Boston Uncommon vol. 1 / no. 9
Vogue workshop and Pamela Manderson
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: Local organization comments on ‘unethical‘ Boston Pride Board and encourages boycott
Make sure to STAY ON TOP OF THIS: Emerson College Intercultural Affairs hosts vogue panel and workshop with London Escada
Check in with our COMPETING STREAM QUEENS: New digital drag competition Now Serving reveals last four contestants
And stop to think— WHAT IS BOSTON DRAG?: Pamela Manderson discusses finding her place in the alternative scene
BIG STORY: Local organization comments on ‘unethical‘ Boston Pride Board and encourages boycott
The push to boycott this year’s Boston pride festivities is an effort that began as early as 2015 with the WickedPissed Protest in which 12 activists stopped the annual Boston Pride Parade for 11 minutes in honor of transgender lives lost that year.
The small group of activists called on Boston Pride to stop prioritizing anti-LGBT+ corporations in parade planning, diversify its board of directors, and make the parade more accessible to small businesses— the same demands being made by various organizations currently boycotting 2021 Pride events.
One of those organizations, The Network/LA Red, is social justice group that advocates for victims of abuse. TNLR Co-Executive Director Sabrina Santiago noted how the actions of the pride board resemble that of an abuser.
“The power that Boston pride has, they don't wield in an ethical way. It is reminiscent of the way abusers use power over their partners,” Santiago explained. “As a board [they] make decisions about what pride looks like, who it represents…It is an inappropriate use of that power.”
Though small adjustments have been made, Santiago is skeptical any real change will occur.
“Significant feedback has been given multiple times,” Santiago said. “Not seeing a change or seeing changes that feel insincere or incomplete…it [is all] too little too late…We really don't believe there’s a commitment to the work.”
STAY ON TOP OF THIS: Emerson College Intercultural Affairs hosts vogue panel and workshop with London Escada
On a rainy Sunday afternoon, a small group of Emerson community members gathered in front of their tiny Zoom cameras for a panel, vogue workshop, and conversation with London Escada of the ballroom House of Escada.
Coordinated by Emerson College Intercultural Student Affairs’ Tamia Jordan and the Haus of Emerson, the panel covered topics ranging from vogue history and ballroom terminology to cultural appropriation and the whitewashing of queer spaces.
London led afternoon’s dance workshop, demonstrating the five elements of vogue, and the event concluded in a casual conversation where house members reminisced about their first time competing in a ballroom.
As one house member put it, “you [could] feel the joy radiating from the screen.“
COMPETING STREAM QUEENS: New digital drag competition Now Serving reveals last four contestants
Weekly, I spotlight queer creators who are streaming on Twitch amid shifting COVID-related restrictions on nightlife. This week, I have chosen to spotlight The Serve Network’s new show Now Serving and the last four cast members to be revealed. The competition starts April 6 and will stream every other Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.
Chris Griandher - San Juan, PR - he/they
A ghoul king, Chris Griandher is coming to Now Serving to show off a side of Griandher that has never been seen before. “I am here to not only be challenged by my competitors but also to face myself…and to grow away from my comfort zone,” Griandher said.
Salem Moon - Euless, TX - she/her
Salem Moon is ready to bring something unique to Now Serving through her unique digital drag talents. “[I am the] cross between a punk rock princess, your dancing diva, and your live-singing mistress…I bring a lot of creativity…camp, horror, fantasy, all into one little drag ball,” Moon said.
Obsidienne Obsurd - Toronto, Ontario - they/he
A creative bedroom queen, Obsidienne Obsurd has taken their weirdness and put it into their drag. “I think that people like me, a little trans boy newly out of the closet…doing drag that doesn’t really fit into [gender] categories, that sort of resides in like alien territory, [in] a competition setting is fierce,” Obsurd said.
Sir.Donyx - Philadelphia, PA - they/them
The chaotic, animated rainbow of Philadelphia, Sir.Donyx is here, queer, and ready to compete. “I’m bored as fuck, unemployed, and I have nothing else better to do but put makeup on, make costumes, and post them on Instagram,” Sir.Donyx said.
WHAT IS BOSTON DRAG?: Pamela Manderson discusses finding her place in the alternative scene
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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When questioning Boston-based makeup artist and drag queen Pamela Manderson about what exactly characterizes Boston drag, she immediately named those who currently define the alt scene: Binx for her unique drag style, Violencia’s lip-sync performance talent, and Severity Stone for her custom spectacular headpieces.
Though she doesn’t consider her drag style to be representative of Boston drag, Pamela has had no trouble breaking into queer spaces or pioneering her own.
