Edible Equality
It’s Dinner Season!! Instead of proms, we gay people have dinners and I for one can’t get enough uh, I guess that’s chicken. Yes! It IS chicken! Often the dinners are in the same hotels as the proms the younger [than-ever] people from local high schools are having and that is always a lovely, amusing mix in the lobby. Even the tuxedos seem confused.
In Boston, I had the great good pleasure of emceeing the 16th Annual Fenway Women’s Dinner. More sweet sixteenness. The Westin Copley was awash with lovely ladies in black cocktail dresses and gorgeous tuxedo variations making a lot of noise in the silent auction area. Mayor Menino was there in a feisty mood about the Legislature and the Gay Marriage Initiative. The new governor, Duvaul Patrick was there saying the right things with neither note nor hesitation. He mentioned that his wife was complaining that they had to leave and would miss the dancing after. He promised next year they’d stay to dance and celebrate.
In Atlanta, I emceed the 20th Annual HRC dinner. Winston Johnson, a wonderful Atlanta activist, reminded me that I had been at the first Atlanta dinner. He also teased me that back then I had made a dildo joke even though Coretta Scott King was in attendance. I got carried away. But when I apologized to her after, she looked me right in the eye and said, “Don’t’ be silly. I’ve seen it all.” Twenty years ago I met the humble, ferocious Representative, John Lewis. He’s that and more now and he was at the dinner. At desert, we all bit and turns out the trademark blue and yellow HRC equal signs were edible! We all feasted on equality.
A girl needs a rest between dinners and I took my R&R with the Oliviettes at a huge sprawling Club Med in the Dominican Republic. From a formal black crepe suit one night to a sarong and SP45 the next day! It’s a wonder, I don’t just split down the middle. I hung out with my comedy galpals – Michele “Next to the Last Comic Standing” Balan, Karen Williams and Rene Hicks who ably handled the “nappy headed ho” thing and Miss Victrola Shaw who once again allowed me to apprentice with her on the Oldywed/Newlywed Game.
Next stop on the dinner circuit is the NCLR bash in SanFransisters celebrating their 30 years of work for our lesbian rights. They’re expecting 3,000. I hope the cocktail dresses are edible.
June 16, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Perfect work!