Friday, February 28, 2003

Andy just posted the B-52's song Give Me Back My Man, which always takes me back to Mobile Alabama, spring of 1982. My first boyfriend, a hairdresser, and his 3 drag queen best friends. We spent all our time at the Hard Act, this gay bar that had just opened (the night I met the bf, my Members Only jacket got stolen). The club had drag shows, mostly the usual "Over The Rainbow" and other wailing diva-ish stuff. I'm sure I've written about this before. It wasn't much my thing, but having a bf twice as hairy as me, and the chance to get off campus to do my drinking and dope-smoking was enuf of an excuse to hang out. But it was the older of the 3 drag queens who got me to begin to appreciate the drag queens (typical sitcom types - one older, wiser, quieter one - the other 2 always listened attentively when she spoke; one obnoxious bigoted boisterous one; and my fave, the sweet one who was saving money for "the operation" while putting herself thru secretary school) She's the one who suprised me one night coming out on stage with hair about 3 stories high as the opening notes of Give Me Back My Man blasted from the speakers - strutting around like mad, and I swear she had a plastic fish that she threw at the unknowing and mostly "uncool" audience as she lip synced "i'll give you fish" - and I was in heaven!