Back from the ATL

Oh wow.

Mondo Homo was so very awesome. (When I say "mondo", you say "homo"!)

I met three of the best, most amazing queer burlesque performers of my life and spent four days at what amounted to burly girlie sleepaway camp. It was so nice to be around other performers and have zero drama. Also, we all kept saying it was so refreshing to be around people who just "get it". It, being, of course, the desire to do burlesque because it is an elevation of femme...a feminist act of celebrating one's identity in a very purposeful way.

I would say that I am often around other performers who "get it", especially in my shows, but the surrounding dramas sometimes makes that focus shake loose. Also, we never all go and work on costumes and chill and hang out for four days straight (cough). That was the best, most awesome part.

And also, there's just something about being around all queer women--a sort of sighing into comfort. There's no hating towards the very talented straight and bi women I work with in that , but that was a very special part of this past weekend for me--all dykes all the time. (And trannies and butches and effeminate gay men for days. Like shangri-la of the gay variety.)



So, my new friends. First, there was our hostess, the Lady Miss Vagina Jenkins. Cool, kind, sweet and hip. She's an amazing performer on top of being one of the sweetest & smartest gals I've met in a long time. She's a classic burlesque performer (but not of the "vintage and pretty" style...ask me about that later) who is top-notch at her game.



Second, I got to hang with Bambi Galore. She's a queer burlesquer from Washington DC who is one of the ten gals who has studied fire tassels with burlesque legend Satan's Angel. Again, amazing performer. Right off the bat, we have Satan's Angel in common (she performed at a show that I was in a few years back. I drove her around when she was here--to a massage appointment and to the show we were in...) Bambi is very sweet and also very smart. We had a fun time going out to Subway (yes, Subway--yum! Sandwiches.) together.

Then there was Cocoa Storm (which is possibly changing to Cocoa La Femme) from Louisville, KY. She's pretty new @ burlesque and I had a fun time with her, teaching her about costuming and discussing PR & tips & tricks of the trade. She's hilarious and super sassy and also, again, smart. We talked a lot of politics and organizing and history of burlesque. Also, she won for my favorite thrift score, which was a black bathing suit that had the bikini cutout in the back. Hotness. We also decided her tagline this weekend, which was "The Double-D Derby Girl" (for the Kentucky Derby and her famous rack.)

Since Cocoa does not have a troupe in Louisville, we decided that I would bring some girls down from Chicago and perform there and put together a burlesque bootcamp weekend. Very excited about that. Also, Bambi is probably going to move from DC to NYC and offered to put me in touch with people in both places. When she figures out if/when she's moving, we're talking about doing a blog project together.

On another note...Goodness! Before I forget, (and before I left town) my darling mondo homo La Doyle from Chicago Carless is making his inaugural Chicago Now blog (which comes out in June) about yours truly! We taped this little gem before I left for Atlanta after having cocktails al fresco after work one day. Note the sensible office lady gear. I wore this outfit to work.



So, I have to go now, but I'm super psyched that I had such a nice time and made new BFFs of the femme dyke burlesque varietal.

xox,
Ms. Bea Haven