Category: Giving Them Their Roses
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CHARLENE ARCILA
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growing up in the 1990’s afforded me the opportunity to personally meet and work with lgbtqia pioneers who shoulders we stand on. charlene arcilla is one of them. miss charlene, as i called her, moved to philadelphia in 1991 from jackson, mississippi. much of the queer organizing taking place during…
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DAVID COLE
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in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, david cole, one half of c&c music factory, wrote and produced some of dance music’s biggest pop hits. today we celebrate his life and his musical legacy. david was a brilliant piano player who got his start remixing songs as he was DJing…
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IRENE CARA
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a few days ago, i asked a co-worker, “do you know who irene cara is?” he replied, “no. who is she?” after almost fainting, i said, “this why i the world is burning.” sadly, many folks do not know who irene cara is and those who do remember her, often…
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WHITNEY HOUSTON
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whitney houston was a queer icon decades before the term became a marketing ploy. she was one of us before, during and after all of the rumors. confirmation was never required or desired from us – the gay boys who lip synced her songs when left alone in the room.…
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JODY WATLEY
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what a time it was to be alive and witness the brilliance of jody watley thrive at every level of pop culture. when people talk about the pop/dance divas of the 80’s and 90’s, jody watley’s legacy is often omitted, which is nothing short of criminal. jody watley is arguably…
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RAYCEEN PENDARVIS
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pioneering and creating history is never easy. it is often only celebrated when revisited decades later and/or in remembrance of someone we lost. as a community, we sometimes struggle to give all of the roses to the icons who exist in plain site. that will not happen on this holy…
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HECTOR XTRAVAGANZA
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hector crespo xtravaganza was an original member of the house of xtravaganza when it was founded by the late hector valle in 1982. when valle died of aids complications in 1985, hector was one of the members that helped to carry the house through that great loss and the many…
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NIZAH MORRIS
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nizah was an absolute light and for the past 17 years, philadelphia queer and trans activists have worked to keep the memory of her alive by demanding justice for her still unsolved death. on the evening of december 22, 2002, nizah accepted a “courtesy” from a philadelphia police officer. moments…
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ANGEL MELENDEZ
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in the late 1980’s and well into the mid-90’s, new york’s night life was dominated by misfits who were dubbed “club kids.” dressed in colorful and outrageous costumes, “club kids” were the main attraction for the now closed but once iconic epicenter of club kid culture, the limelight. located on…
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RAMON NOVARRO
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known as the “latin lover” (yeah, hollywood’s been using that trope even before talking movies) that made hearts of women (and secretly, men) go a flutter, ramon novarro was one of hollywood’s biggest stars during the golden era of silent films in the 1920’s. here appears in over 50 movies…
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HERB RITTS
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on august 19, 1989 – 30 freakin’ years ago – madonna’s “cherish” made its debut on billboard’s hot 100. released as the third single from her “like a prayer” album, the doo-wop motown inspired “cherish” eventually peaked at #2 and that was due in part to the the sultry black and white ritts directed music…
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MICHAEL PETERS
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on august 11, 1985, the original broadway production of the musical “dreamgirls” closed after over 1500 performances. the six-time tony award-winning musical was such a phenomenon that nearly everyone involved became stars in their own right. one of those people and probably the most unsung, is the late great choreographer…