Edmonton, the river city, has many a dyke along its verdant North Saskatchewan River valley. The beloved riverboat, the Edmonton Queen, is an enduring symbol for Divas here; from Millie Woods to Beverley Crest. On a normal day these two entities, the Dyke and the Diva, co-exist; yet they rarely mingle in the same social circles.
But what happens when one crashes into the other at breakneck speed? A pan-glamorous annual charitable community drag show at Prism’s Lounge - that’s what!
“Dyke to Diva” has become quite the success since its start 3 years ago. The pageant-like event, where butch and lipstick lezzies alike are transformed into glittering gay glamour girls by their drag queen sisters, attracts all types of people from within the GLBTQ community to raise funds for charity.
“This is an awesome opportunity for the Queens and the Court to become part of Prism and the lesbian community as a whole,” says Prism co-owner Deborah Chymyshyn. “The gift of a drag mom and the mentorship they provide really helps the dykes feel at ease and have fun with the process.”
And what a process! After the grueling hours of make-up application, wigs, hairspray, push-up bras, pantyhose and killer heels, these otherwise sensibly dressed women feel the true pain a drag queen must endure every time she dons her gay apparel.
I remember when I helped out with Dyke to Diva II in 2006 as a drag mom with my daughter, Karen. The rehearsing seemed to be the toughest part, as I forced her way out of her comfort zones in regards to what she looked like, her clothing and the way she moved. From sexy butch to sultry bitch, that’s how we liked to put it. She ended up feeling really great about her sexy girly body and enjoyed the cleavage that occurred as a result of her trying something fun and new. We bonded and realized that each other’s lives weren’t as stereotypical as we would have thought previous to us meeting during this crazy gender-bender-twisting event.
Events like D2D are important because we make good friends and enjoy good times together, by celebrating each other as a whole community; whether you’re an audience member, a trangendered lesbian judge of Inuit descent, a drag queen who uses power tools to make head dresses, a sexy librarian lesbian who just discovered that she actually enjoys wearing pumps, or an overly dressed straight girlfriend. We realize how many things we have in common and learn about the things we might not otherwise experience.
And we can all agree that having fun in the name of charity is the best way to spend a night at a gay bar - other than your 18th birthday, where I’m sure most of us can’t remember that night anymore for different reasons. This year, the deserving cause is Camp fYrefly, the youth retreat created 4 years ago to help build kids’ confidence and help them to come out of their shells through various workshops, group activities, guest speakers, artistic expression and counseling. The weekend camp has grown to serve queer youth under 25 from all across the country, receiving much recognition and many accolades since its start. I had the pleasure of participating twice in the camp to talk about drag and perform a little bit for them; I was so happy to see such concerned and creative youth together in a positive space, sharing ideas, learning about and from each other. Camp fYrefly will start again at the end of July.
This year’s contestants are called Jo, Kim, and Tig; but if you want to find out their drag names, you’ll just have to come to Prism Lounge on November 18th. Leah Way and Prism co-owner Tracie Smith (AKA Wilma Fingerdo) are hosting, and perhaps we will have appearances from Dyke Diva II, Tina (AKA Glamazon) and Diva I, Terri. I hope they do because this year they’re doing things a little different, with a lingerie contest, and local ale maker Alley Kat Brewery is having a taste test! I suggest the apricot beer with the pussy on the front. Seriously divine.
Doors open at 7 o’clock, just in case you want to show up early to experience their famous finger licking good wings. This not-to-miss show starts at 10pm and all of the $8 cover goes to Camp fYrefly.
Dyke to Diva
November 18th
Door at 7pm, show at 10pm
Cover: $8

Prism Lounge
10524 101 Street, Edmonton
(780) 990-0038
www.prismbar.ca