Sexahol Review

On Thursday, July 26, I was a performer in a new Cabaret and live performance series called Sexahol Review. The show featured an eclectic mix of performance artists and offered Comedy, Music and Burlesque! Playwright, songwriter and performer Evan Laurence produces and hosts the show with help from David F. Slone. The two of them performed a hilarious Improve Comedy number with audience participation. David also sang his own unique version of a Cole Porter classic set to modern hip hop music with members of the crowd volunteering to act out the characters from the song on stage. The beautiful Alexis Karl belted out some opera arias - hitting the high notes with style! Downtown Burlesque Diva Nasty Canasta treated the crowd to a unique and sexy ensemble where she started out looking like a Disney character and ended up looking - HOT! Singer/songwriter Michael Lynch also did drag and everyone went wild over his one song about the Stonewall rebellion of 1969. I wore a spangled dress that lit up the room like a disco ball and sang some Connie Frances classics and told my jokes about transitioning into Straight Female sexuality. The show took place at the fantastic Performance Art Space, Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction on the Lower East Side. We performed in the beautiful cabaret theater with burgundy curtains and high ceilings on the first floor. The audience was very responsive and wonderful. We had a great time and we're grateful that the series got off on a terrific start!

Photos courtesy Jed Ryan

Rainbow Place - Comedy with Puppets

On July 22nd, I was cast along with Tony Sawicki and Stephanie Butler of Under the Pink Carpet in a special staged reading of a play called Rainbow Place, a comedy with puppets and live actors (think Avenue Q) that offers a “slice of life” glimpse at several characters who frequent a neighborhood LGBT bar in Chelsea. The reading was one of the many theatrical presentations at the 2007 Fresh Fruit Festival held at the Cherry Lane Theater.

With a twist that would certainly avoid typecasting, I played a fag hag character/Straight woman named Ann who hangs out in the bar with her Gay friends while her boyfriend is home watching sports. Stephanie Butler played Rita, a Transsexual woman who is delighted with her recent SRS (Sexual Reassignment Surgery). Tony Sawicki played the part of a wisecracking leather man named Scott, who although very macho, is a professional florist.

Other actors in the play included Faith Ballenger, Cookie Pemberton, Hans Von Rittern, Michael Lester, Steve Hauck and Christine Tracy-Garrison as patron bar flies.
Rainbow Place was written by playwright Nick Curto, who is also the President of All Out Arts and CIN (Creative Industries Network). The production additionally featured the creations of professional puppeteers Hal Rainbow, who also co-wrote the script, and William Abbott of the famed Swedish Cottage Puppet Theater located in NYC's Central Park.

Photos: Stephanie Butler, Clover Honey, William Abbot, Hariette puppet, Tony Sawicki; and Clover Honey; Stephanie, Faith Ballenger, Neil, Clover and Tony; Cast on Stage at Cherry Lane Theater.

SWISHy Bingo Games

On Wednesday, July 25, I was the special guest at Will Clark's Porno Bingo, the sexiest and most exciting Bingo games around! The game raise funds for local charities and community organizations. The prizes are the hottest Adult Male erotica packages with theater tickets and various other fun stuff thrown in. The Beneficiary this week was SWISH (Straight Women In Support of Homos). The wonderful and supportive ladies of that organization sometimes jokingly refer to themselves as Fag Hags and Fruit Flies and they're a big and vital part of the Queer Community. I'm very proud that the TV series I work on has a Fag Hag reporter and being someone who transitions into a lady, I can't help but admire those who were born ladies and make a big contribution to our community. Many of my girlfriends from CDI game to the Bingo night to show support. I joked that SWISH would be forming a sub group called SWIST - Straight Women In Support of Trannies. Village Voice columnist Michael Musto made a surprise appearance during a game wearing a T shirt with the printed slogan: I Love Trannies!

The Art of Drag - at Fresh Fruit Fest

On Wednesday, July 11, I curated a special Performance Art showcase exhibiting the special entertainment, portrayal and expression of Drag Queens. The night was called The Art of Drag and was a gala evening of The Fresh Fruit Festival, held at the prestigious and historic Cherry Lane Theater in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. I evening was complete success with every seat in the house sold! When someone is born Male, the privileged, strong and fearless Gender, and he has a female spirit inside that needs to be expressed, he creates a Drag Queen persona. The results can vary from Comedy to Tragedy, but either way, it is most often great Theater and lots of fun. I created a showing of different kinds of Drag Queen performers with different types of Drag expression with different ways and reasons for doing Drag.

The hosts of the show were Jacqueline Jonee, the elegant, concert pianist and Cabaret Diva along with Millie Shayntwrite, host of Lavender Vaudeville. The two of them as hostesses complemented each other beautifully with Jacqueline being very classy and Millie being very sassy! The first performance was The Church Ladies for Choice, and they were thrilled to be making their off-Broadway debut. They usually perform in the streets at protests and rallies, using Drag to make Political statements for LGBT rights and Women’s Pro Choice rights. After that Maria Casta Diva demonstrated her vocal skills as she sang live Opera arias. Then performance artist/dancer/choreographer Agnes DeGarron, Radical Faerie Legend and original founder of the nun order Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, did a fabulous act combining dance, art and some comedy. The outrageous Zondra Fox performed a shocking piece using sequins and hairspray. Petit Versailles, a downtown art group that uses Drag to invoke nature and Earth Mother spirits in community gardens on the Lower East Side closed the show with a marvelous avante guard dance movement ensemble. They charmed the audience with poetry and synchronized movements like little faeries.

Those who attended the event included Joe Jeffreys (NYU Historical Archives, Drag Video Verte af Lincoln Center), Veronica Vera (Head Mistress of Miss Vera’s Finishing School and author of Cross Dress for Success), Mariette Pathy-Allen (Photographer of Transgender, photo book Transformations), Fernando Espinosa (Photographer, photo book Aphrodisiac), Larry Vrba (Drag Queen / Costume jewelry designer), Madelyn Madalaine (Vice President, Cross Dressers International), Randy Wicker (Randy Wicker Reporting), David Finkelstein (Lake Ivan Performance Group), and others.

Photos Courtesy Fernando Espinosa Chauvin Photography

Pride Parade

The day for the annual NYC LGBT Pride Parade is always a thrilling, fun and emotional day. Being a girl who is involved in so many activities, it's always touching to see everyone literally parade their Pride down the street. You never know who you're going to meet and run into during the parade, in the parade line-up or viewing the parade. Being both a Political and Transgender person, I find it rather convenient that the parade organizers combine the two groups and put them in one section. In that section this year was the overflowing theme of Marriage Equality with the NY State Assembly recently passing legislation in favor of Same-gender marriage! There were loads of Drag Brides,tuxedo print T shirts and Marriage Equality logos throughout our section. In the Political section, right in front of Stonewall Democrats, was the contingent of NY State Assembly members and supporters. This included a front line up of Out elected official NY Assembly members, Danny O'Donnell, Deborah Glick, Matt Titone, Micah Kellner and supportive Assembly members Brian Kavanagh and Dick Gottfried. They received especially loud cheers of gratitude for passing such important legislation in the Assembly. When we arrived at the Judging station. The Assembly members announced, "You many now kiss the Bride" while Drag Queen Brides kissed each other and threw their bouquets. The crowd went wild with applause!! Besides the politicians, I had the chance to run into my Trans girlfriends, Rita, Madelyn, Rose and other and I also was even nicer bumping into my ex Eduardo from Brazil with his Briziallian Buddies in their colorful feathers.

Drag March

Every year me and my "Sisters" pay homage to our Sisters who came before us and paved the way for us to be able to express our femme spirit openly and fabulously! In particular we honor the brave, fierce and fabulous Drag Queens who sparked the flame that ignited the rebellion at The Stonewall Inn, which started the Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender Rights movement. We do this by having an annual "Drag March." We meet on the Friday before Pride Sunday every year in Thompkins Square Park at Dusk. Then we have a neo-Pagan Spiritual Circle where we invoke the spirit of our Stonewall Sisters and the energies of Drag. Then we have a March to The Stonewall Inn, the place where the civil rights movement started on the last Sunday of June in 1969. Lots of Drag Queens, Drag Kings, Club kids, Gender Benders, Transsexuals, Cross-Dressers, friends, admirers, and supporters all get dolled up and participate. The NYPD helps escort us and stops traffic for us. The wonderful groups that get involved include the NYC Circle of Radical Faeries - a Queer alternative, spirituality and expression movement, La Petit Versallies - a drag performance group representing the gardens of the Lower East Side, and Church Ladies for Choice -an off-shoot from ACT UP who use drag to make fierce political statements at Civil rights and Pro Choice rallies and events.

















Photos: The Drag March; Clover Honey and Petit Versalles member; Clover Honey and a Church Lady for Choice; Cover Honey and Detective Thomas Verni NYPD.

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors tour

On Monday June 18, I attended Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Tour at Radio City Music Hall. The special tour provided funds for the LGBT Community's Hunam Rights Campaign and was sponsored by Logo Cable Television network. I adored Ms. Lauper's performance was ulta-fabulous and inspiring. I also loved Margaret Cho's vulgar, hysterical skits not to mention Erasure , The Dresend Dolls, Debbie Harry, The MisShapes, The Gossips and others. Rosie O'Donnell herself even joined in the fun when she took over as a drummer. La Lauper jokingly explained how the real reason Rosie left The View was to join her band. Bravo to all the the performers for raising much needed funds and sending out the important anti-discrimination message! After the concert we headed to the official After-party at LQ. The East Side duplex nightspot was luxurious and roomy. But unfortunately, Cyndi was a no-show. Actually, almost all the stage performers didn't show except for Beth Ditto from The Gossips. But of course I still had a marvelous time dancing, drinking and mingling with all the celebs that did show up. They including Randy Jones (Village People), Robyn Byrd, Marilyn Soko, David Noh (Gay City News), Joe Kovacs and Madame, Ryan Wolowski (Out & About TV), Sharyn Jackson (Go! NYC), Lovari, Nickolas, Dixie (Tupperweare Show), TJ the DJ, Howie V, Murray Hill and Drag Divas Epiphany, Mimi Imfirst, Trai La Trash and Lavern Cox.
























































Photos: Robyn Byrd, Randy Jones and Clover Honey; Clover Honey performing; Marilyn Soko, David Noh and Clover Honey; Clover Honey and Lovari; With Murray Hill; With TV host Ryan Woloski; With Joe Kovacs and Madame; with Gabriel Garcia.

Leather/Fetish - Folsome Street East

On Sunday, June18, It was time to dust off the leather, chains and whips and get ready for Folsom Street East, a New York City one and only S&M, Leather and Fetish Queer outdoor Block Party! It modeled after the infamous Folsom Street in San Francisco. This was the 11th Folsom Street East and this year it took place on West 28th Street near the infamous Leather Man's bar, The Eagle. GMSMA held the first Folsom Street East in 1997. Named after the famous Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco, the block party was an instant success, bringing our S/M-Leather-Fetish brothers and sisters together for a great celebration, while raising money to support worthy causes. Over the past 11 years, the success of FSE has enabled GMSMA to donate over $250,000 to support organizations like The LGBT Community Center, the NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, God’s Love We Deliver, and Rivington House.

I ran into Eddie, who has a fetish for being treated like a horse and gave me such a fun house and buggy ride around the block after my stage performance. I also loved seeing my friends from MAN (Males Au Natural) Nudist group, Metro Gay Wrestling, NYC Gay Men's Chorus, Radical Faeries, Foot Friends and others. It was a fantastic way to have fun and celebrate our unique, delicious, tantalizing and varied sexuality while raising funds for worthy causes! I loved seeing and having fun with HX publisher Matt Banks, Michael Musto (Village Voice), TV hosts Ryan Wolowski and Randy Wicker, Frances Legge, Paul Nordico, Empress B and Emperor Craig Hollywood, J. Michale Reeds, Evan Laurence, Chorus Butch Bryan, Jed Ryan (PM magazine editor) and others!






















































































Photos: Clover Honey getting a Horse and Buggy ride with Eddie; Clover Honey with model Jake Gifford; Clover Honey with Michael Musto; NYCGMC Butch Bryan; Eddie; Empress B; Nudits Paul; Francis, Clover and Tommy; Brandon, Clover and Mike; Clover and Angelo.

A Four Letter Word - Movie Premiere

On June 9th, it was time to attend the NYC Premiere screening an enticing film that I had a small role in, the Casper Andreas production of A Four Letter Word. It premiered at Loews 34th Street Cinema and the after-party was at Pieces Lounge. I had a small role in a Bridal shower scene where the Bride-to-be was a Fag Hag and had Drag Queen attendees instead of girlfriends. It was a fun scene that was filmed last August. It was so much fun to be reunited with cast members. Casper Andreas directed the film that was co-written by him and Jesse Archer. Jesse also plays one of the lead characters, Luke. It was also great to see Charlie David (Dante's Cove) again. He played Stephen, the other lead role in the film. You know that any film with two such gorgeous leads and a Drag Bridal Shower scene with me has got to be an amazing smash hit! Tony Sawicki and Stephanie Butler also come to the gala premiere and we video taped a segment for Under the Pink Carpet. Virginia Bryan (Marilyn), RJ Rolley (Derek), Allison Lane (Trishia), Margret R.R. Echeverria (Audrey) and others from the film were at the event to celebrate the NYC premiere, great reviews and a fabulous completion of a great Gay love story and comedy, A Four Letter Word.

















Photos: Clover Honey and Jesse Archer; AFLW Poster; Charlie David and Clover Honey; Margret Echeverria, Clover Honey and Allison Lane.

Yo, Brooklyn!!

On Thursday, June 7, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz held a huge celebration gala commemorating LGBT Pride right in the Grand Rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall. I provided entertainment by impersonating Brooklyn gal Mae West and Howie V impersonated Cher. For once Marty wasn’t the biggest personality in the room! I sang “I’m Just a Little Girl from Brooklyn” changing Little Rock to Brooklyn - the classic hit from “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” during the ceremony. I entertained again during the dinner reception. Other entertainers included vocalist Jeannie Sol and R&B Singer Michael Ashanti.

“When I say Brooklyn is ‘proud home to everyone from everywhere,’ I always emphasize the word ‘proud,’” said Markowitz. “And I will say it loud: Brooklyn is proud of its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender population, and we are all truly the richer for it.”

The following were recognized for their passion and work for visibility, community service, and equality in Brooklyn and the world at large: Gary Parker, co-chair of Lambda Independent Democrats; Susan Summer, Esq., senior counsel of Lambda Legal; and the Rainbow Heights Club. Attending were Marc Levine - President, Gay Straight Alliance of NY State Courts, Mickey Heller, Esq., Bob Zuckerman of Lambda Independent Democrats, Brad Snyder -LGBT Law Association of Greater NY, Jerry Allred - Brough President’s Liason to the LGBT Community and others.

Photos: Howie V as "Cher" Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowits, and Clover Honey as Brooklyn Gal Mae West; Clover Honey posing at Brooklyn Brough Hall