The Stonewall Riots are considered a watershed moment in the gay liberation movement, their central demand was the right to live openly without fear of being arrested for their sexual orientation or gender identity. The following days were punctuated by a series of spontaneous LGBT+ protests, activist groups formed within weeks and the first gay pride marches took place a year later. In the early hours of June 28 1969, patrons fought back when police became violent at the Stonewall Inn. Donning exaggerated makeup, Milstead parodied the refined feminine look many drag queens aspired to embody 4, which undoubtedly ruffled a few feathers in the drag community 5.Īt the time, police raids on gay bars were common. Waters described attendees as wanting, “to look like their mothers.” 3 Growing tired of this scene, Milstead began rebelling against the more conservative traditions of ‘60s drag culture by wearing revealing clothing that would show off his weight. By all accounts they were more reminiscent of high tea parties blended with beauty pageants. The drag parties they attended were quite different to those we’d associate with drag culture today. Lochary was an important friend and mentor to Milstead, helping him get his start in drag by teaching him how to dress, apply makeup and develop a drag persona. Milstead travelled regularly to New York to frequent underground drag parties with David Lochary. As a child, Milstead moved into the same neighbourhood as John Waters, but the two wouldn’t become friends until their late teens. The Girl Next Door, Almostĭivine was born Harris Glen Milstead on 19 October, 1945 in Baltimore Maryland to two upper middle class conservative Baptists. That fateful viewing inspired me to delve into the mysterious depths of underground cinema, of which I have yet to emerge from. This unique and passionate performance made me forget that neither he, nor anyone else in the film, was a trained actor. He had such a command over the camera, looking at once intimidating and glamorous. Over the next 90 minutes I was both mortified and mesmerised at what I was watching, totally captivated by Divine. I was well versed in horror, but keen to acquaint myself with these flamboyant flamingos. Like any good Catholic school student, I was speechless when a fellow student introduced me to the Pope of Trash and his disciple Divine. Much to the surprise of Waters and Divine, this brown stained bow that ties off the film catapulted the director and his leading star from the gutters of Baltimore into the echelons of cult stardom. Divine, a drag performer hailed by Waters as the “most beautiful woman in the world”, 2 closes out the film with a literal shit eating grin as he joyfully eats a handful of fresh dog faeces while staring down the camera. It featured a slew of transgressive scenes including chicken decapitation mid-sex scene and a contortionist known to this day only by the name ‘The Singing Anus’. The film in question is American filmmaker John Waters’ breakout film, Pink Flamingos (1972), which was billed as an “exercise in poor taste”. – Divine, Mondo Trasho (John Waters, 1969)įifty years ago, in 1972, a film was released that was so repugnant the director handed out vomit bags before each screening 1. 7 March 1988, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A 19 October 1945, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.Aĭ.
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