RuPaul has played a major role in making drag culture (and by association, the LGBTQ community) more visible. Change comes through visibility and representation.
Yuska Lutfi Tuanakotta
30 posts
Pride reminds us of those who'd come before us, of those who'd fought for us, of those who are still fighting, of those who'd been jailed or killed because of their sexuality. Pride affirms our existence. Pride reminds us of us. It took (some of us) so much blood and tears and time to accept ourselves, but we're here.
Just like the romper, sweatpants were invented about a hundred years ago, by Émile Camuset, founder of the sportswear brand Le Coq Sportif. The first sweatpants were grey and served as the day-wear for athletes when they were training. The "sweat" in "sweatpants" means they're designed to absorb sweat, not necessarily generate it.
My love for reading lead me to my love for writing, which lead me to getting my MFA in creative writing, which lead me to writing my thesis about drag queens and cross-gender traditional performers in Indonesia, which lead me to being a fellow of Lambda Literary, which lead me to publishing my debut nonfiction Gentlemen Prefer Asians: Tales of Gay Indonesians and Green Card Marriages.
Men have also been wearing rompers since the jazz age. Remember those vintage swimsuits men wore? Yep, those were technically rompers. Even Sean Connery wore one in Goldfinger (1964).
I saw Wonder Woman in theaters four more times after that. In IMAX 3D at AMC Burbank 16, in 4DX at Regal LA Live, in regular digital at Vista, and finally in 70mm at ArcLight Hollywood.
There's sexiness in not baring everything. That's the concept of borders, of bridges, of anything else that sits between us and what we desire. Whether it's to block or to connect, we must first go through it to get to what we want.
Today, I want to feel proud of my body. Today, I'm owning my wax-apple nose, my limp wrists, my affection for all things pink and girly and camp, my cellulite, my muffin top, and the arms I've worked so hard for.
To celebrate this insane year's Pride Month, I created Pride & Joy: Portraits of Fashion that Make Me Look Gay As Fuck.