By Darren Mcvey
One year ago, I wrote my most infamous column to date. The column criticized the University of Louisville’s hosting of PINK 2008, an amateur drag showed produced by LGBT student organization commonGround.
Wading through the flood of hate-mail and personal attacks that followed, I learned some valuable lessons; mostly colorful language that I was unfamiliar with, but also that a writer must be careful with words and clear with ideas or he will be misunderstood.
Hopefully this year I will be more careful and clear than the last.
After the 2008 column was published, I received an email from a member of the university faculty inviting me to attend the next year’s PINK with him and a group of other faculty members. I declined the invitation initially because I thought PINK would be an event where some nice, friendly people would watch a talent show where the contestants were men wearing dresses and wigs. Not really my ideal Friday night. After some conviction however, I took him up on the offer so I could get a more accurate picture of what I was writing about.
With honest disappointment I must report that PINK was pretty much what I expected.
I did meet some truly beautiful people. Among the finest was Brian Buford, director of the LGBT offices. Brian went out of his way to welcome me and make me comfortable without the condescension or patronizing with which a few treated me and my fiancée.
However, with apologies to all the drag queens and stagehands who worked so hard, I found the show boring more than anything. I never saw a drag show before, but I thought it was cross-dressers singing and dancing and exhibiting other talents. I was let down to see that PINK consisted of cross-dressers dancing like strippers, lip-synching to Beyonce and Britney Spears, and stashing dollar bills from the audience into their bras.
My primary objection to PINK was the lack of artistic merit.
My fiancée, on the other hand had much greater objections to the event. She felt offended by the portrayal of women by the drag queens. She contested that they objectify women and make a mockery of feminine sexuality.
I see her point although it didn’t strike me initially, but it begs the rhetorical question; how is the stripper at Thoroughbreds any different from the drag queen at PINK save anatomy and venue.
I left the show last night with my objections hardened and my expectations let down.
I still object to having the event on campus. Not only is it inappropriate in sexual content, but it is devoid of artistic or cultural merit. If commonGround wanted to make true strides toward helping LGBT students and opening dialogue with straight ones, I suggest replacing or coupling PINK 2010 with an exhibit on the history of gay struggles or a legitimate discussion about the real issues of gender and sexuality. We have much more to learn from the likes of W.H. Auden than from the likes of RuPaul.
