Ah, 1993: Pride's 'Year of the Queer' (Thanks, Ggreg Taylor!), the March on Washington, the dawn of the Clinton era (and Don't Ask, Don't Tell), continued AIDS deaths and resultant obits made for losses amid wins.
In Arts, David Drake's The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me made its Bay Area debut (April 8), while Last Call at Maud's documented the demise of a historic lesbian bar (Feb. 4), and my own calendar listings took on arty collage style in old-time photostat paste-ups (Feb 19).
In nightlife, Gus Bean's Colossus debuted on New Year's Eve to popular attendance (Jan 7).
But perhaps the most visually striking lead Arts feature of 1993 showcased the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, in the April 15 issue. Tim Farrell wrote about the drag nun collective being banned from the March on Washington's stage for being "too controversial and not the appropriate image" for C-Span and 'the movement.'
The late Sister X assailed the March's "conservative gay white boys" and posed in Beth Kukucka's photo, Death of the Angels.
"We're going to Washington, but on whose terms?" asked Sister X. "Clinton is willing to embrace gay people, but is it on his terms?"
Sister Vicious Power Hungry Bitch added, "A token drag queen performing onstage as eye candy and comic relief is not a commitment to the visibility of the transgender and queer community and their issues."
That controversy of assimilation versus radical queer identity continues.
Help keep the Bay Area Reporter going in these tough times. To support local, independent, LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.