationship and after time they split up. They were quite the couple from recounts

There's much more to her story. After the relationship feel apart with Jack Kelly, Harlow fell mostly out of the public eye after that or rather walked away from it. Eventually Harlow's closed, and she took a job at the perfume counters of the legendary John Wanamaker's. It wasn't till 1989, a Philadelphia Inquirer article popped up, of an update she had married chef/baker Gerard Billebault in 1980 and took his name, opening a restaurant, again called Harlow's, with him in 1988. However, the restaurant closed in 1993, and their marriage ended alongside it. 

Who knows all the intricacies of what she experienced in the gay world, in the gay bars, in the straight bars, in the drag contest green rooms and hotels, in the banquettes at Harlow's or at the parfumerie...but finally... the Philadelphia Inquirer has said a memoir might be finally coming and is only in the proposal stage. It will be the first time she's spoken about her life in over thirty years. The memoir would promise the ups and downs of living a public life as a trans woman over fifty years ago, and will no doubt spills some beans and backstory of all the exciting things she experienced. She seems ready to tell her story finally at almost 80. I saw where she recently commented she quite rightly feels there's power in reminding people that a city like Philadelphia embraces and continues to embrace trans women and the trans community for over a half century and they elevated her as one of its leading citizens, in a time when it wasn't acceptable. Sometimes a trailblazer is a trailblazer simply because she was brave enough to demand a life on her own terms. It's bound to be an excellent page turner.

CECELIA SISSON

 Tonight's chuckle. I adored Carol Channing.I noticed while my implants get more fined tuned before the final ones are made, (two more weeks) I find this happens to me once or twice a day. So I did a part of this skit at work one day. They howled.

YES, THE QUEENS...

Hard to believe that the 18th season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered last Friday night. I was on the fence if I would even make the effort to watch yet another season, at least for me, would promise another cast of queens that we would mostly likely recognize as the same queens we already saw on previous seasons. Yes, I may be getting Drag Race fatigue, and for me is no doubt getting tired and pushing oversaturation from too many seasons, All Stars, spin offs, formulaic formats, and production meddling, and a perceived loss of the original's raw, artistic magic in favor of commercialism and the cookie cutter of drag. Most of the cast looks all the same to me. Anymore the judges seem to give harsh critiques of the queens not coloring in the lines... many of the one of kind queens are often more memorable than the winners. Most of the cast are too fishy still and more editorial. Let the judges tell a Bunny, a Coco Peru, a Jackie beat or a Dina Martina to change their look and I bet they will get a very polite "fuck you" right back. Of course, not too long ago the show felt revolutionary to see Drag Race's assemblage of gay men on television, but now it seems like other reality show that is staying on too long. Hell, even RuPaul said herself she'd stop getting in drag if it wasn't for the money. And where is the diversity this season? A whole big country and half the cast seem to be from NYC and Florida yet again??? I may check in from time to time, but to watch the season in its entirety will be a hard pass from me.....but I do have my thoughts. What kind of a catty queens would I be otherwise. 

I have the feeling these two queens will be the first queens to take a hike. I like DD, and the jawline. But I'd rather make out with him, then see his drag. Yes, for some reason he gets me hot. And sadly, Mandy is a fellow Philadelphian sister, who I don't think will come anywhere as close to the crown like Sapphira did....but Mandy is also the poor man's Nymphia Wind 2.0. and not in a good way.

The next three to leave I suspect will be Mia, Briar and Kenya

Mia...a more polished and bigger boobed, Latina ala Selina Es Titties...but without her charm and funny humor.

Briar is LEGENDARY on the drag circuit. I fell in love with her, from her now famous Tina Turner performances in a pink tinsel dress. Her performances are out of this world, but she is too much "march to my own drummer" and will not take any orders which is why I don't think she will get far. And I wouldn't blame her.

Love her, Love the name and LOVE her personality. But I don't think big girl is gonna get to far.

On my nerve from the get-go. Can you say Utica 2.0 with shades of Jimbo and Cystal Methyd? Loved Utica, but Ciara Myst will not be what the judges are looking for. She'll go flat quick. This will be the season the older, longtime queens will be picked off too.

We've seen Athena before. Alexia Mateo. April Caron, and Trinity Taylor

I have also known of Vita. She is GOOD. Sickening designer and stunning. But is she bringing anything we having seen already with the likes of Trinity K Bonnet, Asia O Hara, and Akeria C Davenport?

Discord I've long known of. Very bitter and salty. Again...similar too Acid Betty, Aja, and Nina Flowers. For these reasons....I think the top 6 will be...

Jane Don't is cute and has a schtick. Her vintage take, if done right will be what Hormona Lisa should have been.

As long as she doesn't show all skin all season, I think she may do well...although I see a lot of Naomi Smalls. Morphine, Lux Noir London and Xunami Muse.

I don't know much about her, but she seems different somehow, in a good way.  She doesn't remind me of another drag queen per say, but she looks like Ayra Stark from Game of Thrones out of drag. Myki could win...her looks on socials are all across the board and appear well done.

At this point I adore Darlene! I would love to see her win. Or is that Miz Cracker?

And yes, she does look like Alyssa Edwards!

I will check in from time to time to see whose is still there and who's left. But otherwise, I will not be covering the show. I am going to commit to bringing and continuing to showcase queens not on the show, And I have to know, as boys, where in HELL did most of the casts go to get their hair did?!?!?!? Or did they get some guy with a weed whacker to cut their hair? I've never seen so many bad haircuts. I think I'd live in drag with those haircuts.