Bill Monroe and Mark Mees: The Drag and Leather Communities

Bill Monroe, drag artist, and Mark Mees, Celebration ’90 Executive Director talk about the activist and fundraising histories of the LGBTQ2S+ drag and leather communities and their importance to Celebration ’90.

Monroe [in character as Queen Elizabeth II]: “In 1982, I was asked by the Men’s Chorus to go down and perform as the Queen. It was at the Gayla for the Choruses. Now whether this had anything to do with Tom Waddell and his “thought” I have no idea. The onslaught of A.I.D.S. and the fundraising abilities of all the drag and sort of eccentric community has I think taken away a sort of stigma which we were given not only by the straight community but by our own gay community.”

[Drag performance at Phantasia! of the song “Cell Block Tango”]

Performer 1: “You pop that gum one more time!”

Performer 2: “You read my mind.”

Performer 3: “Ten times!”

Mees: “The drag and leather community have been at the forefront of gay rights and gay activism. Especially you look at events, such as Stonewall, they were the people who were leading the battle for gay rights. As well, particularly in the Vancouver community (music starts) the leather and the drag community have done a tremendous of fundraising for us and I think we have to recognize that. And you cannot exclude those people – they are people just like anyone else who make up the diverse mix of the lesbian and gay communities so therefore I think it was incumbent on us to include them within our celebration and provide various venues for them to participate.”

(music ends)

Monroe: “We all expected to be pushed aside after they had the money, naturally, and I’m most pleased they decided to have this function tonight, and I hope it’s well attended. It’s always been like ‘Raise the money, and it was very nice, but don’t wear a dress when we’re going to give it out.’ Well, those days are gone forever.”