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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Section of the American Folklore Society

Report on the 2004 Daniel Crowley Memorial Storytelling Concert:

Is Salt Lake a Drag

All right. We all know Salt Lake City has a strait-laced reputation. And we know many of our colleagues from around the country had reservations about spending nearly a week in a place better known for quilts than cuisine. But for all the intrepid folklorists who ventured to make the trip back twenty years in time to Salt Lake City, the LGBT Section partnered with the Storytelling Section to present a one person drag show for the 2004 Daniel Crowley Memorial Storytelling Concert.
Addressing the conference theme of folklore and the cultural landscape, the show was designed to explore the concept that a city’s sense of place is determined by the sensibilities of its citizens and that every place has alternative communities with divergent visions and cultural expressions that also contribute to constructing a place’s personality. Like any other city, Salt Lake City is a place of contrasts. Despite its determinedly sober reputation, the city has a long-standing history of gaiety. Especially here, the drag community is very perceptive, active, and quite talented in expressing their alternative views of society.

In a premiere concert that attracted both locals and conference attendees, artist Walter Larrabee demonstrated how drag is a positive outlet that helps men and women to bridge the gap between the societal constraints of reality and the limitless potential that exists in the world of imagination and fantasy. In his hour and fifteen minute show, Walter introduced us to many of his best and some of his most intimate friends including well-known celebrities of stage and screen, and comic personalities who reside only in his rich imagination.

The entire audience erupted in laugher at Walter’s comic impressions including a beauty pageant contestant executing the dreaded talent competition as a Wagnerian opera singer on a pogo stick, and a portrayal of Diana Ross with eight-foot arm extensions singing “Reach Out and Touch Someone.” But some of the most engaging moments occurred while he changed costumes behind an onstage dressing screen and told real-life stories about growing up gay in Utah.
The most memorable part of Walter’s presentation occurred after he performed a duet with his mother (both in drag and she as a man.) Together, they sat on stage and offered to take questions from the audience. Walter’s mother told stories about the fun she had raising a precocious son who, at the age of six in a downtown department store, wore a black brassiere on his head and sang the Mickey Mouse song. And later, Walter introduced us to his sister who was running the spotlight for the evening’s performance.

For those of us who know this place well, we realize Utah always puts its own unusual twist on things. But really, where else in the world would anyone ever see a family drag act?! In Utah it kind of makes sense.
Together, Walter and all his personalities with the help of his family revealed a lighter side of Salt Lake City that many people are afraid to see or believe does not exist at all. A cultural expression often repeated in Utah is, “Families are forever.” Well, we all hope this one outlasts them all.

Is Salt Lake a drag? To quote the vernacular, “Oh, my Heck! Yeah it is.....”

Minutes from October 2004

The LGBT Section met at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City on October 14, 2004. Eighteen members were in attendance.
Convener: Craig R. Miller
Call to Order, 12:10 PM

  • Introductions and circulation of attendance roster for names and email addresses
  • Joe Goodwin gave a brief history of the section.
  • We announced the Annual Dan Crowley Memorial Storytelling Concert that the LGBT Section is co-sponsoring with the Storytelling Section at 9:00 tonight featuring Walter Larrabee in “Is Salt Lake a Drag?” Cost is $10 per person.
  • Craig Miller opened a discussion of why the section exists and whether it is achieving its potential
    1. It exists to provide support for GLBT members others doing GLBT research.
    2. Exists to increase scholarship within our sector of the Folklore discipline
    3. Encourage student papers
    4. Encourage panels/forums at AFS
  • The section agreed there are several ways we can increase our visibility and activity at AFS next year:
    1. Sponsor LGBT panels, forums & round tables
    2. Leo was interested in forming a Latino LGBT Panel for next year.
    3. Kay Turner was interested in organizing something surrounding her work in Transgressive Tales
    4. It was suggested to work with the planning committee for next year and promote working on equal access/social justice. (Lisa Higgins is on the planning committee for Atlanta and would have knowledge of planning prior to the rest of the group so she is a good contact as our plans come together.)
    5. Co-sponsor presentations with other sections
    6. Possible co-sponsor topics/opportunities
    7. Marriage issues, civil union/partnering
    8. Transgressive Tales - Storytelling Section, or perhaps with the Oral Narrative Section.
    9. Cory would talk with Diane Goldstein about a possible roundtable linking her book to storytelling.
  • Joe proposed the following and it was voted on and approved unanimously:
    • Conveners of the LGBT Section are authorized to approve sponsorship of sessions on behalf of the Section at AFS.
  • Recommendations to next year’s Section conveners:
    1. Collect notices of LGBT sessions in advance of AFS next year
    2. Be sure LGBT is included in the index of the Meeting Program Book
    3. For the benefit of members, AFS Board Member Peggy Yocom discussed how AFS makes formal statements.
  • Discussion of Student Papers:
    1. Student Paper Prizes are important to encourage scholarship
    2. The Section has never been adequately organized to promote the prize.
    3. We need to get the word out better: web, post announcements, encourage teachers to push their students to apply
    4. Polly Stewart offered to organize the Section’s Student Prize
  • New Business:
    1. Joe Goodwin received permission for him to donate LGBT Section records to Utah State University’s Archives where the AFS materials are held.
    2. LGBT Section is required to file an annual report. The Section minutes can serve as that report. Elizabeth will send a link for our Section to the AFS Website.
    3. Kay Turner discussed a New York University conference she attended regarding _________Sylvester that was very diverse and crossed all gender and color lines. She thought it presented interesting ways to interject queer ideas.
    4. Suggestion: LGBT sponsor a party at AFS next year in Atlanta—“Queer Eye for the Straight Folklorist”
  • Craig Miller will be this next year’s senior convener and Polly Stewart will be the junior convener.

Meeting adjourned at 1:20 PM.

 

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