His life vision was to be in the movies, but he’s had a life he never dreamed of as drag superstar Sherry Vine.
Keith Levy has performed with the likes of Debbie Harry, Nina Hagen, and Boy George. But there’s a lot more to drag than glitter and sequins.
I want to make people laugh, and I do comedy, so I rarely do something that’s political. but just the fact that you’re a man who puts on women’s clothes, and when you walk out that door, and you’re bombarded sometimes with hate and anger, then it does become political. I mean, I’ve been chased down the street by a gang with bats. That was scary. I’ve had bottles thrown at me. Literally, I could walk out and stand on that street, and a taxi will slow down, and then take off.
People who perform in drag have an important voice to share, especially within the gay community, if you will. I mean, we all have to come out twice, as come out once as gay, and then we come out again as drag, and people who are like, ‘Oh yeah, my parents had no problem with me being gay, but they hated-they freaked out when they found out that I did drag.”
There are a lot of gays that don’t like drag, and hate drag queens. I’ve had people say things to me not knowing like, “Ugh! I fucking hate drag!” Even at the parties, they don’t want the drag queens or the leather queens representing them, or that we’re slowing down the process of assimilation. It’s like, I don’t want to assimilate. I don’t need to assimilate. I’m gay. I’m a freak, and I like being a freak, and I like the freaks.
– Keith Levy
Originally published at I’m From Driftwood. I’m From Driftwood envisions a world where every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer person feels understood and accepted, and every straight person is an ally.