Boston Uncommon vol. 1 / no. 11
GLASS, trivia, Nostalgia, and Linda
CW // Police violence
Boston Uncommon is a weekly newsletter covering Boston-based drag, burlesque, cabaret, sex work, and various forms of queer nightlife. By engaging authentically and openly with the community of people who work and play within Boston’s in-person and digital queer spaces, we hope to report on the issues and events that affect them and their lives.
In this week’s edition of Boston Uncommon I:
Cover a BIG STORY: Boston GLASS provides free health services for queer youth of color
Make sure to STAY ON TOP OF THIS: New York Times reports on Missy Steak’s Drag Queen Trivia
Check in with our STREAM QUEEN: Patty Bourrée talks digital show and Master’s thesis “Toxic Nostalgia”
And stop to think— WHAT IS BOSTON DRAG?: Linda Marie Póssa on connecting to a diverse community of performers
BIG STORY: Boston GLASS provides free health services for queer youth of color
Boston GLASS, the LGBT+ health and human services department of the Justice Resource Institue, updated their virtual offerings for queer/POC youth earlier this year. In light of the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a BCPD officer in Minn. on April 11 (11 miles from the site of the murder of George Floyd almost a year prior,) I will be highlighting GLASS’s new services and others in the Boston area that specifically aid people of color.
Individual Therapy for LGBTQ+ youth of color ages 13-25 in the Greater Boston area. Free. No insurance needed
In-Person Testing, PrEP, and Treatment services for LGBTQ+ youth of color ages 18-29. In-person testing appointments are available every Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. by appointment only
Health Navigation and Support for LGBTQ+ youth of color ages 13-29, including health insurance assistance, medication adherence, HDAP, PrEPDAP, information about HIV/STI testing.
Other Services
COVID-19 Mutual Aid Fund organized by a small group in early 2020 prioritizes queer, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people of color.
QTPOC Artists & Youth Relief Fund 2.0: The Theater Offensive fund provides temporary financial relief to Boston-area QTPOC performing artists. TTO is offering $250 grants with a $10,000 fund.
Resources for MA LGBTQIA+ Youth During COVID-19 compiled by Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.
BAGLY's POC Meeting is a Zoom social-support group for LGBTQ+ youth of color ages 22 and under to discuss topics related to identity.
Compiled list of Boston-Area GSM/POC friendly therapists created by Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.
STAY ON TOP OF THIS: New York Times reports on Missy Steak’s Drag Queen Trivia
Since pandemic-related event cancellations began, venues have been replacing their popular live events with digital ones, notably trivia, as the New York Times reports.
The Times specifically covers Boston drag performer Missy Steak who began hosting bi-monthly Drag Queen Trivia at A4Arcade in April 2019. Though COVID restrictions forced the show’s temporary hiatus, Missy plans to pick back up as venues allow.
“Hosting trivia combines all of my favorite things; hearing myself talk, being right, and…learning new things,” Missy said for Boston Uncommon.
Steak notes she is not surprised trivia has been so popular over the last year.
“Misinformation has been practically weaponized against us,” Missy explains. “Trivia is about truth, and the truth can be very comforting…It’s nice for like-minded folks to have an outlet to celebrate truth.”
STREAM QUEEN: Patty Bourrée talks “Toxic Nostalgia” and thesis project
Shortly after moving to Boston to pursue her MFA in Theater Education and Applied Theater at Emerson College, Patty Bourrée started drag, fusing academic and performance work through her study of community-engaged theater practices.
“I wanted my thesis project to tie my academic persona to my drag persona,” Patty explained. “Drag is…both a hyper-individualized practice and a form of community building and activism. I wanted “Toxic Nostalgia” to represent [that].”
Inspired by the live concert recordings of albums like Bette Midler: Live At Last and Judy and Liza at the Palladium, Patty’s most recent show and thesis project “Toxic Nostalgia” follows her through an apocalyptic event of which she is the sole survivor.
“I’ve gotten a lot more ambitious with the kinds of stories I want to tell with drag,” Patty said. “It’s…been a very introspective year. I wanted to bring some of the thoughts and feelings that have come up to the surface to drag performance.”
WHAT IS BOSTON DRAG?: Linda Marie Póssa on connecting to a diverse community of performers
Through my reporting on Boston queer nightlife, I have noticed a general lack of coverage on local drag industries and the performers and culture that define nightlife, particularly in New England. “What is Boston Drag?” is a space for local performers and community members to explore and understand their own regional culture.
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Linda Marie Póssa started doing drag a year ago and continues to find her place within Boston’s queer community and the diverse range of performers that have welcomed her and her drag into the scene.
