Page 122 of The Black Flamingo


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and the bucket is patriarchy: if you remove it,

we fear we won’t be able to hold ourselves

together, we pour in cement to fill the gaps

to make ourselves concrete constructions.

I’m surprised that it’s all talk

in the next two meetings of Drag Society,

and no costumes or makeup tutorials.

Mzz B knows a lot about drag history,

American and British,

and the differences between them.

Mzz B is not keen on beauty queens

unless they have something to say.

“If all you want to do is look flawless,

that’s valid, but you can do that at home

and post pictures on the internet.

Why do you need to be onstage?

What do you want to say? Who are you?

What do you want from an audience?

What do you want to make them think?

How do you want to make them feel?

Do you want them to laugh? Cry? Get angry?

You’ve got to know. You’ve got to be

the one who’s in control up there.

All I can do is introduce you and warm up

the audience but once you’re

in that spotlight, it’s yours to own.”

I see the heels from the window

and I am sure, as sure as I was

when I first saw the poster for

Drag Soc, these are the heels