This Week in Gay Hell

A personal note from Lady Whistledale.

Once upon a time I was younger. When that was happening I had a conversation once with my then 9 yo niece, and I asked her:

Were Satan all-deceptive, wouldn't his greatest success be convincing everyone he was God? Look at all the lemmings caught in that net!  She allowed, yes,  possible. 

Then I got old and while still an argument in my oeuvre, a shift on the concept Satan: not innately a bad guy, mostly a necessary component to create evil where none exists; it installs a binary on all things otherwise fluid, and everything is. It divides the full arc of the human experience into the reductive, one-dimensional good and evil, deciding which of the two are which. Satan is God, and God is Satan.

The part in that novel The Bible that says do not judge lest you be judged? 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣.

So now we are all puppets to the single most destructive force in this amazing and mysterious thing called life: organized religion. And the random assignation of what god does. Sometimes it's god's miracle! Other times shit happens. Never sure the deciding factor on either. 

Lots of sentiments this week about two amazing icons exiting earth before one not so presidential asshole. God's plan? What does this say about god, other than reiterate his evilness. What does it say about a god who takes love and soul before the singular horror of a life on a steady diet of Big Macs? Were there a god, all this could be argued. Fortunately there is not, but the damage persists. 

However you prefer to assign reason, the queer community is left with deep sadness this week anyway, losing two of its icons; one who loved as God intended and one who for so many of us was our childhood queer awakening.

If you've ever been to a Dolly Parton concert, and of course I have, the audience is as fascinating as the artist is amazing. Where else could you see this mashup of old school country fans - outfits to match - gay men and lesbians (outfits to match ) of all ages, and everyone  in-between. The full arc of us. No good, no evil, no judgement, everyone was welcome and present because they knew that. And of course Dolly. As good as heaven gets. 

Tim Curry had many roles but the one that lives in the queer community is Frank-N-Furter. And yes, many many years ago this queer child would make his weekly trek to the midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show, at least 25 Fridays while in high school. From a home ill prepared for a queer child, for 100 minutes out of 10080 per week I got to exists in this space of pure wonder and joy and toast and yelling and mayhem and fun judgement-free. 

Our Sweet Transvestite was bold, confident, unapologetic, and sexy AF. Men desired him, women desired him, pleasure guided him - all our god-given taste buds appreciated v. denied. 

Thank you, Dolly Parton. Thank you Tim Curry. You gave us permission to be. You stood with us where so few do, fully, wholly and in the true love God intended.  This Lady is grateful.

*It's only Wednesday. If you believe in the trifecta of death, with all your beautiful queer energy please channel those death rays eastward. Highway 1-40 E > I-81 N is the most direct route.