Check out this throwback article from intern Fatima Cruz!
Written By Fatima Cruz, CityHeART Creative Connect Intern
I was sitting at home reading Hector Tobar’s Our Migrant Souls for one of my Chicano Studies courses when one of the words on the page caught my eye. The last word I expected to see on the page was drag. Drag was in reference to a Queer theatrical performance involving over-the-top fashion and lip syncing. They compared drag as something “radical” within the Queer community. The author mentions how other communities should follow the Queer community’s example with how unapologetic we are of our “radical” culture. I can see the author’s perspective given that the Queer community often isn’t accepted in many spaces and it can potentially be dangerous to even express ourselves.
However, I myself love drag and see it as a part of my everyday life. I forget that not everyone thinks the same. That what I consider normal is what another person considers “radical.”
— Fatima Cruz
I guess the reason this perspective stood out to me so much is because I had just attended a drag event in Long Beach over the weekend. I was attending a friend’s birthday dinner at Hamburger Mary’s. Despite the fact that it was Beetlejuice themed night, (I have never watched Beetlejuice), I was having the time of my life. I loved watching the queens dance across the room, collecting their dollar bills, as they lip-synced their hearts out to Chappell Roan’s Hot To Go. I was only fueled by the energy in the room as everyone cheered, laughed, and sang along with the queens.
Just earlier that week, I had attended a Drag Loteria event hosted through CSULB’s Outober. When I saw the flyer promoting the event, I knew I had to attend. It was the best of both worlds, incorporating Latino and Queer culture. I enjoyed being able to play loteria, the Latino version of bingo, while drag queens busted out jokes as they called out the cards. Not to mention my excitement in seeing a drag queen lip-sync to Selena Quintanilla’s songs. Being in Queer spaces never fails to make me safe and at home.
Being in touch with my identities makes me more in tune with myself and I hope it brings you the same peace as well. So spend time with your community, your people, your loved ones. Acknowledge how beautiful and powerful your communities are. How radical is it to live your truth. So yes, my Queer community is radical. Maybe others would consider my love for a drag Beetlejuice musical parody as weird. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you’re interested in delving deeper into the world of Drag in local areas of Long Beach, I would recommend visiting Hamburger Mary’s or Bo-beau kitchen + roof tap! Hamburger Mary’s, an American bar & grill, features Drag show events all month long with admission starting at $20. Bo-beau kitchen + roof tap, a French restaurant, has Drag brunches on select Saturdays with admission starting at $10. Who knows, maybe I’ll see you there!