Hello darlings! It's your favourite pink tutu-wearing time traveller Emma, back with another fabulous post from my blog www.pink-tutu.com! This month, we're jetting back to August 1976, and let me tell you, this is a year overflowing with fabulous drag happenings. Get ready for some serious history lessons, and, as always, get your tutus ready because it's time to get fierce!
As you all know, my life's work (apart from looking utterly divine, of course) is to get everyone wearing a pink tutu. It's my mission, my passion, and it fuels my love for travelling through time. It's no secret, this passion is paid for by performing at the most exquisite drag shows, both in our present day and in these historic periods. Each month, the money I make in my sparkling drag career keeps my magical pink tutu going, sending me on thrilling time-travel adventures!
So, darling readers, let's travel back to a summery August in 1976! Where are we going? To New York City! The iconic city that never sleeps, a city dripping in fabulous drag history. Imagine, this was the year that The Cockettes, an avant-garde, psychedelic drag troupe, ended their incredible run! This radical, outrageous group started way back in 1969, and they truly broke barriers with their drag, merging theatre, music, and the sheer boldness of expressing themselves freely. These pioneers of drag, with their flamboyant style, truly deserve all the kudos, they really laid the groundwork for us to be who we are today. You simply had to see their legendary shows at The Palace Theater!
If you’re on a bit of a tighter budget (as us fabulous queens often are!) – fret not! The famous Stonewall Inn was already an icon in 1976, and if you found yourself in Greenwich Village, it was the place to be! Now, imagine this: the vibrant New York nightlife, filled with drag performances, laughter, and fabulous individuals finding their true selves!
What was I wearing for my trip to New York? Well, darling, it’s a secret, of course, but let me just say, it involved a fluffy pink tutu, complete with a sparkly, emerald green sequinned bodice and feather boa, because darling, in 1976, bigger was truly better!
Remember my advice darlings, whenever you find yourselves traveling through time, do a bit of local drag history research. It’s a fabulous way to immerse yourselves in a specific era, and you’ll never know what you might find! Remember, in the 1970s, things were getting more bold, and the drag scene was becoming an amazing hub for expression, creativity and freedom.
Now, to complete our history trip through 1976, we need to venture further afield, to the charming city of Nottingham in England! As much as I love travelling the world, nothing beats my home country. It was August 1976 and we were right in the midst of “The Great Heatwave", when people were soaking up the sun, and a sense of celebration was definitely in the air. You could probably catch some of this celebratory vibe in the Nottingham's thriving drag scene! In those days, there were only a handful of pubs that hosted drag shows. But darling, you couldn’t tell me those shows were any less amazing, filled with pure energy and fantastically flamboyant performances.
I know, my darlings, you must be itching to hear about what’s happening in 2023! The world of drag has changed so much since 1976, with platforms like RuPaul’s Drag Race dominating the cultural scene. Drag is mainstream!
What is happening now? I don't need to tell you about all of the drag superstars gracing our television screens - we’re living in the Golden Age of drag! But don’t forget the amazing drag shows and the independent drag queens performing all across the globe! So get out there, my lovely darlings! Find a show in your city, support local queens, and remember to wear your tutus. Don’t forget to get your glitter on, you deserve to shine just as brightly as the dazzling drag icons of 1976!
Until next time, keep shining, keep smiling, and most importantly, keep on dancing,
Love, Emma 💕
