She’s Back! Priscilla, Queen of the Highlands: “Rise of Priscilla”

Priscilla: Queen of the Highlands is perhaps the most anticipated event on the StFX campus. The show, organized and produced by Dr. Chris Frazer (who some may also recognized as C. Leah Cruz or Joannie Cash), began in February 2005 when Frazer was appointed as 2SLGBTQ+ faculty advisor at StFX, following a number of incidents of homophobic assault on campus. Frazer, alongside Dr. Nancy Forestell and Dr. Clare Fawcett, was applying for a grant to facilitate a workshop centred around 2SLGBTQ+ experiences in rural areas, and needed to include an event. The group decided on a drag show, contacted the Imperial and Sovereign Court of Nova Scotia (similar to a rotary club for drag queens, Frazer explains), and put on a sold-out show in the KMC conference rooms.

This first show, Frazer claims, was “completely amateur,” relying on a Discman and a single set of speakers for music. However, over the past 15 years, the show has grown tremendously—transforming into a full production with professional light and sound, and moving from one conference room to two, and then to the bigger stage in the Bloomfield Centre MacKay room. Since the first show, Priscilla has raised thousands of dollars for X-Pride and other 2SLGBTQ+ focused organizations. “It’s always been a way of raising money and helping to create community,” shares Frazer. The show has played a big part in creating queer space in Antigonish, which Frazer says there “just isn’t much of.”

The show means a lot to a lot of people, including the performers. Jason Spurell, who performs as Rouge Fatale and has been part of Priscilla since the very beginning, shares that the audience at Priscilla is one of their favourites of all time. “The response, the happiness, the pride they have. Not a lot outweigh it.” In general, they note that rural crowds are most often more excited than urban ones, given that drag shows tend to decrease in frequency the further you get from a city-centre. One of Spurell’s favourite moments from the show was inviting their cousin (who used to attend StFX), up on stage— “I would bring her up on stage with me and get the whole audience to call her by her childhood nickname. She hate/loved it!”

Frazer says that Spurell’s sentiment is echoed by a number of other queens as well: “It’s their favourite show.” In fact, legend has it that Priscilla always coincides with the night that Antigonish gets its biggest storm or blizzard of the year—but the queens, and the audience, never seem bothered by the harsh weather. “There have been times where we were probably the only thing open in Antigonish—which we shouldn’t have been—and the queens had no business driving down from Halifax, but they did anyway. It says a lot about the show.”

Joannie Cash performs "Glad to be Gay" at Priscilla 2019

Lil Red in performance at Priscilla 2019

Rhea Listique performing a Beyonce inspired number at Priscilla 2019

Donatella Daddy in performance at Priscilla 2019

Farah Moan in performance at Priscilla 2019

Rhett Slutler perming an Elvis inspired number at Priscilla 2019

C. Leah. Cruz in performance at Priscilla 2019

Photos by Adelaide Strickland

While the show has only grown more and more successful, they’ve also run into difficulties financially. Tickets always sell out, yet the rising costs of space and security over the years have driven ticket prices up. Last year, for the first time, the show didn’t break even. “We’re not a money making venture, but it feels like we’re being forced to move that way,” says Frazer. “I’m really resisting that, because that’s not the point of the show … It has to be accessible, financially and physically.” Despite struggle, however, support from the community is keeping things going. Frazer recognized Impact Sound as a key supporter; the company has consistently provided a discount for their services, given the charitable nature of the show. The audience, of course, also plays a big role in the show’s continued success.

There are a number of ways that students and community members can get involved with and support the show. Ticket sales, according to Frazer, are always a good time— “it’s really rewarding to see the enthusiasm for that show build up as the tickets start to sell.” Proceeds from ticket sales and donations made at the show this year will be directed to Rainbow Railroad, an organization helping 2SLGBTQ+ refugees escape persecution and violence. Organizers are looking for support selling tickets in advance and at the door, as well as with the set-up and break-down of the production. Frazer also encourages people to think about performing— “it’s always been a part of our tradition that we encourage people to get on the stage” —in drag, or out of drag. The show welcomes Kings, Queens, genderfuck performers, burlesque performers, and pretty much anyone looking for a moment in the spotlight. Of course, for those who may not be all that keen on getting on stage, one of the best ways to support the show is to buy a ticket, and show up. “Just come, be yourself, and be fabulous,” says Frazer.

This year, Priscilla will be held on January 31st in the MacKay room. Tickets will be on sale starting January 22 at the X-Pride table in the Bloomfield lobby, and will cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Anyone looking to get involved in the show should contact Chris Frazer either in person or via email at cfrazer@stfx.ca.

Priscilla is part of X-Pride’s Pride Month at StFX. Other events include Amateur Drag Night, a sex-ed workshop by Venus Envy, a queer music night at the Inn, Sex Toy Bingo, and Rainbow Party. Details for these events can be found on Instagram @xpridesociety or on facebook in the X-Pride 2019-20 group.

Amherst Wrens

Amherst, in Spring the wrens

Gather together in this place,

Dear Aunt Jane used to point them out

Simple things made her happy,

Though she had not a tooth in her face!

We’d leave Dundonald Street

And walk down Hickman,

‘til we got to Victoria Street

It was all very peaceful then!

We’d go to buy bread

Can milk and cookies,

At a store called Margolian’s

We’d also buy goodies!

When we got home we’d have some tea

With six spoons of sugar just for me,

My aunt was 80 and I was 10,

I remember it was a wonderful time when

The wrens would gather in this place

And my aunt had a toothless but benevolent face!

Recap of “Contextualizing The Anti-69 Movement”

This year, the Canadian government released a commemorative coin, alongside other celebrations, to mark fifty years since the supposed decriminalization of homosexuality. Whether or not those celebrations were justified, however, is another story. On October 8, 2019, members of the StFX community gathered to discuss the history behind the celebrations and debate their legitimacy at this year’s first talk in the GSDA lecture series: “Contextualizing the Anti-69 Movement.” The discussion was facilitated by Dr. Chris Frazer, a local 2SLGBTQIA+ activist and professor in the StFX Department of History.

The supposed decriminalization of homosexuality was part of the Criminal Law Amendment Act (also known as the Omnibus Bill), passed in 1969. Alongside changes to two anti-gay laws (buggery and gross indecency), the bill also laid changes to abortion access, and included The White Paper – eliminating the Indian Act and all treaties held between Canadians and Indigenous peoples. The bill was part of the Liberal’s call for a “just society” under Pierre Trudeau, and the government talked a big game about what it would accomplish. Frazer, who was ten years old when the bill was passed, shared that in reality, “nothing happened in 1969.”

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A 1971 demonstration opposing the limitations of the 1969 Omnibus Bill - Jerald Moldenhauer

Essentially, the government realized that they couldn’t police private spaces, and decided to waive the enforcement of certain laws, rather than change them. Buggery and gross indecency laws were not repealed, but would not be enforced when the concerned acts took place between two adults in private. Many might be familiar with a famous statement of Pierre Trudeau’s, in which he claims that “the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nation.” While this is true in a number of contexts, Frazer suggests that there are certain cases in which the state should intervene – in instances of sexual and gendered violence, for example. It is those situations, regardless, that should cause the government greater worry than men who sleep with men, or women who sleep with women. Trudeau’s statement also only applied to certain kinds of sexual activity; the government would still intervene if more than two people were found to be involved in sexual relations.

In Frazer’s opinion, the alleged decriminalization in 1969 and celebrations in 2019 share one big similarity: they are both political acts, done in the interest of political success rather than social good. The 1969 bill provided a false sense of security to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community – leading many to come out in an environment that was just as hostile as it was before, and where they were unable to access protection. In fact, the number of gay people arrested immediately following the release of the bill increased dramatically.

2019 Commemorative Coin - Royal Canadian Mint

The fact is, in 1969, Canada didn’t have a law prohibiting homosexuality. What they had was a number of laws that disproportionately affected 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals – including the two that were changed by the Omnibus Bill, among others. Laws prohibiting indecent acts, obscenity, gross indecency, indecent assault on a male, anal intercourse, vagrancy, nudity, and immoral theatrical performance were all enforced more frequently upon homosexual individuals. “Immoral theatrical performance” applied mainly to drag and burlesque performances, for instance. Vestuary laws were also biased against drag performers and trans individuals, as they required people to wear at least three articles of clothing that corresponded to their gender assigned at birth, and were enforced up until the early 2000s. Bawdy-house laws were used to carry out raids on bathhouses (“places of indecency”) in Montreal and Toronto for decades. Research on the bawdy house law shows that from 1968 to 2004, more than 1,300 men were charged for being in a gay bathhouse.

Of the laws detailed above, many are still in the books. Indecent acts, obscenity, nudity, immoral theatrical performance. Buggery (renamed “anal intercourse” in 1988) and vagrancy were only just repealed in 2019.

This is what passes for “decriminalization” in Canada.

Celebrating the anniversary of 1969 is not only unjustified, but serves to erase decades of 2SLGBTQIA+ activist work that has done far more for the rights of the community than the government ever has, and fails to acknowledge all those who were harmed in the aftermath of the bill. “Actual history is about the activism of our communities,” says Frazer. In present day, it’s a liability for a politician to say something homophobic during an election campaign – it didn’t used to be. That’s the result of decades of activism. Instead of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of 1969, then, Frazer suggests celebrating the activists. The fact that Canada is failing to acknowledge their contributions is demonstrative of a deeper, underlying homophobia. “They need to be known.”

Interested in learning more? Much of the information for “Contextualizing The Anti-69 Movement” was sourced from “Anti-69 FAQ” on ActiveHistory.ca

“Human”

An interview with Natalie Doumkos

Immediately following the beautiful gallery: “Canadiana” by Nic Latulippe, Natalie Doumkos had the opportunity to showcase her beautiful artwork taken from the big city of Toronto in small town Antigonish, NS. I had the pleasure of interviewing Doumkos during her time hosting the StFX Bloomfield Gallery from March 15th to 24th, and am honoured to share her thoughts with the readers of the Xaverian Weekly. As the second part to a two-part piece showcasing the artists themselves, this piece will highlight Doumkos and her inspiring work which, like the work of Latulippe, paves the way for other student artists to showcase their art on campus. Here is her story.

When Doumkos was young, she recalls receiving toy cameras as gifts for Christmas which began her experimentation with the art of photography. As years went on and more toy cameras were gifted, Doumkos eventually upgraded to a real camera in grade 11, which was a DSLR. With the ability to shoot professional level photos in her hands, Doumkos continued to explore and take pictures to build her portfolio, ultimately leading to her sharing her art in the summer of 2018.

Doumkos’ inspiration for creating art came from her love of exploring cover art itself. Her photos gained more and more meaning as she continued her pursuit of art, but exploring was always the driving factor to her work. In her exhibit, there are several individuals included in the photos. These individuals are friends of Doumkos who share in the same motivations for exploration and photography as an expression of emotions, and they inspire her to pursue the art she creates. Art is often seen as a means to portray emotions that cannot be easily put into words, this is the case for Doumkos as well, and her art carries meaning that just cannot be described. As the saying goes: “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Appreciating basic principles of design, Doumkos’ main form of art is her photography, but she experiments with videography, sketching, and many types of painting including oil, watercolour, and acrylic. She uses these alternative forms of art to diversify her creative abilities as photography showcases what already exists, sketching and painting on the other hand forces her to create something out of nothing but her imagination.

The journey for Doumkos to host the Bloomfield Gallery was a long one, one that began years ago in her explorations in the city of Toronto, to capture the memories she put on display in her exhibit. With taking photos comes editing the shots to the specifications of the artist, which took countless hours according to Doumkos. The idea to host the gallery began for her in October, 2018 as she began to accumulate the photos and stories she has gained over the years. Over the months leading up to the gallery, she had been going through some personal troubles, and her art stood as a way to get through some tough times. When she found it hard to voice her emotions, her images became a kind of healing mechanism. The beautifully written stories that accompanied the photos on the gallery walls were written the day of the opening of the gallery as Doumkos searched for the right words to say.

Photo: www.doumkos.com

These written companion pieces helped aid her visual artwork and served to encourage the emotional resonance of the cityscapes Doumkos has had the pleasure of capturing throughout her lens.

Interestingly, Doumkos had told me that while editing her photos, the music she listened to had a significant impact on the tone of the picture, where rhythm and energy led to vibrant colours and saturation and conversely, slow tunes with more atmospheric sound led to a more subdued and cool tone. The gallery had not been the first time Doumkos had showcased some of her work. However, most of what has been shown in public places were posted anonymously.

Over the years she met new people who shared the same interests in exploring as mentioned above, and with these people, she has followed her passion for exploring and documented her memories along the way. As her talent behind the lens continued to improve, Doumkos had been given many opportunities working with various companies big and small. Many of these opportunities come with sample products from the companies as a thanks for her work with them which was certainly a perk. While these opportunities intrigue her, she is hesitant to pursue photography as a full-time career for fear of it losing the artist and emotional value that inspired her to begin in the first place.

Exploring Toronto started on the ground for Doumkos, despite her gallery being of much higher quality, both figuratively and literally. She began by taking photos of things that caught her eye, like exciting outfits, but her sights quickly aimed upwards. The theme of “Human” was cityscapes-- to showcase the beauty that the urban environment hides on its rooftops. Emphasizing the ability for photography to express herself, Doumkos enjoys the exploration element to her work even more than the photos themselves at times, so cityscape is her main style. That being said, she has also experimented with architecture, landscape, lifestyle and products, though cityscape and urban exploration is her passion.

As an artist, Doumkos believes no “perfect” photo indeed exists. She does think that Toronto is the most beautiful city in the world, which inspired her desire to explore the city. From her accounts and the written companion pieces found at her gallery it is clear that at times she would wait hours to capture the sunrise or sunset as it shone in precisely the direction she had envisioned. Many of the photos featured in the gallery took precise timing to catch the breathtaking views.

Doumkos would tell aspiring artists to focus on the voice in your mind and your creativity, don’t compare yourself to other people and don’t share your art until you’re ready but when you are don’t be afraid to share. She believes that what you get out of life is what you put in, and to always create art for yourself first and not others, as well as to not listen to the negative feedback from others in your pursuit of art, it is subjective and so long as it matters to you then it is worth it. Being self-taught, there are plenty of lessons and videos to learn from on YouTube or online classes all over the internet to improve your artistic talents. Lastly, once you start creating art “don’t turn back, and don’t let anyone tell you to turn back,” as Doumkos would say.

“This is it for Toronto,” says Doumkos about her gallery “Human.” The journey had been two of the best years of her life, but she is ready to move on to whatever comes next. And recently, she had fortunately been chosen as the incoming VP of Activities and Events for the 2019-2020 school year, so she is living in Antigonish for the foreseeable future. Being in a new environment, she is searching for new meaning to inspire her artwork to come, as it is not the end of her creating art, merely a new chapter ahead. Doumkos’ work can be found on her website www.doumkos.com