GENDERSUCKER FROM PAGE 5 more than wear a few silver bracelets or a rhinestone brooch. When I have analyzed the reasons for not getting into drag, I see that they were mont deeply connected with the foar of losing the power that "hutchness" gives you. Panculinity equals strength, is the equation of our tinos--howaver oppressive that concept 10--and I was not ready to outlaw myself run more than I had already by becoming a so-called "up-front faggot." Mornovor, drag had become an issue which had, to a cartain extent, divided the gay community, and I did not want to add to the confusion.

Then, one evening in oarly June, there was a goingaway party for a man named Jeff, the creative force bohind gay liberation in our city and a staunch exponent of drag. "Drag is the highost form of gay consciousness," he had once proclaimed in that way of saying things that always made you wonder whether he was merely putting you or or speaking a truly profound truth.

In many ways Jeff had been a mentor to me (as he had to several others), and I had a feeling of having let Jeff down overall bocause in the nearly a year of my activism, I had not gotten into drag.

was very dull (which it was) and wondering what I could do to liven it up. Suddenly, I saw how I could kill two birds with one stoner Get into drag I found Tiffy, one of the persons who lived in the house and whose room, I know, was filled with wigs and makeup and dresses, and whispered to him my plan.

"That's groat," ho aquaal od in delight.

We scampered upstairs, followed by two other porsons who had been drawn by their curiority. The four of us started dressing up.

The energies va built up were tremendous. If you've over been in a drossing-room before a theatrical produetion, you'll know what I'm talking about. When we paraded downstairs through the party, the energies were transmitted to everyone thoro. From a funeral, it went to a riotous celebration.

I was wearing a wig with tumbling frosted trosses, a black Pierre Cardin, cocktail dress (bought from a junk shop), and red patent leather pumps. With my make-up, I looked like conabody's fantary of a streetwalker in. Buenos Aires. I felt pooltively beautiful.

Jeff boamed at me in both appreciation and approbation. I had graduated.

Lavender Stars.p/Pare 15/May 19

of my linery, Gazing at mynolf in a mirror, I felt a welling in my chest, and I heard myself saying, "y God, I want to die in drag1"

Roll the calendar shoad now to July, to Miami Beach and the great Democratic national convention. It is the evening of the demonstration by all the groups there in front of convention conter. I am there as part of the gay liberation contigent and boforo ratioml and international press, senior citizons and radioal youth, tourists from the orth and rofugees from Cuba, Women's groups and Josus freaks, I am doing drag,

All along the parade route to the demonstration, I am prancing; and dancing in an ico-blue silk-matin 1950 ball-gown (reputed to have belonged to Mamie Eisonhovor) and my water buffalo sandals. y wig of black organza rosos flutters in the breeze.

At the demonstration site I caper and sing. A diminutive Miami rative, a tante wrinkled woman with a Bronx accent, come up to me and says, "You look really beautiful, you know, but why don't you shave off your moustache so you'd really look like a woman?"

"But I don't want to look like a woman," I answer, and

4230 th sing on the party over, the party was final-I fool out the more for

thinking that the party ly over, I hated to get out the obvious confusion and

consternation that that statement creates in her.

I wish I could explain to hor, as I have wished to explain to so many others, that for me, drag--or whatover you want to call it is a way of transcending the really rather limiting catagories of masculinity/femininity, of maniforting, showing forth one's true rature, which is that of a child of the universegenderless child. The duality represonted by our concepts of, on one and, "man," and at the other, "worar," re raya, the veil of illusion. In truth, we are people--or more than that, unindividualized, unlifferentiatod parts of the unifom fabric of the coumos. hr that is what I try to express.

Kiami was not the high point in my experiences an a gonderfucker. Each tire I get up in something more than what is sartorially sanctioned, I have a high. One learns so much--sbout others, shout oneself, about the society we all live in. Drag offers such an enlightening perspective on things. As Joanna holewhoa therrien once romarkod:

"You can learn more from three minutes of wearing a drose than you can from lifetime of wearing bin overalls."

David Treadwell

Monday-Sunday 1PM-2:30AM Sunday Liquor Sales

Drinks and Dancing

A Party a Month

Don't Forget the Famous Kismet Picnic, July 29, Valley Ranch, 8802 W. Broad St.

Kismet Lounge

232 NORTH THIRD STREET

COLUMBUS, OHIO TELEPHONE: 225-9460