In 1996, Frank Mendez was one of the most visible people living with HIV in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas along the US-Mexico border. At a time when the drag community had been impacted heavily by losses to AIDS, Frank was out about his HIV status both in and out of drag and used his platform as Jacqui Fabiane to advocate for safer sex, testing, and education. After testing positive in 1992, Frank became a leading voice in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Valley and worked as a community health educator for the Valley AIDS Council.
In 1995, several clients protested against the Valley AIDS Council – feeling ignored and taken for granted by the organization’s leadership. After launching a hunger strike to incite changes in the agency, Frank left and started his own grassroots group- The McAllen AIDS Coalition.
Needing money to fund his efforts, Frank turned to drag. Since the onset of the AIDS crisis, drag shows had been used to raise money to pay for medical and burial costs for those impacted by AIDS, as well as a forum to educate others about HIV and AIDS. Frank called on four of his fellow drag queens from the local community. The choice was obvious in the Winter of 1996, and they put together a Spice Girls-themed benefit show.
British girl group The Spice Girls burst onto the scene with their breakout single “Wannabe” in July 1996. It became a global pop sensation seemingly overnight with their brash lyrics and take on “Girl Power” feminism.
The quintet- consisting of Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Melanie Chisolm (Sporty Spice), and Victoria Adams (later Victoria Beckham- Posh Spice)- seemed tailor-made to have a huge queer following- whether it was the larger-than-life camp-inspired outfits donned by Ginger and Scary, Sporty’s tomboy aesthetic, or Posh’s high-fashion and iconic pout.
Their lyrics celebrating authenticity and expression resonated with many young queer people. For Halloween of 1997, it was common to see groups of five queer friends dressed as the girls. They were also a popular act for drag queens to emulate.
While the group has always embraced its queer following, it was their third single, “2 Become 1,” that cemented their status as gay icons- with a lyric change intentionally made to be more inclusive of the community.
“2 Become 1″ is a sensual R&B flavored ballad celebrating intimacy. The original version included on their debut album “Spice” featured a lyric sung by Ginger, “Any deal that we endeavor, boys and girls go good together.”
While Ginger quickly became the most popular member of the group, she was the only one who did not have any singing or dancing training. When the group decided to release the song as their next single, she confessed that she had trouble singing her portion and was worried about having to sing it live.
Realizing the original lyric could potentially alienate their growing queer fan base, the girls decided to re-record that portion of the song with new lyrics sung by Posh. The new lyrics, “Once again, if we endeavor, love will bring us back together,” – made “2 Become 1” a song that anyone who wanted to “get it on” could relate to.
“2 become 1” became the group’s first Christmas #1 single in the UK in December 1996 and reached #4 in the US the following summer. The song also has an essential nod to the importance of safer sex. Towards the end, Baby sings the final bridge “Be a little bit wiser baby, put it on, put it on…because tonight is the night when 2 Become 1.”- a nod to condoms and to navigating sexual safety at a time when AIDS was still ravaging the queer community.
The Spice Girls’ connection to queerness went beyond being vocal allies and supporters. In various interviews, Mel B. came out as bisexual- revealing that she had been dating women since her Spice Girl’s days. In 2019, she also confirmed long-standing rumors that she and Geri had hooked up during their time in the band.
For Halloween of 1997, the Spice Girls were so ubiquitous that it was common to see groups of five queer friends dressed as the girls. They were also a popular act for drag queens, especially performers who wanted to share the stage with members of their drag families.
For the fundraiser, Frank- the group’s leader- was Ginger. Frank’s drag mother Takisha More took on the role of Baby- donning her signature pigtails. Takisha was a transgender woman who grew up in San Juan and Edinburg and performed in drag since the 1970s. In 1993, Takisha became the first trans woman to come out publicly on the local news. She was known for her signature high-energy dance moves.
Frank’s drag daughter Kanela del Karibe served Sporty Spice with a ponytail and track pants. Kanela was originally from Puerto Rico and moved to the Valley in 1994 with the original plan of moving to San Antonio. She found a community and a voice in drag and decided to stay- remaining in the Valley to this day. She was known for making all of her outfits by hand.
Arden Van York played Scary Spice. Arden was a trans woman from Mission, Texas, of Native Hawai’ian and Mexican descent. She was known for her acrobatic dances- jumping up in the air, doing a flip, and landing in a split at her shows Arden passed away from cancer in 2019.
Rounding out the group was Ty Paris as Posh Spice. Just a few years before, Ty was a young gay teen who found family and community at McAllen, Texas gay bar 10th Ave after becoming the first drag daughter of Valerie Paris – a trans woman from Roma, Texas whose drag house eventually became one of the most prolific in South Texas.
Some of these pictures were taken by Frank’s goddaughter Crystal- who was raised by her mother in a large chosen family that included several drag performers. Crystal would go on to co-found the first GSA in the Valley in 2000.
Instead of hosting the benefit show at a gay bar- which was most common at the time- this group of queens organized their Spice Girls – themed show at a community center in Mercedes, Texas- bringing drag, queer and trans visibility to this small town smack dab in the center of the Valley.
Frank Mendez and his Spice Girls-inspired benefit show in 1997 exemplified the power of community, creativity, and resilience in the fight against HIV/AIDS. By combining activism with entertainment, Frank and his chosen family of drag performers used their platform to raise funds, educate the public, and foster visibility in a region where such efforts were desperately needed.
Written by: Gabriel Sanchez (they/she/he)
Gabriel Sanchez (they/she/he) is a queer and nonbinary native of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.
Gabriel is a community historian who has spent the past several years researching, documenting, and sharing the history of the LGBTQIA2S+ community of the Rio Grande Valley and the rich stories of resistance, visibility, and creativity from within this community.
Gabriel curates a pop-up exhibit highlighting this history and a digital archive on Instagram called Pansy Pachanga where they share picture and stories from this community. They are also currently co-directing a documentary of the same name. Gabriel is also a part of various organizations that work to support and celebrate the Rio Grande Valley’s LGBTQ+ community including @southtexasequalityproject, @rgvtranscloset, and Casa Kimberly.
This post is in partnership with Pansy Pachanga. Pansy Pachanga is an upcoming documentary about the history of the Rio Grande Valley’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow us for updates and RGV LGBTQIA + history.