I began Post Apocalyptic Bohemia with the idea of setting my story in print, well, in cyber-print. Before I go to that big Green Room on the other side, waiting for my next entrance, sure of my lines, I wanted to tell my story.
Besides anecdotes from my nearly 60 years of life so far (did I tell you that I once had sex in the back of a limo with a major show biz figure or that while living in LA, I got drunk in a Tiki themed lounge & 10 hours later I woke up in Hawaii?), I have been celebrating famous gay people on their birthday, & the birthdays of the figures that gay people love, because I believe that in a few generations there will no longer be Gay-ness. I wish to get my story told & I also want to get our story down.
When homo haters are at their most irrational, I always want to ask if they really want a world without: Leonard Bernstein, Jasper Johns, Michelangelo, Tennessee Williams, Rock Hudson, King James I, Virginia Woolf, Socrates, Lord Byron, Walt Whitman, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Cole Porter, Tchaikovsky, Eleanor Roosevelt, Elton John, or James Dean? Probably… religious fundamentalists & assorted other bigots lack reasoning & imagination.
I have been pondering the individuals The Gays give their collective hearts to, asking myself- what makes a Gay Icon or What Becomes A Legend Most?
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on this day, 65 years ago. I love Dolly Parton. I love her big voice, her big hair, & her big boobs.
I also admire her. She’s passionate about early childhood education, & has done amazing work to give kids who are born in her Appalachian Hills a good start in life with the Dollywood Foundation, which runs the Imagination Library, providing children a new book every month until their 5th birthdays.
Parton is an outspoken proponent of women’s rights. A Christian, like Tammy Faye, she seems to have actually read the Bible & gets the message of the life of Jesus. She supports gay rights & same sex marriage, & has appeared on the cover of Out. Her production company, Sandollar Productions, which she started with her longtime manager/business partner/close friend- Sandy Gallin, an openly gay man, chose as its first project the 1989 Oscar winning documentary about the making of the AIDS quilt- Common Threads.
Drag Queens adore Parton, which is the highest compliment a human being can hold. The wigs, the costumes, the trashy makeup, the over-the-top, larger-than-life hair, & we still believe her sure-enough sweetness & love.
She built a Dolly Parton-themed theme park. I want a Steve theme park- SteveTown!, a place with Mary Jane tasting rooms, whiskey & pizza bars, a Daniel Craig ride & Steve singing songs on the Steve Stage every night . Every evening at twilight, Steve ascends to the top of the Magic Castle with a baby pink spot light following him.
Parton Is Fabulous, & fabulous come from self-invention. This is what the Old Style, Pre-Stonewall Gays cherish, getting kicked in the balls & then having the genius & artistry to remake yourself into a fabulous creature. Don’t you think Dolly Parton fits the bill? She is a Coat Of Many Colors, from her style to her stylish struggle against adversity & prejudice, plus her unabashed sexuality.
Do you think of Dolly Parton as a Gay Icon? What is your favorite Parton project? I am still over the moon for the Trio Albums with Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt.
I love 'Little Sparrow'. I really wish Dolly would come out. What a difference that would make. A very real conversation could begin.
ReplyDeleteHow can one put into words how much Miss Parton epitomises the word "Camp"?
ReplyDeleteAnd if you believe that "in a few generations there will no longer be Gay-ness", I really don't think you understand the fact there will always be icons (worthy or not) with whom gay people - of a certain type, maybe - will identify.
Dolly is one of the best! Jx
First of all, I want to come to opening day of Steve-Town, but you have to promise you'll have a Chris Evans ride and a really good rollercoaster.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I adore Dolly, even if I'm not particularly a fan of her music. Loved her in "9 to 5" and love that she says if she had been born a man, she would have probably been a drag queen. I also love that she loves her her gay fans. Every so-called "Gay Icon" loves his or her gay fans. That's good enough for me.
Thank you for asking, because my favorite project was Dolly playing a Steel Magnolia in the film, until I learned from your post about the "common threads" doc.
ReplyDeleteDolly is an icon because she likes to be bold, dresses and looks over-the-top, and she is so sweet and believable down-to-earth. It all equals fabulous!
ReplyDeleteAnd, your comment, ". . . religious fundamentalists & assorted other bigots lack reasoning & imagination." I'll just say, amen!