In the last 6 years, Chicago’s queer scene has evolved into an enviable beast. FKA, the Chances crew, Stardust, GenderJUST, the Windy City Times and all of you independent thinkers that sometimes come together to just fucking express yourselves have created a truly mobile, hip and accepting culture. So when some NYC drag queen rides into the Chi on fast-unfastening cred, calls us a 2nd tier city and proceeds to BEG to go back to a time when it was okay to hate vaginas, the irony is more disappointing than offensive.
Fish Out of Water, a Chicago-based film seeking to further the current civil rights movement by addressing the bible and homosexuality, is the complete antithesis to Lady Bunny’s ignorance extravaganza. I’m not privy to the details that led to the fund raiser last night at Berlin, but Stardust and FOOW could not have been prepared. For sure, I love the work that Stardust does and Berlin Nightclub is my safe-bet good time, but by the time Lady Bunny was mid-through her show, all the women in the audience had left and I was ashamed to still be there. The work that we have put in to achieve a community that talks to itself, loves one another and educates the ignorant was willfully farted upon by a HAS BEEN, and you bet your ass I was booing and screaming until we cut that tired queen off the stage. Some were mumbling about elders, and the work that ol’ girl did with Wigstock, but you know what? THIS IS NOT THEN AND HAVE MOVED WAY PAST BEING STUPID, IGNORANT FAGGOTS. I don’t care if you are wearing a dress or wearing out your thrift store sneaks, if you identify as queer and make retard jokes or are willfully under-educated about gender theory, you are NOT fierce or funny and not deserving the respect and adoration of our up and coming baby-gays. We are currently [ ] this close to getting equality on the books for Gays and Lesbians, but not week goes by where I see people stare at and whisper about the tranny on the train. Infinitely more frustrating than correcting straights with their pronouns is telling a gay man that his male privilege is REAL.
Lady Bunny, take your nasty back to NYC, a place that’s anonymous enough and with sufficient cash to put up with your stank ass. Chicago doesn’t want you! Our community is learning to love each other and we don’t need you fucking it up with dated BULLSHIT. I’m glad we USED your name to raise some $$ for FOOW, but sorry to say that we gave you a platform.
