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N.Y. Scene Oct. 2010 – Glowlight Vigil, Hey Queen, Miss LEZ, Domus, Halloween @ Stiletto & Choice and more!

N.Y. Scene is a monthly column that chronicles lesbian nightlife and events of interest in New York. Grace Chu has come out of lesbian scene retirement to navigate the vast and ever-evolving New York City scene, so you don’t have to.

October opened on a somber tone as the community reacted with sadness and outrage over media reports of several suicides of teens who were bullied over their perceived sexual orientation. The month ended on a festive note as New Yorkers congregated on the streets for Halloween, and AfterEllen was there for a couple of queer Halloween events, which were attended by a noticeable number of Lady Gagas but no Snookis, thereby proving once again that gay women have more discerning tastes than the general population.

You Are Loved Glowlight Vigil — Washington Square Park, Manhattan — October, 3, 2010

In September the news was flooded with an alarming amount of LGBT teen suicides resulting from bullying. In response, on October 3, 2010 several NYU LGBT organizations hosted a glowlight vigil at Washington Square Park to honor “all of those we have lost due to hatred and bigotry.”

Over a thousand New Yorkers, including Governor Paterson and out city councilwoman Christine Quinn, stood in the rain to remember those whose deaths were attributed to bullying.

The vigil was followed by the second annual You-Are-Loved Chalk Messaging Project, where members of the crowd was given the opportunity to write positive messages in chalk to combat hateful messages that help fuel suicides. Someone must have been looking out for us, because not even the pouring rain could wash away the uplifting messages of love and encouragement.

Hey Queen! — Public Assembly, Williamsburg, Brooklyn — October 15, 2010

Hey Queen, a queer dance party held every third Friday of each month, moved from Sugarland to the much more spacious venue Public Assembly this past month. Even with the change in scene and increased size of the space, the party was soon packed wall to wall with frolicking alterna-queers. Its location in Williamsburg might cause those not in the know to dismiss Hey Queen as a hipster party, but these edgily dressed, asymmetrically coiffed queers of all shapes, sizes and races weren’t standing around chain-smoking and judging everyone else in attendance — they were getting’ down as if a law against dancing in public were going into effect come daylight.

Launched by promoters Sarah Jenny, Amy Agony, and Kitty La Kitty, Hey Queen was conceived as a multi-gendered dance party that also features performers, such as burlesque acts and bands. Said Agony, “Our goal at Hey Queen is that the dykes come in and think it’s a fag party, the fags walk in and think it’s a dyke party and both crowds are wondering who all the hot trannies are.”

Continued Agony, “The theme of Hey Queen is always changing. It helps us keep our crowd constantly evolving, and we work hard on pulling together people of various genders, race and body types in order to make people question their traditional notions of what’s hot. We had a femme party last year called IN SERVICE OF THE QUEEN, a fat positive party called SIZE QUEEN, a benefit for Queers for Economic Justice called QUEENS WITH BENEFITS, a Leo party called QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE, and a Chanukah party called SHALOM QUEEN.” For the move to Public Assembly, Hey Queen’s theme was HEY KING!, a celebration of butches and other queer people on the masculine spectrum.

I asked Sarah Jenny about the whereabouts of promoter Kitty La Kitty, and she responded, “Kitty La Kitty is Amy’s cat.” Agony then interjected, “Kitty la kitty is [former Hey Queen promoter Scout’s] ex boyfriend Owen’s cat and who is still working to draw in the inter species crowd to Hey Queen.” Do my ears deceive me? Not only is a cat one of the promoters, it appears to be the subject of a custody dispute. Based on this alone, Hey Queen is officially the queerest party in New York City. Respect.

Miss LEZ Pageant 2010 — Knitting Factory, Williamsburg, Brooklyn — October 24, 2010

The Miss LEZ Pageant 2010, now in its 10th year, was held at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory on October 24th, entertaining a sold out crowd of rowdy lesbians and a smaller but equally rowdy crowd of gay boys. Provocative, over the top, subversive and cheeky, the annual Miss LEZ Pageant is an alternative pageant featuring queer women contestants that is hosted by drag king and nightlife icon Murray Hill and judged by a celebrity panel of judges. This year, the panel included, among others, Bitch, Michael Musto and Le Tigre and MEN’s JD Samson.

Although held in a traditional pageant format with interview, swimwear, talent and evening gown segments, this is not your mother’s beauty pageant, unless your mother was into watching women — or as they say in Brooklyn, “womyn” — shakin’ their bon bons in assless pants or simulating unicorn sex. Yes, simulating unicorn sex. One contestant, Ariel Speedwagon, portrayed a quirky and (fictional) reenactment of the first time she had lesbian sex. First, she donned a latex glove and commenced air-fingerblasting, but all that poking around gave her an arm cramp. But never fear! Two backup dancers in unicorn outfits galloped on stage and handed her a phallic-looking unicorn prosthetic, which she placed on her head. I don’t think I need to say anything more. You know what happens next. Basically, the crowd that frequents Miss LEZ has seen it all, so if you can’t come up with something fresh, clever and attention grabbing you can get off the stage, honey.

There were six contestants, mostly representing lesbian party promotion crews in the sizeable artsy alterna-queer circuit. Ariel Speedwagon represented Hey Queen, Goldie Peacock represented Manhattan based Choice C-ts, and Drae Campbell represented Williamsburg upstarts Rebel Cupcake. Vicki Sin represented lesbian musical The Lesbian Love Octagon, AfroTitty represented plus size clothing company Re/Dress NYC, and burlesque performer N was the wildcard contestant.

In the end Miss Rebel Cupcake Drae Campbell ran off with the win with her swagger and Do-Ask-Do-Tell platform, besting crowd favorite and unicorn preservation activist Miss Hey Queen Ariel Speedwagon. Miss Re/Dress AfroTitty won Miss Congeniality, and Sunday nights in Brooklyn were never the same again.

All Miss LEZ photos by Bex Wade

Domus launch party — Kush Lounge, Manhattan — October 28, 2010

If you haven’t seen promoter/photographer/bartender/professional scenester Sabrina Haley around town, you’re probably not a lesbian. Haley has produced or co-produced several events in New York City, including the long-running Snapshot, the MENY fundraiser in August, and last weekend’s Halloween bash at Chelsea Manor. You can find her regularly emceeing events around town and working behind the bar at the Stonewall Inn.

Having an impeccable attendance record at NYC’s lesbian events allows a person to recognize what is missing from the scene, and Haley and her friend Nikki Tissington honed in on one glaring omission: music diversity. Most lesbian parties have a predictable playlist comprising of Top 40, 90’s party tunes, and mainstream hip hop. Lesbians are a tough crowd to please, so offering up the familiar and safe is a sure bet to avoid a stream of tipsy ladies sidling up to the deejay demanding that she “play some f-king Lady Gaga or Rihanna already.” This, of course, leaves those who like progressive music that isn’t on mainstream radio out in the cold.

Domus grew out of Haley and Tissington’s mutual love of house music and their desire to offer lesbians an alternative to the usual lesbian party playlist. About the vibe she wants to bring to the party, Haley said, “Positive energy. Uplifting. You walk out feeling better. House music takes you on a journey. You feel it in different parts of your body, different chambers in your mind. I want everyone to open their minds to this music.” For those who have had little or no prior exposure to house Haley suggests simply going to iTunes internet radio and checking out the old school Chicago radio stations that play original old school house. “House music is something you can learn,” she said. “It’s like going to the symphony if you’ve never listened to classical. You learn it, and then you start to understand it. With house music, once you learn it, you’re going to love it. It’s complex music.”

At the launch party, a bevy of attractive lesbians strolled in the front door, including a familiar face on AfterEllen.com. (Apologies for the lighting — this exchange was spontaneous and took place in the coat check.)

This message has been brought to you by Lacey Stone of Lesbian Love and I suspect Red Bull.

Domus will be held at Kush Lounge every last Thursday of each month, although the November installment, due to Thanksgiving, will be held on the 18th.

Halloween — Stiletto Disco Porn Party and Choice C-ts Voodoo Boogaloo – October 31, 2010

Halloween in New York City is like the demon spawn of a vampire blood fueled threesome between Pride, Mardi Gras, and Carnival. Tens of thousands get costumed up and descend upon the West Village to see the parade and then stream into various Halloween bashes held all over the city. Based on the level of bacchanal pursuits witnessed this past Sunday, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pfizer threw a post-Halloween bash to celebrate the spike in Advil sales on Monday.

There were many Halloween-themed parties for lesbians held over the weekend — too many for one person to cover, but I was able to hit a couple of them on Sunday. Initially, I attempted to meet up with some people to check out the Halloween Parade, but barricades lining any parade route in NYC are reminiscent of the Berlin Wall. There are armed law enforcement personnel every few feet, barely anyone is allowed past the checkpoints, and you suspect that if you jump the barricades you’ll get shot. After a failed attempt at walking east across Sixth Avenue to meet the people I was supposed to meet, I decided to head uptown to Stiletto at the Maritime Hotel. It was a wise decision.

The theme this year was Disco Porn. For the first few hours, DJ Nasty spun 70’s hits, strategically placed flat screen televisions broadcasted kitschy 70’s porn, and promoter Maggie C and several special guests donned 70’s inspired outfits and skated around on roller skates. It was groovy. A bed served as a photo booth for naughty pictures. Later on, DJ Whitney Day took to the decks to spin recent hits. It continued to be groovy.

Then I headed downtown to Voodoo Boogaloo, Choice C-ts and Kostume Kult’s joint party at Soiree. Originally set to take over Santos Party House, Voodoo Boogaloo stood in limbo as downtown’s favorite party house was unceremoniously shut down in a drug bust by the NYPD two days before the event. The last minute change of venue to Soiree did nothing to thin the crowd or dampen its spirits. Plus, in true Choice C–ts form, the outfits were outrageous and the energy was even more outrageous. Ghouls, vampires, zombies, other members of the living dead, people covered head to toe in glitter, ladies wearing nothing but strategically placed electrical tape, and a bunch of unidentified dancing entities cavorted until the wee hours of the morning.

But wait! There’s more!

  • On October 22nd, acclaimed photographer Maro Hagopian held the launch party of her website marohagopian.com at the Union Square Lounge. She has photographed celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and Mary J. Blige, and she has been an institution in the lesbian nightlife scene as the resident photographer of Choice C–ts, among others. There were enough scenesters at the party that if you had nuked the place, New York lesbian nightlife would have been decimated. Check out her website. You too will be awed.
  • Our favorite hottie patottie crew Proposition will be throwing its grand finale party at Slate tonight, Friday, November 5. DJ Sam Deka will be spinning. Prop will go on hiatus until January, where it will be relaunched at a new venue, but be on the lookout for the Prop crew’s resurrection of Gold Star Thursdays starting November 18, and mark your calendars for the return of Truck Stop NY on December 18. Follow Prop’s Facebook page for details as they emerge, and DRINK MEZCAL!
  • Lesbian musical The Lesbian Love Octagon is currently in the middle of a four day run that started yesterday and that will end Sunday, November 7 at the Kraine Theater at 85 East 4th Street. A musical comedy about dyke drama, The Lesbian Love Octagon features several local nightlife icons, such as Glenn Marla and Murray Hill.
  • The Real L Word’s Rose Garcia and Stamie Karakasidis will be flying in from Los Angeles to host a comedy show at the legendary Stonewall Inn on November 13th. Stamie is a stand-up comedian by trade, and the show will also feature NYC-based comedians Poppi Kramer, Claudia Cogan, and Jessie Richardson. You can get tickets here. As of publication, the venue is over 2/3 sold out, so get your tickets while they last.
  • Remember the piece on Stonewall veteran and living legend Storme DeLarverie, who ended up as a ward of the state and one of the many anonymous elders languishing in nursing homes in NYC? Henrietta Hudson will be holding a tribute to and benefit for DeLarverie on November 21, where she is scheduled to appear. Details here. Please show your support. The reason why the LGBT community has the freedoms that it has today can be traced back to the brave actions of this remarkable woman that night in June of 1969 in front of the Stonewall Inn.
  • Let’s give a huge wet kiss to Brooklyn-based deejay and promoter DJ Tikka Masala of That’s My Jam, who just snagged a gig at the most exclusive house party in the world, one whose bouncers are actually snipers: The White House. Yes, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Barack Obama’s crib. Be on the lookout for a profile of DJ Tikka in Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

We may not be thrilled about this week’s election results, but, like Tikka said, all in all, America is pretty rad – and New York City is the raddest place in America. Until next month!

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