Arts & Entertainment
Donning heels
Annual October race inspires creativity, political statements
Stacy King as Catwoman. (Photo courtesy King)
17th Street High Heel Race
Tuesday, Oct. 24
Parade at 7 p.m.; race at 9
17th and R-JR.’s
Register at Cobalt
Some folks get so excited about the annual 17th Street High Heel Race, they start planning their costumes as soon as the race is over each year.
That’s the way it is for Stacy King, a local stylist who does drag on occasion as Carolina Sugabush.
“Pretty much as soon as it’s done, the next day I start thinking about what I want to do the next year,” the 43-year-old, longtime D.C. resident says. “I kind of, you know, look throughout the year and then something will just call to me.”
This year’s race, the 31st annual, is Tuesday, Oct. 24 (it’s always the Tuesday before Halloween) from 7-9 p.m. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ba’Naka and Ruby Corado are this year’s grand marshals. To volunteer, go to JR.’s at 6:30 p.m. for a volunteer shirt and instructions. Look for the event on Facebook for full details.
Last year about 150 raced. Thousands come each year to watch but just as popular, though, are people who come in creative drag just to see and be seen.
Whatever’s going on in news and pop culture is invariably reflected in each year’s getups. Last year Kim Davis was a big one. This year, expect everyone from Wonder Woman to Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
This is King’s fourth year going in drag though he attended several years previously as a spectator. He’s going as Mystique from “X-Men” this year and has gone as Jessica Rabbit and Catwoman in previous years.
King generally spends anywhere from $150-300 on his costume and though he mostly only wears it once, he says it’s still “totally worth it.”
The creativity involved — these are never just off-the-rack costumes from a Halloween shop — is a big part of the fun.
“They call to you from the crowd, the recognize the character, tons of people want pictures with you,” he says. “It’s validating and I like pleasing the crowd. … Every year, I’m not joking, it takes an hour to get through the crowd after it’s over just because so many people want photos. I’m always with my group of friends. … It’s insane.”
Rene Mejia performs as Kabuki B. Lee, a drag daughter of local drag legend Shi-Queeta-Lee. He works the drag brunch at Nellie’s every weekend and also performs at other events with Shi-Queeta. The first time he ever went out in drag was to the High Heel Race in 2012.
When Mejia spoke to the Blade (a sponsor of this year’s race) earlier this week, he and his drag pals were still deciding what their theme was going to be. He says they’re such pros, they can crank out a concept quickly.
“I have a couple sewing machines and some of the girls are pretty talented,” the 37-year-old Suitland, Md., resident says. “They can whip something up pretty fast and it will be awesome.”
In previous years, he’s gone as Betty Boop, the bride from “Kill Bill,” Amy Winehouse and Harley Quinn.
“It’s a fun platform for everyone who wants to say something either politically, socially or whatever, with a lot of humor and creativity,” Mejia says. “People really do put a lot of thought into it. It’s impressive. This is coming from someone who works in drag on the weekends. It’s really astonishing what some of them do.”
Stacy King as Jessica Rabbit. (Photo courtesy of King)
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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