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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Pearls of Wisdom: Celebrating Gay Pride
by TAG and Ellen Friedrichs, 06.16.06
"We are still fighting for rights all over America, but without Stonewall, we wouldn't have half the rights we have now." |
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After learning about the beating and sexual assault of a 15-year-old gay teen in a New York City group home in 1979, community activists Emery Hetrick and Damien Martin founded the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) to serve the needs of marginalized queer youth.
After many successful years, HMI, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education, opened the Harvey Milk High School, one of the few public schools in the country specifically geared to LGBTQ teens. In addition to the high school, HMI now runs numerous after-school programs. One of these, the drama group Bodies with a Voice, is currently staging an original play called Pearls of Wisdom — a story of persecution, resilience, drag queens, and gay liberation.
Pearls of Wisdom is set against the backdrop of the famous Stonewall riots of 1969. The riots began after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in New York City's Greenwich Village. Under the pretense of searching for violations of alcohol control laws, the police began to arrest people in the mostly gay crowd, while making homophobic remarks. After years of persecution by local authorities, Stonewall's patrons chose to stand up for their rights and fight back, starting a chain of events that is remembered to this day as the Stonewall Rebellion.
Set in 1975, the play tells the life story of Pearly White, a drag queen who takes her name and inspiration from her hero, the African-American singer and actor, Pearl Bailey. During the play, Pearly walks us through her experiences, recalling her involvement in the riots and the path that took her from an abusive and homophobic home in upstate New York to performing in drag at the Stonewall Inn on the eve of the riots.
Recently, the TAG Team had the opportunity to see Pearls of Wisdom and to interview the cast: 16-year-old Nicole, who stars as Pearly; 16-year-old Jonathan, who plays Pearly's friend and a fellow drag queen; and 17-year-old Glen, who dives into two roles, as both Pearly's mother and her abusive boss.
TAG: How do you think life would have been different for LGBTQ people if Stonewall hadn't happened?
Jonathan: There wouldn't be as much freedom.
Nicole: There is a lot more awareness because of it. Stonewall was so amazing. It was not just one group — for example, gay men. It was like the whole community came together. If that hadn't happened at that moment, we wouldn't have a lot of rights. We are still fighting for rights all over America, but without Stonewall, we wouldn't have half the rights we have now.
Did you have to do a lot of research to play your parts?
Nicole: I had to do a lot of research because I never grew up around drag queens. I watched Torch Song Trilogy, and I researched Stonewall and also other movements that were happening at the same time.
Glen: I didn't do a lot of research, but I watched the movie To Wong Foo ... .
Do any of you identify with your characters?
Glen: No. My characters are evil. It's kind of fun to play the villain, but I don't identify with them.
Jonathan: I identify with the liveliness and the energy my character has.
Nicole: Actually, I kind of do identify with the part where Pearly's parents aren't that supportive, because that is kind of what happened to me. And I identify with the physical struggle Pearly goes through.
Was it hard to play a role in drag?
Glen: We were all a little uncomfortable at first. All the makeup and hair was foreign.
Jonathan: Even though I was excited to try something new, at first it was hard to go out of my comfort zone.
Nicole: I don't usually wear makeup, so it was different for me. But it was also pretty fun.
What have you learned from the role?
Glen: I learned a lot about Stonewall and gay pride and that people had really hard lives. I think today, places like Hetrick-Martin make it better.
Nicole: I learned the most from the Q&As we've done after the play. A lot of times I forget how the rest of the world thinks because Hetrick-Martin is such a safe place and there are so many supportive people here. When I hear questions about being gay from people outside of here, it wakes me up.
Do you take pride in presenting the play?
Glen: I do take pride in it. I think the show is really good and sends an important message.
Jonathan: Yes. The play has already given me a better sense of myself and it's made me feel more comfortable out on the streets.
Nicole: I take great pride in it. I feel like I have become involved with the character, and it has affected how I present myself in public.
The Stonewall Rebellion happened more than 35 years ago. Today, it is seen as a pivotal event in the birth of the Gay Pride movement. To commemorate the riots and to champion freedom and support for LGBTQ people, we celebrate Gay Pride Month every June. Look for local events in your area, or try to catch a production of Pearls of Wisdom. You can find more information on the HMI website.
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