#DragQueenHistory during 1979 11 November

Darling dears,

Get your feather boas ready and your blusher brushes at the ready! Emma here, your pink tutu wearing time-traveling blogger, and let me tell you, 11th November 1979 was truly a spectacular day for drag, darling! I whizzed through time in my fabulous pink tutu and found myself smack-bang in the middle of a drag scene that would make even the most seasoned queen say 'ooh la la!'

So buckle up your high heels, darlings, as I spill the tea on all the drag delights that this sensational day in 1979 offered.

Now, 1979, for a fabulous queen like me, is all about the underground, the glitter that is spilling out of the underground clubs. Oh my dears! That's right, I found myself in NYC at a fabulous venue called "The Mineshaft," a hidden gem in a New York City basement that oozed glamour!

Oh darling, if only you could have seen it. Every inch of it was radiating an unapologetic camp glamour! The place was packed, brimming with excitement and energy, it was buzzing with drag queens that all felt completely at home! It was, as they say in Derbyshire, “proper gay.” It's amazing how time travel always has you bumping into the same incredible characters from all corners of the globe - Divine, the one and only. Divine, in full makeup and in a stunning scarlet gown, was holding court on stage, she was on fire, the ultimate glamorous vixen! She looked absolutely fabulous, the crowd was roaring with laughter and she was totally captivating every single person there! The whole atmosphere was pure energy. It felt like an electrifying cocktail of excitement and genuine artistic spirit! Now this was what I had come for. This was the magic of 1979, it had a sense of "let's push the boundaries, darling," that I can't get enough of!

The Mineshaft is legendary and I had to tell you about another absolute must-see venue that really took my fancy: a bar called “The Continental Baths,” it’s a legendary venue, especially in 1979! The whole energy of The Continental Baths was one of intense glamour and performance, darling! It was where it was all happening - an iconic space with an absolutely captivating mix of music, performance, and art! It had this brilliant underground vibe that really resonated with me! And you know what’s even more exciting, dear readers? It was here where a young RuPaul made his early steps into the fabulous world of drag! The story goes that, he was a bartender in the evenings but, on Saturdays he used to slip on his fierce persona - a gorgeous vision called "The Supermodel of the World" - in a sparkling black and silver sequined gown! Can you even imagine?! I can’t tell you how envious I am to be time travelling at the same time as this fabulous legend! And just to make my day extra special - a young Divine had also appeared in a brief but memorable performance, giving everyone an opportunity to see one of drag’s greatest legends before she achieved world fame.

You know I live for legendary queens, and in London there was another amazing club I had to visit. The “Club for People with Good Hearts" ( which is a great name for a club!) was a bit different from the more overtly sexualized scenes that NYC offered! It had more of a community feel. It felt much like a home, if your home was glittering, glamorous and filled with wonderful music that drew people from all over London together! Oh darlings, I had to check it out! It was right up my street. This place was packed with the absolute cream of London’s Drag and they were in full-on showstopping glory! It was incredible and I have to say, their looks were out of this world. There was this sense of creativity, of them finding new ways to express their amazing talents.

It’s been amazing catching glimpses into these drag scenes, it's a reminder that even then drag queens were pushing boundaries and carving their space within society! So, you know me, I grabbed a seat on the side and just soaked it all in. Just watching these drag legends perform gave me the perfect inspiration for a new drag routine. I could even feel my tutu swaying to the music and the glitter catching my eye - my time machine just knew what it was doing.

Now, before you go thinking "ooh la la" , "Isn't Emma a bit out of date wearing a tutu?" - Well darling, let me assure you. My love of pink and tutus isn't just about being a queen in the camp style that I live for - it’s also about a deep passion for ballet and a real understanding of how much influence dance has had on drag history!

Just take a look at 1979, darling! You have artists like Divine in a showstopping sequined scarlet gown, a look that’s absolutely exuding drama and captivating the audience completely!

What is truly fascinating about drag in 1979 is this extraordinary shift toward real theatricality. Queens like Divine and those who were performing at The Mineshaft and the Continental Baths really wanted to entertain the audience with a whole lot of drama! You get these amazing stage costumes and that’s not all, it was about that powerful impact you get when drag performers move on stage like professional dancers! They were literally putting the performance in the word, and darling, what I’m telling you is that this is the foundations of drag today, the impact that all these legends had really makes the queens of today stand tall and fabulous!

So, I’ll tell you what, my loves. While I might be a huge fan of my pink tutu and it helps me jump around different time periods with ease, you do have to recognize the incredible talent, the pure imagination, and the dedication to drag that existed in 1979. It's important for all of us to acknowledge and honour the path that those legends have paved for us. They gave us a place, a culture where we can express ourselves without holding back! And they did all that while making drag look incredible!

Now my loves, the pink tutu is calling for a change of scene! It's time to travel! So I’ll leave you with some exciting events for this month:

Don’t forget to check out the blog this month for our monthly time-travel round-up of exciting Drag performances from the past. I’m off to discover the world of drag in other fabulous time periods. You know I’ll be back, ready to share with you, dear readers, the bright lights of drag across the globe, in another fab post on www.pink-tutu.com! Catch you next time darlings!

Lots of Love and glitter,

Emma xoxo