Last night, I met up with Lustylady to attend the panel event and cocktail reception at the Milk Gallery. I spotted Choire Sicha when I came in, but I was too shy to say hello. The program was titled, “The Importance of Being Out, the Celebration of the Gay Artist". The panel discussion was moderated by Maer Roshan who read verbatim from his notes and asked some silly and somewhat repetitive questions. I am going to assume that he had some intern write the questions, because I don’t want to give him credit for it.
The best thing were the quotes by the panelists who were all sharp and witty.
On why she was on the panel, Chi Chi Valenti said, “I’m representing all the “fag hags!”
Larry Kramer: “Gay people are wonderful!”
Writer and Barney’s window dresser Simon Doonan said that he was “not waiting for a bunch of turds in the Midwest to approve of me.”
On explaining his creative subjects, playwright Doug Wright said, “I was predisposed to provocateurs.”
Bob Morris of the New York Times remarked, “The Style section is the Gay sports pages.” When asked about the proliferation of gay marriage, Morris also stated, “being gay and single is going to be the new smoking.”
Broadway Actress and comedian Lea Delaria stole the show with her comments, and I laughed too much to write them all down, when asked about a "lesbian sensibility" she said that "it had a lot to do with chai tea" and she ended with this funny quote upon asking how she would like to be remembered …"I’d like to be remembered as Mrs. Sigourney Weaver.”
The audience roared with laughter and I got up quickly to get a pina colada, introduce myself to Sarah Schulman and get outta there with a goodie bag. It was a GOOD bag, an Armani Exchange messenger bag with a $5 gift certificate for Daffy's and a miniature bottle of Sylk Cream liquour. I must attend more gays events, since straight people like me don’t get this type of stuff all the time.
