By Enza 'Supermodel' Anderson

BY SPECIAL ENZA SUPERMODEL DECREE, MAY IS:
'SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DRAG QUEEN MONTH'

There I was, flipping through my jam-packed calendar when I noticed that a typical year is crowded with all kinds of celebrations and holidays like Flag Day, Administrative Professionals Day, Nurses Day, Friendship Day, Grandparents Day, Bosses Day and on and on. That's all well and good, but it struck me as peculiar that nowhere in any calendar is there a celebration or holiday for Drag Queens.

And this has to stop.

Drag queens, for many years now, have been people community organizations turn to when there is the desperate call to raise much-needed cash. In showing their support, drag queens sacrifice pounds of make-up, endless runs of pantyhose, precious hours of beauty sleep and endure painful hours of tucking, all so they can perform at charity events for a worthwhile cause and a couple of free drink tickets. While this may seem glittery and glamorous, at the end of the night drag queens still end up carrying their own bags. For these endless sacrifices I say it's time we give drag queens the recognition they deserve. Let's turn to them and say thank you for all the hard work they do for the LGBT community. And forget about just a day. It's time we officially designate a full month, the month of May as "Support Your Local Drag Queen" month.

The cost of doing drag is in itself a very expensive fashion-demanding occupation. An enormous amount of work goes into making sure that when a drag queen walks into a room people stop and look, which means slipping into a dress and applying a five-minute make-up job is not what it's all about.

For some queens it takes up to two hours sitting in front of a mirror applying make-up, creating feminine features, luscious lips, tapered cheekbones and arched brows. A drag queen will typically spend up to $100 a month on the proper make-up alone. Then there are the dresses and gowns - who wants to see queens in dresses worn ten times over? These alone run between $100 and $500 per dress.

Add in the cost of transportation to and from events - and I don't mean taking public transit - cab fares average about $20 a return trip. Plus, don't you hate it when drag queens do the same song over and over again? You can only do "It's Raining Men" so many times, so there's also the cost of new CDs to learn to lip-sync to. Add all these expenses up and our drag queens are spending approx. $500 to $1000, plus about 50 hours a month of their free time. It's not cheap or easy doing drag.

While drag is in itself a fun and entertaining occupation for some, doing drag may not offer the fringe benefits associated with working for a company (including that two-week paid vacation), but still remains a primary source of income for those who have chosen it as a full time career.

For all the misconceptions that being a drag queen is glamorous and effortless, let's remember that drag queens give a lot for little in return. Make May the month you support your local drag queen for all the gracious work they do. Buy them a drink. Okay, maybe two drinks. Offer to carry their bags. Do their laundry. Tip them double what you normally do. Or tip them period. Massage their feet after being in those painful heels. Buy them a new wig. Take them to a movie. Buy them pantyhose. Pay their rent. Attend their shows. Do something to show you appreciate all their hard work.

No matter what worthwhile cause it may be, drag queens will continue to lend their support when called upon. Let's make sure we show ours.