A camera persons reflections
Jesus did not wear pants
I just have to weigh in on this because the GOP is now making so much noise about Drag Queens, gender fluid, non-binary & trans people. They seem to need a “boogie” person (spelling on purpose). I hate to tell them but Jesus did not wear pants. No man did until about the 6th century and that was to make horseback riding easier. It wasn’t until the 16th & 17th centuries that “gender” really started to enter into clothing. And a lot of what French men were wearing would still be considered very feminine by recent standards…including wigs and makeup. So then we get to the mid 1800’s and early 1900’s and women had to fight to be able to wear pants. It took movie stars in Hollywood to make it fashionable….and then working in WWII factories made it practical. Now, back to men in dresses. Divine did not invent “drag queens”. The term “DRAG” probably was coined during Shakespeare’s time when no women were allowed to act on stage…so guys had to do those parts. “Shakespeare in Love” is a beautiful telling of the tale. Name an actor since the dawn of cinema and it’s hard to find one who has not played at least one drag role. So what’s the big deal? In our Native American cultures people who are identified as “Two Spirit” are revered, not shunned or cast out. Considering the drag photos of GOP legislators that are popping up, maybe they should just keep this bigoted, hypocritical train in the station. Take a walk on the wild side and calm down. A few years ago I did an impression of Helen Bentley as part of a gala fundraiser for the Baltimore National Heritage Area, titled “History is a drag”. I interviewed people on the red carpet coming in. Helen was known for her bawdy language and we had a blast. The only downside is the shoes were killing me. Helen was a GOP Congressperson…and she had more balls than most of her male colleagues. Maybe it’s time to bring “Helen of Port” out of retirement…??? It’s sad that my good friend Janet Caslow is not still with us to portray Mayor Don Schaefer.
