BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Ascot around neck, cigarette in hand, lips pursed in close proximity to the rim of a stiff cocktail, uncompromisingly outspoken gay bar denizen Buddy Cole made his bones as a monologue-delivering mainstay, during the televised run of iconic sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall—whose wonderfully eccentric, character-driven work was […]
Self-described “Model/Actress/Mattress” (and recording artist) Willam had a number of credible credits before securing a place in pop culture’s drag pantheon, as the only contestant (thus far) to sashay away from RuPaul’s Drag Race via disqualification (2012’s Season 4). Before ever entering the Drag Race workroom, Willam portrayed transgender character Cherry Peck, on Nip/Tuck. Last […]
BY SCOTT STIFFLER | Forget, for a moment, about that Season 3 RuPaul’s Drag Race win. Look beyond the way she looks (a tall order, because she’s always stunning). Put aside her gift for tossing truth-telling bon mots that stick the landing and leave the audience in stitches. Even in the absence of those calling […]
PHOTO ESSAY BY DANIEL KWAK | At RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019 (Sept. 6-8 at the Javits Center) Chelsea Community News is made possible with the help of our awesome advertisers, and the support of our readers. If you like what you see, please consider taking part in our GoFundMe campaign (click here). To make a direct […]
BY CHARLES BATTERSBY | RuPaul’s DragCon NYC (Sept. 6-8 at the Javits Center) is in it’s third year, and attendees mostly know what to expect: meet-and-greets with drag queens who’ve appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and booths hawking products and services for drag queens (or civilians trying get the drag queen look). Each year a […]
Those attending RuPaul’s DragCon NYC (Sept. 6-8 at the Javits Center) will be steeping themselves in a delicious brew of the best and brightest queens from the RuPaul’s Drag Race pantheon. Live performances, meet-and-greets, and an exhibit hall packed with tempting merch await—but the Con celebrates more than the present state of drag artistry. One […]
BY SCOTT STIFFLER | As legend has it, the extraterrestrial entity-cum-enigmatic entertainer known as Alaska (or, more formally, Alaska Thunderf*ck 5000) fell to Earth in March 1996, when “a bizarre cosmic collision” shot her spaceship into a remote part of America’s 49th state. That vast, rugged, often inhospitable landscape—and the pioneer spirit of those who […]
BY SCOTT STIFFLER | “I’ll be showing up and showing out, like I always do,” promised recent RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) contestant Plastique Tiara, of her upcoming area appearance as a newly minted “Ru Girl.” The Vietnam-born, Dallas, Texas-based glamour gal, whose “cheap but luxurious” stage name was inspired by the My Little Pony character […]
BY SCOTT STIFFLER | The walls of a new coffeehouse located on a marquee corner of Chelsea are providing patrons with a window into the world of LGBTQ+ activism, as documented by the disciplined, discerning, empathetic eye of Donna Aceto. The lead photographer for AIDS Walk New York (as well as Los Angeles and San […]
BY SCOTT STIFFLER | “The show must, and will, go on,” says RuPaul’s Drag Race royalty, Latrice Royale—specifically, in response to news that her clothing, wigs, and performance accouterments are nowhere to be found, and it’s perilously close to showtime. But besides saving her bacon in that specific situation, this tried and true trooper’s mantra […]