GAYLETTER

Animal drag is all the rage at the moment, at least that’s what I hear from some of my weird creative friends—in 2013 you gotta be into animal drag honey. This event is kind of like what’s happening at DRAGnet (see Thursday) except your look has to reference an animal of some sort. It’s a brilliant idea, and we can’t wait to see what you weirdos come up with, especially since we were asked by Paul Leopold to judge. Be warned contestants, we’re tough, so don’t play it safe—the wilder the better. Pick an unusual animal, like an ocelot or an emu. Just make it fierce. Along with the animal drag contest there’s also a lot of other performances. Here’s a couple of highlights: Shane Shane, Robot Moonjuice (who comes up with these names?), Brian Joseph Ferree’s aerial show, music by DJ’s JX Cannon, Sokolowski and Timothy Allen Living. Also, expect inflatable sculptures, videos, outfit changes, animal treats. I mean, this event has it all. Take a nap beforehand, because this shit is gonna be crazier than an orgy at Siegfried and Roy’s house.  —t&a

God bless drag queens. Honestly, what’s not to love about a queer boy who has the balls to put on a dress and a wig and head out into the world. It’s subversive and brave and when done right, highly entertaining. For cycle 2 of DRAGnet, the most creative queens in town will compete for a $50 prize and the chance to battle it out in the final show to become the ultimate DRAGnet superstar. Don’t even think about competing unless you’re prepared to bring your A-grade drag game. Host Merrie Cherry and DJ Nicky Fader are on the hunt for the baddest drag bitches of 2013. You can expect half-priced draft beers, plus special guests Alotta McGriddles and Scarlett Envy. A legend might be born. Don’t miss it.  —tom

This award season is full of surprises... Merrie Cherry Jason Daniels has been working her ass off to bring us a new annual event, set to become the most important nightlife award show in Brooklyn (is there another?) Merrie will be co-hosting the night with “king of showbiz” Murray Hill. She’s managed to pull together around 50 of the biggest personalities in Brooklyn to host and perform on the night...including us! GAYLETTER is presenting the award for ‘Best Outdoor Venue.’ We haven’t figured out our presenter shtick yet, nightlife peeps tend to have trouble being quiet, so I doubt a nuanced comedic tete-a-tete would work. I think we’ll need to do something bold, maybe we could pull a Jodie Foster: “hey, we’re single!” Merrie tells us she wanted to start the awards to “shine a spotlight on all the great things going on in Brooklyn.” She mentioned she’s doing this, not to “pat her friends on the back, but to celebrate the nightlife scene and the people that work hard to keep it going.” Hey, everyone loves an award show...especially those nominated (did we mention we’re also nominated for ‘Best Event Publication’? Well we are, we’re nominated. It’s $10 bucks to enter, but there’s an open bar from 9pm — come get sloshed and show us that you like us, that you really, really like us.  —t&a

Strike a pose there’s nothing to it, VOGUE, VOGUE, VOGUE. Actually that isn’t quite the case, as I’m sure will become evident when Voguing gets broken down by the one and only Benny Ninja, and Vogue video choreographer Karole Armitage in a surefire riveting chat at the LGBT Center this Thursday at 7pm. Karole has been a pioneering force in dance for the past 30 years, “renowned for pushing boundaries to create contemporary works that blend dance, music and art.” She is one diversified bitch; choreographing Hair on Broadway, multiple Michael Jackson videos, working with Jeff Koons, Jean Paul Gaultier and David Salle... Who doesn’t want to talk to her? Benny, the legendary father of the house of Ninja, who has been voguing since 1990, as well as working as a fierce ANTM posing coach, will have that honor. Mechanics of the Dance Machine, Karole’s latest piece premiering at New York Live Arts will be one of the hot topics....discuss.  —Gayletter

I’m a nerd, and proud of it. As a kid I was fascinated with technology and gadgets. When I was 10, my dad borrowed one of the first Apple computers, the Macintosh SE, from a school he was teaching at. I was obsessed with the thing, I figured out everything it could do. My love of gadgets continued into my teenage years, at one point my bedroom was rigged with all sorts of pulley wires, so I could turn on and off my lights and stereo... So needless to say I’m excited to discover FAQNP, a magazine “about and for queer nerds who feel varying degrees of feeling outside the mainstreaming of queer culture.” For issue number 5 the pub takes “a queer-nerd look at teaching and learning, in and out of school.” High school for most nerds, especially queer ones, is something we’d like to forget. Most queer nerds hit their peak once they’re out in the real world, doing cool important shit (while the popular kids were fucking, we were doing our homework.) Honestly, I feel sorry for kids who hit their peak in 11th grade. They’re the ones who turn up to school reunions, reminiscing about the good ol’ days before they were fat and worked in human resources. Nerds don’t have those problems. Nerds run the world!  —tom

Bradford Nordeen is one busy bee. Along with hosting his film series, Dirty Looks, he’s also found the time to put together a lil’ holiday show featuring some of our favorite NYC cunts. There’s Mx. Justin Vivian Bond, Dynasty Handbag, Geo Wyeth, Kate Bush Dance Troupe, Nicholas Gorham, Dane Terry, Nicholas Buffon, Jennifer Blowdryer and a special surprise, which is so Amazing we’ve been told not to list it (don’t worry B we know how to keep our dirty little mouths shut.) He is hosting the show as a character he created especially for the event: Mary Boom! (Think two parts power gallerist Mary Boone & one part Robin Byrd). The show is part of Manhattan Neighborhood Network’s nomadic showcase for experimental music, performance, and video, E.S.P. TV.  The event is the live taping of their next episode, to be broadcast on Christmas night and New Year’s Day. So put on some lippy and a nice frock, you don’t want to look like a hot mess for the cameras...unless of course that’s your thing.  —tom

Mother nature doesn’t give a damn if you’re a good person, or in this case a good organization. The weather will fuck your shit up, whether you’re mother Teresa or Lindsay. Sandy was proof of this when she shat all over downtown, causing major damage to the Ali Forney Center, which takes care of LGBTQI kids. This Wednesday, at Vlada, they’re hosting a benefit to help raise some much needed moola for the center. It’s in collaboration with the launch of Jason Anthony’s book entitled Amsterdam Angel. It’s a story about the loss of a brother, coming of age, coming out... you know, gay people problems. DJ’s Ryan Smith (Wrecked) & Rich King (Snaxx/KNG&QNS) will be spinning deep house, soul and disco. It’s $25 bucks to get in, which not only helps the center out but also gets you a copy of Jason’s book. A bunch of cool peeps will be there including Mike Albo and Kevin Sessums. That bad bitch, Leo GuGu will be at the door taking your cash (so bring plenty.) Not much else you need to know, so just go.  —tom

Printed Matter is located on 10th Ave. in Chelsea. I mention this because during Sandy’s reign of terror a few weeks back, she flooded the shit out of the store, damaging thousands (yes that many) books and zines. Sucks we know. But no point dwelling on the past. Best thing to do is support them in the present. Start by checking out the launch for David Robbins porcelain plates series: Memento (From Andy With Love). In a limited run of 250, the plates feature “an image transposed from a short dedication Warhol once inscribed to Robbins in a copy of the Philosophy of Andy Warhol.”  David began working for Warhol when he first moved to New York at the end of 1979 and continued at the Factory until early 1981. He tells us: “During the week I worked for Interview magazine and occasionally for Andy Warhol TV, and I came in to work on Saturdays too, when it was usually just Andy, Vincent Fremont, and myself.” It’s this experience early in life that inspired David to become an artist, and why he chose the inscription from Andy for the plate series. Along with the plates David has also created 3 ‘TV commercials’ to promote the plates. They will also be on display. The store will probably serve drinks and shit. You’ll have fun. Just go.  —tom

Where do I even start with Dr. Vaginal Davis? Let’s just say that we’ll never forget the time we saw her casually eating a pussy on stage during her show at PS122, or when she licked Adam Baran's face. Needless to say Vaginal is a fascinating individual, one that we don’t get to see enough of; since she’s been living in Berlin for the last 6 years and all. But she’s back in town. This Tuesday she will be “in conversation” with José Muñoz of the Performance Studies department of NYU. Sure to be a fascinating discussion, considering the life Vaginal’s lived (and continues to live.) Along with starting a bunch of bands (including one with Beck’s mother) Vaginal has also collaborated with legendary underground filmmakers like Bruce LaBruce and Rick Castro. She says of herself: “I’m intersex, born with both female and male genitalia, so I’m a strange hybrid creature. I’m also part German, quarter Jewish, my father was born in Mexico and my mother is French Creole. People would always stare at me, so I figured I might as well just be on stage!” We couldn’t agree more.  —t&a