comment
from June 2008

So another birthday beckons and another grey hair appears... ah well, the beauty of being a drag queen is that I have the excuse to cake myself in make-up and wear wigs without a hint of silver! It’s amazing what three layers of foundation trowelled on will cover up, and it’s so much cheaper than botox.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve always said that I’ll go under the knife at some point and get some work done, but for now Avon’s eyelife, Boots’ acid face peel and cucumber moisturiser seem to be keeping back the worst ravages of time. Like most people the prospect of becoming ‘OLD’ doesn’t exactly fill me with joy but neither would I want to be 18 again. The pressures that we as a society put on young people today seem immense. We seem to expect everyone to have their lives mapped out in front of them by the time they start their GCSE’s and don’t allow them the time to experience life.

I know that personally I am only just beginning to hit my stride in terms of who I am, self-confidence and general awareness of the world around me and my role in it. Is it fair to expect anyone to have any idea about who they are before they have the chance to discover it for themselves? I feel like I should be sitting in a creaky old rocking chair with a blanket over my knees typing this on a rusty old typewriter. Anyway, if anyone wants to help me celebrate another wrinkle and failing eyesight we’re doing a drag-y-oke charity night at The Viaduct on June 9th, come in your best party frock!

Talking of drag events, this year’s Leeds Pride will see a world record attempt. We are trying to break the Guinness world record for drag queens in a chorus line. This was won by Gran Canaria this summer and now stands at 74. That doesn’t seem like that many does it? I’ve set up a Facebook group with all the details and they’ll also be on the updated Pride website at www.leedspride.com

June also means that all the local Pride events are that much closer. The organising teams around Yorkshire will be feeling that annual schizoid panic about now, that feeling of excitement that another one is coming mixed with abject horror that the time is just slipping away and there’s still so much to do. There is still time to get involved in your local event: just contact the team and see what you can do to help. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been involved before or what your skills are, every one of the teams could use an extra pair of hands.

Anyhow I’m off to smother myself in cold cream and Yak placenta (great for the skin!) - enjoy the sun.

Anna Glypta

No Yaks were hurt in the making of Anna Glypta’s face and birthday gifts of vodka or sparkly things in small boxes are gratefully received!