Hello my lovelies, and welcome to www.pink-tutu.com, your one-stop shop for all things pink, fabulous and utterly time-traveling! Iâm Emma, your resident pink tutu-clad chronicler of drag history, and I'm absolutely thrilled to share what happened when my magical tutu whisked me away to... wait for it⌠APRIL 1999!
Oh, darling, the 90s! I mean, this era was just dripping with glitz and glam, don't you think? It was all about the chunky platforms, the rhinestones, the neon, the sensation that was the Spice Girls - and yes, you guessed it, it was a time when drag queens were REALLY shaking things up! I can't tell you how many sequins I stumbled over while on my travels this month, you'd have thought I was waltzing through a disco ball!
*But let's rewind, shall we? *My time traveling started like any other Wednesday. I was doing my usual thing, making my way to the theatre in Derby â yeah, I know, so provincial, but honestly, you canât get better bingo wings or bingo balls in all of England than in my hometown - for a killer Drag Night performance. Just as I got to the stage door, my tutu â I swear she's got a life of her own sometimes - sparkled and started to whirl, like she was twirling for the applause of a thousand drag queens! And before you could say âoh, my gawd!â, we were transported, time-traveling to a place that smelt of... well, I have to be honest, it was a mixture of vintage perfume and that strong disinfectant you find in hairdressers. I swear, it was almost a bit âperfume shop, gone wrongâ kind of aroma!
And oh my sweet darlings, let me tell you, we arrived in...NYC, baby! The Big Apple, in all its dazzling glory. The only difference was that it was 1999. So, naturally, the first thing I did was run off to the nearest department store for some new glitter. Can't have a time-travel adventure without matching my fabulous new setting, right? I went absolutely mad. Like, a proper wig-snatched-in-a-good-way mad. The sequins were flowing from the mannequins, my darlings!
Now, this is the juicy part: I went straight to "The Back Room", which I believe is the actual birthplace of the âRuPaul's Drag Race" era. Yeah, you heard me right. This place was iconic! Packed full of divas, and an air of raw talent, it was like nothing Iâd ever experienced! This wasn't just a drag night, it was an event - everyone was strutting, everyone was fabulous!
There was one performer in particular I found captivating: a young queen called Nina Flowers. Can you believe it?! Nina was giving us big-city swagger, full on femme-fatale, but with a quirky, fun sense of humour. Honestly, her confidence on stage was absolutely inspiring! You can tell even then that Nina had what it takes. If there was a drag hall of fame, I would definitely have a picture of her there!
I just stood there, my mouth hanging open, soaking in the energy. That night, it felt like the very definition of 'drag queen power' â just brimming with potential, waiting to be unleashed. It was so raw, so real, so exciting â it actually reminded me of seeing Kylie Minogueâs âSpinning Aroundâ music video for the very first time back in 1999. Yes, darling, I had the pleasure of seeing it play live, on MTV! We used to play those tapes on repeat, it was truly the anthem of the summer back then, no doubt.
But it wasn't just about the drag queens â oh no, I also got to witness the launch of something revolutionary, something that would redefine drag in a big, big way â the start of Logo TV! Can you believe that was April 1999! And what did they do for their debut? Gasp! They were broadcasting live from the Wigstock! festival, in all its campy, fabulous, unbridled glory! Oh darling, I can tell you it was *electrifying! *
Speaking of fabulous⌠this Queen â you really need to go and watch all these queensâ old work now. Seriously, go and watch their performances, my lovelies! I was lucky enough to see one of the absolute stars of the event. Now, you might not know her name but, she was just... well... let's say she made even my glitter look like a plain old tea party!
And who was she? None other than the legendary Miss Coco Peru! Now, that is one name that is going down in history! I can tell you she killed it with the glamour, darling, just full-on cabaret, sassy as anything, a performance that took the whole audience to the moon and back. And then, there was Varla Jean Merman. Talk about powerhouse! She was absolutely, completely owning the stage â it was raw, unfiltered, pure entertainment â she was making statements with her style and sass. Itâs safe to say, Varlaâs name went on the âdefinitely watch herâ list of iconic drag queens.
It's incredible to think how the drag scene was so different then, isn't it? And yet, so very similar! We were living in a time when, the more outrageous, the better! You really didn't have to censor yourself or pretend to be someone you werenât. The whole movement just seemed so rebellious, it was the ultimate middle finger to anyone who tried to put it in a box. And it was liberating!
Back then, you wouldnât necessarily see drag queens appearing on a mainstream tv program like we do today, even with the advent of âRuPaulâs Drag Race.â Iâm telling you now, 1999 was the wild west of drag. Everyone was fighting for their spotlight, and their creativity was bursting through the seams of every club and every party, just like an unstoppable, rainbow force.
It wasnât all wild times, of course, there were still prejudices, but there was an undeniable sense of âfamilyâ in the drag scene back then. The sisterhood was strong, there was a collective understanding of how hard they had to fight to have their voices heard and to gain respect and be treated as serious artists. You could feel the camaraderie and see the respect, especially on that stage, the sense of community was incredible. They helped each other and supported each other because they had to, if you didnât support each other in the early days of the scene, you just couldnât succeed.
Honestly, the energy in the room was tangible, you could literally taste the power of expression, and the joy of freedom and self-acceptance. Itâs this energy I carry with me everywhere, that inspires me to keep spreading the word, keep shining and, most of all, keep wearing my pink tutu, for all those that couldnât before!
*It just makes me even more excited about the future of drag â imagine what weâll all be doing in the years to come! * The next few decades will be absolutely sensational!
So, darlings, that was my trip to April 1999. My tutu, my time-travel companion and I are off now, and guess where weâre heading? Oh my god! It's just beyond! And you know Iâll be sharing it with you here on www.pink-tutu.com. Catch you next month for an all-new fabulous time-travel adventure!
Until then, keep wearing those pink tutus, darlings, and donât forget to strut your stuff, live your truth, and never stop shining.
Love and Glitter,
Emma xx
