I woke up this morning to the news of another attack on the LGBTQ community, this time at a nightclub in Colorado Springs. At the time of this posting, five people are dead with another 18 injured. The suspect is being treated and is in police custody.
This hit a little too close to home.
Last night, my youngest daughter and I attended an all ages drag show at a club in downtown Minneapolis. We’re in town for a cheer competition but we happened to drive by the club/diner on our way in and decided to check it out.
Roxy’s Cabaret/Nicollet Diner opened on October 1. After nearly three years of delays due to Covid, construction and supply chain issues, the project was finally a reality. A video played at the start of the show tells its story.
Roxy’s is hard to miss, quite frankly. The sign out front is topped with a huge red rotating stiletto heel, the building’s facade is bright white and well-lit. There’s a 24 hour diner, a cozy cabaret and a rooftop bar and cocktail space, all in the same building.
I wasn’t sure it would be open to all ages (my daughter loves a good drag show), but Roxy’s website said, very plainly:
Everyone is welcome at Roxy's! We are a safe space for EVERYONE!
We will not get tangled in labels, genres, or demographics. Life is meant to be enjoyed by Everyone.
Everyone needs a break.
Everyone needs an escape.
And we did. We escaped the frigid temps outside and we took in the show. It was two hours of food, fun and a whole lot of fantastic. It drew a diverse group of folks, too. Gay, straight, young, old, different races and genders.
I snapped a picture of the sign above just as we were leaving. I remember thinking that it was truly something to have a place like Roxy’s in a city like Minneapolis, a city that’s still in recovery after the violence and unrest that ensued after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“Guns banned on premise.” Of course they were. As they should be. There’s no place for violence at a drag show.
For a few minutes last night, I had hope. Hope that maybe, in small ways, we were turning the corner on accepting of our differences. Hope that maybe there were enough businesses willing to open their doors to everyone, regardless of gender, skin color or orientation. Hope that maybe violence isn’t the answer when we disagree. And then I woke up to the news of another shooting.
My heart is heavy today. I don’t know if I can make sense out of something so senseless. All I know if that I’ve had enough.
What Inspires Me?
At last night’s show at Roxy’s, there was a queen who’d been doing drag for 36 years, a 70 year-old lesbian who was attending her first drag show since the 1960’s and a family with two young girls (around 10 and 12-ish) who were experiencing drag for the first time. I smiled hearing their stories. They inspired me.
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I share your horror, Jody. When I saw that headline this morning I was overcome with sadness, anger, frustration and any number of other emotions. One step forward, two steps back -- we must keep advocating. (On a lighter note I noticed they welcome vegans.)