Five Questions for Drag Pioneer Juanita More
10/04/18
For nearly 30 years, Juanita More has been fighting on the frontlines for awareness and LGBTQ rights. Her story as a queer pioneer (and collaborator with fashion icon David Glamamore) has inspired many to live life larger. Photo: Austin Young
On being an icon:
Honestly, it makes me giggle. My day-to-day life revolves around my Frenchie, Jackson, so "dog walker" is probably a better description of how I really see myself.
Why elections matter:
We are in the middle of this backward administration's efforts to continue to dismantle LGBT rights. There are 74 countries where it is illegal to be LGBT. In 13 countries, being gay or bisexual is a crime punishable by death. Sometimes it's easier to forget that we've not always been allowed to be who we are in public. We cannot sit this one out. One easy thing you can do right now is to register to vote by mail. (Editor's note: Go to USA.gov/Register-to-Vote.) Photo: Dan Nicoletta
The best outfit she ever wore:
The outfit David made me for Pride 2014 stands out because we were both so creatively inspired. We dug through old images of The Cockettes and tried to figure out how they might have pulled their looks together. We thought, if you were thrift store shopping in the early '70s, you were likely to find silk bias-cut dresses from the '30s, a '60s floral coat, and maybe you bought yourself a brand new pair of bell bottom pants, throw in some feathers and fringe -- and poof, you were out the door. David designed all those things new. We kept returning to an image of Hibiscus* wearing a beautiful headdress and decided to recreate one similar to match my outfit.
Did You Know?
*Hibiscus (not pictured; born George Edgerly Harris III) founded the psychedelic gay liberation theater group known as the the Cockettes. One of the earliest to die of AIDS complications (in 1982), Harris also starred in one of America's most iconic photographs of the 1960s. Bernie Boston's "Flower Power," an image of a blonde hippie placing a flower in the barrel of a military police gun during the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam's March on The Pentagon. It ran in the Washington Star. Photo: Shot In the City
People of color:
I am seeing more of our queer POC youth leading the way. They will be my voice when I can't speak anymore and will change laws, minds, and open hearts. Photo: Mr. Joe Montana
You don’t have to be in San Francisco to love yourself:
Know that there are so many people like you in the world. Many that are waiting to meet you, love you, and hear your story. Take a look at your own family history and see if anyone from past generations was queer. Be a great role model -- especially if you are the first in your family to come out. Most importantly, learn how to love yourself and be the driver of your own bus. Photo: Joseph Akel
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