Arts & Entertainment
Drag queen blasts Katy Perry for not paying queens for video shoot
the pop star has been accused of only offering exposure for work
Drag queen Vicky Vox is slamming Katy Perry for allegedly not paying drag queens to appear in her music video.
Vox claims Perry was “begging” drag queens to work on the two-day shoot but without pay. Instead, the pop star’s team said that the queens would receive exposure for their work. Vox noted that they still deserved to be paid for their time.
You know what fuck this … there’s a pop star begging drag queens to do a music video for two days with no pay, they own costumes and all
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
It wasn’t until we all said NOPE… that they said maybe there might be some budget. But they’ll get back to us tomorrow? No, fuck this.
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
You need to know today, you stressed that. Do you think we just like to prance around for sugarplum dreams? Bitch, THIS IS FUCKING WORK.
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
Drag queens should not have to beg you to value them. Not only is it insulting you asked them to value themselves as worthless…
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
You were going to USE them for your gain. Then say maybe when they say their time is valuable … you say maybe … NO!
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
Yes, I have receipts. I also don’t think the person whose video this is would be doing this on purpose. But, really tho, SHE KNOWS BETTER.
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
I’m so fucking hot. I’m tired of asking that people see me. Some people need to pay rent. They don’t make thousands a night.
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
Yo, @katyperry .. just so it’s clear. I had love for you. Your team fucked up pic.twitter.com/Jv7i4N9xp5
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
Vox also threw some shade at “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums who she claims did accept the exposure deal.
HOWEVER, apparently drag race girls said they’d do it for free… and local girls said respect my time. Fame chasers vs paper chasers
— VICKY VOX (@TheVickyVox) July 12, 2017
Perry has had a rocky relationship with drag queens this year. She reportedly removed drag queens from her “Saturday Night Live” performance because rap trio Migos wasn’t comfortable performing with them.
a&e features
Eastern Shore chef named James Beard Finalist
Harley Peet creates inventive food in an inclusive space
In a small Eastern Shore town filled with boutiques, galleries, and the occasional cry of waterfowl from the Chesapeake, Chef Harley Peet is most at home. In his Viennese-inflected, Maryland-sourced fine-dining destination Bas Rouge, Peet draws from his Northern Michigan upbringing, Culinary Institute of America education, and identity as a gay man, for inspiration.
And recently, Peet was named a James Beard Finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic – the first “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” finalist representing the Eastern Shore.
Peet, after graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, took a position as sous chef at Tilghman Island Inn, not far from Bas Rouge. Falling in love with the Eastern Shore, he continued his passion for racing sailboats, boating, gardening, and fishing, and living his somewhat pastoral life as he opened Bas Rouge in 2016 as head chef, a restaurant part of the Bluepoint Hospitality group, which runs more than a dozen concepts in and around Easton, Md.
Coming from a rural area and being gay, Peet knew he had his work cut out for him. He was always aware that the service and hospitality industry “can be down and dirty and rough.”
Now as a leader in the kitchen, he aims to “set a good example, and treat people how I want to be treated. I also want to make sure if you’re at our establishment, I’m the first to stand up and say something.”
The Bas Rouge cuisine, he says, is Contemporary European. “I’m inspired by old-world techniques of countries like Austria, Germany, and France, but I love putting a new spin on classic dishes and finding innovative ways to incorporate the bounty of local Chesapeake ingredients.”
His proudest dish: the humble-yet-elevated Wiener Schnitzel. “It is authentic to what one would expect to find in Vienna, down to the Lingonberries.” From his in-house bakery, Peet dries and grinds the housemade Kaiser-Semmel bread to use as the breadcrumbs.
Peet works to support the LGBTQ community inside and outside of the kitchen. “I love that our Bluepoint Hospitality team has created welcoming spaces where our patrons feel comfortable dining at each of our establishments. Our staff have a genuine respect for one another and work together free of judgment.”
Representing Bluepoint, Peet has participated in events like Chefs for Equality with the Human Rights Campaign, advocating for LGBTQ rights.
At Bas Rouge, Peet brings together his passion for inclusion steeped in a sustainability ethic. He sees environmental stewardship as a way of life. Peet and his husband have lived and worked on their own organic farm for several years. Through research in Europe, he learned about international marine sourcing. Witnessing the impacts of overfishing, Peet considers his own role in promoting eco-friendly practices at Bas Rouge. To that end, he ensures responsible sourcing commitments through his purveyors, relationships that have helped create significant change in how people dine in Easton.
“I have built great relationships in the community and there’s nothing better than one of our long-standing purveyors stopping in with a cooler of fresh fish from the Chesapeake Bay. This goes especially for catching and plating the invasive blue catfish species, which helps control the species’ threat to the local ecosystem.
Through his kitchen exploits, Peet expressed a unique connection to another gay icon in a rural fine-dining restaurant: Patrick O’Connell, of three Michelin starred Inn at Little Washington. In fact, Peet’s husband helped design some of O’Connell’s kitchen spaces. They’ve both been able to navigate treacherous restaurant-industry waters, and have come out triumphant and celebrated. Of O’Connell, Peet says that he “sees [his restaurants] as canvas, all artistry, he sees this as every night is a show.” But at the same time, his “judgment-free space makes him a role model.”
Being in Easton itself is not without challenges. Sourcing is a challenge, having to either fly or ship in ingredients, whereas urban restaurants have the benefit of trucking, he says. The small town “is romantic and charming,” but logistics are difficult – one of the reasons that Peet ensures his team is diverse, building in different viewpoints, and also “making things a hell of a lot more fun.”
Reflecting on challenges and finding (and creating) space on the Eastern Shore, Peet confirmed how important it was to surround himself with people who set a good example, and “if you don’t like the way something is going … move on.”
Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering the @NatlCannaFest at RFK Stadium for @WashBlade . Stop by the LGBTQ+ booth and pick up a paper if you are here. pic.twitter.com/is7hnsaPns
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) April 20, 2024
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