Sunday, April 25, 2010

diversity event

This past weekend I went home to NY for my friend Sam’s birthday. My friends and I decided that we were going to something different for Sam’s birthday. We decided we were going to take her into the City for dinner. We found this place called Lips, it’s located in the heart of the west village. This wasn’t just some ordinary restaurant it was a Drag restaurant. The idea just seemed fun. I never would have thought I would be able to make this my diversity event until we sat down to eat. When we arrived at Lips we were seated and it just seemed like any restaurant in the city. I was nice, colorful, and looked like a really awesome place. Our waitress came over and asked us what we wanted to eat and we all ordered. Next thing we knew, lights dimmed down music came on and was fun and energetic and then the Drags came out, they were walking around, dancing and singing. It was awesome. All of a sudden My FNED class popped in my head and I thought this would be a great event to write about.
All of a sudden thoughts were just running through my mind, the type of thoughts that we would probably discuss in class. I was wondering if a man dresses like a women or vice versa which would they prefer to be called, the sex they were born, or the sex they dress up as. I also thought of the “codes of power”, and how I was unfamiliar with the codes of being gay or transgender. I was the minority in this event. This definitely was a Delpit moment for me. So while I was analyzing the performance my friends were like “Nik.. What are you doing come dance with us”, of course I told them to hold on because I was really into picking apart the show. I also thought, what if I was gay or transgender?, how would my friends and family react?, what would they call me?, would they treat me any different?, what would I be like?, how would I dress?, how would I act and talk? My mind was swarming with questions. I honestly just felt like asking one of the performers if I could interview them I was so amazed and curious.
I decided to stop analyzing everything for a little while and go enjoy my friend’s birthday with her. So I got up and danced and some of the drags came over and danced with us. It was a lot of fun. Then the song Beautiful by Christina Aguilera came on and we all lined up put our arms around each other and sang it with all of the Drags. The lyrics are so true in that song, “You are beautiful no matter what they say, Words can't bring you down, you are beautiful in every single way, yes, words can't bring you down”. I feel that everybody has the right to chose who and what they want to be and who is anyone to say anything about it. The men that were dressed as women really were beautiful and you couldn’t even tell that they were men. That’s the amazing part in this whole thing for me you, you don’t know and you don’t judge but the min you find out there different and actually men people start to judge, it’s like why.. You accepted them when you had no idea now you know something and you have a lot to say, REDICULOUSE! The performers were so fun and energetic but then I thought maybe that how they are here because people come her knowing what to expect, but what about on the outside of work, I wondered how they felt. Did they feel lesser of themselves outside of work or proud to be who they are. All I know is that these people were friendly and kind and accepting of me being straight, so all I knew was that I was accepting of them being who they are as a transgender.
Being gay or transgender really doesn’t bother me. I honestly have no problem excepting people for who they are or what they look like. I feel that we are all the same no matter what and that people should respect everyone, everyone has a heart just if their views or values or morals are any different.. it doesn’t make them any different

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a very fun night out... there are great places in Providence to see drag kings and queens perform, too! :)

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