Image courtesy of Chiquitita
Hi divas,
This is The Deviant Dispatch. I’m Mo, your guide to the underground. I used to write about events on Wednesday and talk about gossip on Friday behind a paywall, but I’m tired of writing two newsletters a week. I need more time to pursue my bylines in Paper and MEL, so I have an announcement: starting this week The Deviant Dispatch will only once a week. Only paying subscribers will be getting weekly updates. The rest of you will only get news from me every other week. So if you’re on the free tier and don’t want to miss out, hit the button below!
Now on to the news. If this was an eSTABlishment media outlet I’d be spilling about the Megan Markle and Prince Whatshisname interview, but I’m not interested. The establishment media has also finally gotten wind of the newspaper The Drunken Canal, and the writer/publicist Kaitlin Phillips, and the downtown scene of media pushing back against the liberal establishment’s rules. All were subject to a in-depth profile from the New York Times: you can read the far-reaching article here.
The bigger drama this week was about the Drag Queen of the Year Pageant Competition Award Contest Competition. The succinctly titled pageant billed itself as an inclusive competition, and crowned the drag king Tenderoni as the winner. BK queen Chiquitita, who tied for 3rd with Lucy Stoole was not pleased. After West Dakota tweeted “Can we get @Chiquitettas 20k via Venmo”, the BK beauty changer her screen name to “Venmo @ Chiquitettas” and tweeted the following
She followed up with a another tweet reading “there was a bias.” You might be tempted to label her a sore loser, but Chiquitita was following the grand tradition of a glamorous trans woman throwing a fit when you loose a pageant. Crystal LeBeijia iconically did so on film before starting the ballroom scene as we know it today. Plus if you spent what Chiquitita spent on her 10-foot zebra dress ($1,500!) you’d be mad too.
Still, by morning the rebuttal tweets had entered the algorithm.
It’s true. All the contestant’s did amazing (I especially delighted in Maureen SanDiego) but it’s hard to look back at Tenderoni’s flawless presentation and not see why he deserved to win.
In other news, indie-punk group Hop Along were the latest band to get their van stolen this week. If you’re in the Philadelphia area and see a grey 2008 15 passenger Ford Econoline van, give Hop Along a shout. You’ll know it by the twigs hanging beneath the rear window and the dirty socks floating around the backseat.
In party news, the Friday drag race viewing party The Hole Stretch will not be continuing. Co-hosts Tyler Ashley and Charlene Incarnate were behind the party’s end. Tyler posted on Instagram that the dou told the bar they won’t be returning. Charlene was tight-lipped about what prompted the split, but hinted that if she has enough tequila at her next party she’ll probably tell us.
That’s it for the gossip this week! Now on to the events
XOxo
Mo
Beach Bunny, Ganser, Ohmme, Sen Morimoto (livestream)
When: Friday, 8:00 pm EST
Where: https://do312.com/312day
What: Ganser does angsty post-punk, Ohmme does offbeat pop, and Beach Bunny is the kind of sunny indie band that racks up 100 million streams penning songs about not being prom queen material. All together it’s a lineup that’s cool enough to make you forget the show is being hosted by a beer brand. 🤮
How much: Free
MTHR TRSA DJs @ HappyFun
When: Saturday 5-11pm EST
Where: 1211 Myrtle ave
What: The drag queen and photographer Mthr Trsa is now making a go of it as a DJ. Her last DJ set at Happyfun had everything from Gabber remixes of Nicki Minaj to a vouge mix of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” BK figures like drag queen Serena Tea, MUA Laurel Charleston, and fashion designer Syro all swung by for cocktails and company. Who knows what young glittering bohemians will appear this time? Just make sure you’re out of the bar by 11, before the bartender turns on the lights and starts yelling at you (it’s a Covid thing).
How much: Free, but drinks start at $5
Demand Justice At Spotify
When: Tuesday
Where: bit.ly/SpotifyAction
What: Musicians and their allies are gathering in front of Spotify’s offices to demand the meager amount of a penny per stream. Hopefully there will be people working in said offices.
How much: free, it’s a protest!
That’s it for this dispatch. If you liked it please consider hitting the heart button on this post or forwarding this email to a pal! Is there a party, cool band, or scandal I missed? Send me tips by emailing thedeviantdispatch@gmail.com.