It was a simple topic, I thought: how we, the gay muny, beme synonymo wh foldg fans. You know the on – those obnox handheld vic that make loud, ear-piercg sounds, producg a soundtrack at circu parti. But I was wrong.
Contents:
- THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS
- THE MYSTER ORIGS OF THE FOLDG FAN IN GAY CULTURE
- FLAGGG: A HISTORY OF THE DANCE THAT HEALED THE QUEER COMMUNY“IT WAS BEE OF AIDS THAT WE STARTED TO GATHER THE LARGE NUMBERS.”{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY MIKE MIKSCHEOCTOBER 19, 2018/1:34 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:533PX;WIDTH:800PX;}JOE LANNGBY MIKE MIKSCHEOCTOBER 19, 2018 / 1:34 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"FLAGGG: A HISTORY OF THE DANCE THAT HEALED THE QUEER COMMUNY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-10-19T17:34:54.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-10-19T17:34:54.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"MIKE MIKSCHE","KEYWORDS":"LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO A CIRCU PARTY, YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN FLAGGERS DANCG AND TWIRLG TIE-DYE SILK FABRICS TO THE BEAT, AS IF THEY’RE DRAWG MIL NOT BY HAND. FLAGGG IS SIAR TO POI—THE SPNG OF WEIGHTS ON A TETHER, OFTEN WH FIRE OR LED LIGHTS ON THE ENDS—BUT STEAD SILK, POLY SILK, NYLON, AND LAMé FABRIC WH WEIGHTS SEWN THE HEM TO ALLOW THE FLAGS TO FLOW. TO AN OUTSIR, THE FLAGS MAY SEEM LIKE A NOVEL PARTY PROP, BUT TTH, THEY’RE PART OF A QUEER ART FORM WH EMOTNAL AND SPIRUAL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ROBERT GOMEZ, WHO’S BEEN WORKG HARD TO KEEP THE ART FORM ALIVE NEW YORK CY THROUGH HIS GROUP, NYC FLAGGER INVASN, IS NO EXCEPTN. GOMEZ AND HIS LATE HBAND, JEFF HETTGER (THE FOUNR OF NYC FLAGGER INVASN), ED TO GO TO NIGHTCLUBS TOGETHER. BUT BACK THEN, HETTGER WOULD FLAG ON HIS OWN. INSTEAD OF JOG , GOMEZ WOULD FOLLOW HIS PARTNER WH TWO UV FLASHLIGHTS TO HELP THE FLAGS BE MORE VISIBLE THE CLUBS (THE PATTERNS ON FLAGS GENERALLY E FLUORCENT DY SO THEY POP UNR BLACK LIGHTS).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I DID THAT FOR LIKE FOUR YEARS," GOMEZ TELLS NEWNOWNEXT, "AND ONE DAY I JT LOOKED AT HIS MOVEMENT WHEN I WAS DOG FLASHLIGHTS AND I WENT UP TO HIM: ‘CAN I BORROW YOUR FLAGS FOR A SEND?’ THEN I DID THE MOVEMENT AND REALIZED THAT I HAD DOWN." THAT WAS 2010. “AND MY HBAND SAID, ‘I WAS WONRG HOW LONG WAS GOG TO TAKE YOU TO FIGURE THAT OUT.’”JOE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FROM LEFT: JEFF HETTGER AND ROBERT GOMEZ FLAG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PEOPLE FLY FLAGS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WHETHER ’S FOR ARTISTIC EXPRSN, A WAY TO CELEBRATE OR ATTRACT ATTENTN, OR TO JT BLOW OFF STEAM. FOR GOMEZ, HEIGHTENS HIS DANCE EXPERIENCE: AS THE SILK FLAGS MOVE ACROSS HIS SK, THEY RAISE HIS ENDORPHS AND FEELGS OF SENSUALY. FLAGGG HAD ALSO STRENGTHENED THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN GOMEZ AND HETTGER. BEG A NON-VERBAL ART, THE ACT OF DOG TOGETHER MA THEM MORE TUNE WH EACH OTHER’S BODI, A NNECTN THAT NTUED EVEN WHEN THEY WEREN’T ON THE DANCE FLOOR. THEY WERE ABLE TO MUNITE BETTER DAY TO DAY WHOUT HAVG TO SAY A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“WHEN WE WOULD E TO A DIFFICULT POT OUR RELATNSHIP, WE WOULD ACTUALLY BOTH START ACTIVELY LOOKG FOR A DANCE CLUB TO GO TO SO WE ULD LIFT OUR MOOD AND CHANGE OUR HEADSPACE. WE WOULD FLAG TOGETHER, TOWARD EACH OTHER. IT WAS HEALG BEE WE WERE MUNITG NON-VERBALLY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:75%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE ORIGS OF THIS TRANSFORMATIVE ART ARE AMBIGUO. IT’S ARGUED THAT FLAGGG DAT BACK TO LBIAN AVANT-GAR DANCER LOIE FULLER, WHO BEME KNOWN FOR HER UNIQUE SKIRT DANC THE 1890S THAT UTILIZED SILKS WH LORED LIGHTS. OF URSE, DANC THAT EMPLOY SKIRTS HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG BEFORE THAT—BE NN OR WHIRLG DANCE—BUT FULLER’S WORK WAS DIFFERENT: HER PSYCHELIC EXPLOSNS OF FLOWG SILKS IS WHAT MOST VISUALLY REMBL WHAT WE KNOW AS FLAGGG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FLAGGG REEMERGED THE GAY SCENE THE 1970S, BUT THE ORIG STORI VARY. SOME SAY THAT ME THE FORM OF FANS, AND SOME SAY WEIGHTED HANKI AND SWEATY TE. IT HAS ALSO BEEN MORED THAT FLAGGG HAS BEEN AROUND AT LEAST AS LONG AS THE FIRST CIRCU-TYPE PARTI SAN FRANCIS, NEW YORK CY, AND ON FIRE ISLAND, BUT S REEMERGENCE HAS ALSO BEEN PEGGED TO THE LEATHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“NOBODY ALIVE NOW REALLY KNOWS JACK SH, ANYWAY,” SAYS LEGENDARY FANNER CANDIDA STT PIEL, WHO SPECTS THAT VAR MUNI MIGHT HAVE THEIR OWN ORIG STORI. PIEL HAS BEEN WORKG HARD SCE THE ‘90S TO STA FAN DANCG, A DANCE WHICH HAS SIAR MOVEMENTS TO FLAGGG AND IS ROOTED WH THE SAME MUNY. DUE TO THE SECRECY SURROUNDG FLAGGERS, AND THE SAD FACT THAT THE AIDS EPIMIC TOOK THE LIV OF MANY THE SCENE, WE MAY NEVER KNOW THE TE ORIGS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHILE THERE WAS A LULL THE SCENE DURG THE WORST OF THE EPIMIC, ACRDG TO XAVIER CAYLOR, A NEW WAVE OF FLAGGG ME ALONG THE MID-90S, WHICH HE RRELAT WH THE ADVENT OF EFFECTIVE HIV TREATMENT. CAYLOR, WHO HAS BEEN FLAGGG FOR 21 YEARS AND IS THE PRODUCER OF FLAGGG THE PARK SAN FRANCIS, SAYS, “IT WAS BEE OF AIDS THAT WE STARTED TO GATHER THE LARGE NUMBERS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“PEOPLE HAD BEEN HAVG PARTI TO RAISE FUNDS,” HE ADDS. “I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT THE CIRCU WAS BUILT ON. PEOPLE WOULD TRAVEL OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY SO THAT WAY THEY ULD GO TO THE PARTI, BUT THE CEPTN WAS BEE THEY WERE RAISG MONEY FOR PEOPLE WH AIDS.”JOE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE [AROUND] AFTER THE ‘80S AND ‘90S, WHEN THEIR HEALTH GOT BETTER, THEY FOUND FLAGGG,” SAYS GOMEZ, “AND THEY FOUND A SOURCE OF HEALG BEE THEY WERE ABLE TO FALLY MEDATE AND RELAX AND SELF-EXPRS A WAY THAT THEY HADN’T BEEN ABLE TO BEFORE THE EPIMIC.” GOMEZ’S HBAND WAS ONE OF THOSE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CAYLOR CLAIMS THAT THE FLAGGG SCENE IS THRIVG SAN FRANCIS, WHILE, ACRDG TO GOMEZ, NEW YORK CY IS SEEG YET ANOTHER CLE. WH CLUB SIZ SHRKG THE CY, THERE’S LS ROOM FOR THE MUNY TO DO THEIR THG. GOMEZ, WHO’S BASED NEW YORK, SAYS THAT THEY N TAKE THEIR SILKS OUT ON THE DANCE FLOOR FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE FILLS UP. SOME PROMOTERS AREN’T ALLOWG THEM UP ON STAGE EHER, SCE SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM DUE TO THE LED LIGHTS, WHICH WASN’T SO MUCH OF A PROBLEM YEARS PAST. THE FEAR NOW IS THAT THE LIGHTG ULD BE DAMAGED BY THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I THK ALL ACROSS THE UNTRY EVERYBODY IS HAVG A LTLE B MORE OF AN ISSUE. MORE PRODUCERS ARE NOT LETTG FLAGGERS ON THE STAGE BEE ONCE YOU HAVE THE STAGE YOU N STAY UP THERE ALL NIGHT.”JOE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GOMEZ HAS MA HIS MISSN TO MAKE FLAGGG MORE VISIBLE AND ACCEPTED CLUBS TODAY. “IT BASILLY IS JT ABOUT KEEPG NEW PEOPLE EXPOSED AND BEG PART OF THE MUNY,” HE SAYS. AS WELL AS NNG HIS WEEKLY GROUP, GOMEZ ANIZ CENTRAL PARK FLAGGER INVASN, WHICH HAPPENS ONCE A MONTH OM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER CENTRAL PARS. IN ADDN TO ORDATG, HIS GROUP FLAGS AT FOLSOM STREET EAST, NYC PRI MARCH, AND AT PRI ISLAND ON THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“[MY PARTNER] STARTED ALL OF THIS HERE NEW YORK AND WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM,” GOMEZ EXPLAS. “AND WHEN HE PASSED, THERE WERE A FEW THGS THAT HE’D ALREADY SET TO MOTN THAT I HAD TO MAKE SURE GOT RRIED OUT. THEY WERE HIS EVENTS, AND I FOUND THAT [GETTG VOLVED] WAS A [WAY] FOR ME TO WORK THROUGH MY GRIEF.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}LGBTQ HISTORY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS
Gay revelers (and their lucky straight iends) are wavg their arms, strikg genue pos and shamelsly sgg along to the sugary 45-year-old pop standard that’s bee synonymo wh queer nightlife. ” and “Macho Man” for themselv, but there’s no way they’ll take this one om to multiple stage and screen rnatns of “Mamma Mia!, ” fabuloly garish stum om gay signer Owe Sandström and nsummately crafted songs more retroactively popular than their ’70s and early ’80s heyday, ABBA has for s been the bull’s-eye of the LGBTQ mil universe. Ostensibly cheerful but packed wh drama and peppered wh Sndavian melancholy, the Stockholm mixed-genr quartet’s pop has blueprted the glz of untls gay and gay-iendly acts om Kylie Mogue to Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert to Lil Nas X — a sgular achievement for a band that hadn’t pleted an album 40 years.
This week releasg “Voyage, ” s first new LP sce 1981 and a teaser for next year’s London ncerts featurg 3D avatars, ABBA is to many gay fans what the Rollg Ston are to straights — archetyp whose appeal transcends time, place and age. While even ins like Madonna polarize opn, nearly every lor of the gay rabow agre on wasn’t always the se. Back when Donna Summer reigned as disputable dancg queen, ABBA didn’t get much gay club play, not even you-know-what.
THE MYSTER ORIGS OF THE FOLDG FAN IN GAY CULTURE
Y, there were exceptns: Larry Levan — the fluential gay Black DJ at New York’s legendary and largely Black/LGBTQ Paradise Garage — adored Cher’s “Take Me Home.
” But gay DJs and their dienc mostly favored unrground divas and obscure orchtral matros they disvered and popularized, not succsful pop acts plucked om AM changed the early ’80s when the U. Straight clubs shifted to eclectic funk and new wave, but the well of speedy gay dancefloor arias nearly ran dry.
” “The first time he did that, was a mistake, ” rells Robbie Llie, DJ veteran of New York Cy’s the Sat, the ultimate ’80s gay dis. ”Like Llie’s siarly beloved mix of Jimmy Ruff’s “Hold on to My Love, ” Rodriguez’s ABBA transformatn appeared only on Dis, a gay-owned subscriptn remix service. This forced a 12-ch release overseas of “Lay All Your Love on Me’s” paratively ordary LP cut that prerved the exclivy of Rodriguez’s versn, while s longevy proved that dancers — particularly gay on — still craved fast and lty club anthems.
FLAGGG: A HISTORY OF THE DANCE THAT HEALED THE QUEER COMMUNY“IT WAS BEE OF AIDS THAT WE STARTED TO GATHER THE LARGE NUMBERS.”{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY MIKE MIKSCHEOCTOBER 19, 2018/1:34 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:533PX;WIDTH:800PX;}JOE LANNGBY MIKE MIKSCHEOCTOBER 19, 2018 / 1:34 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"FLAGGG: A HISTORY OF THE DANCE THAT HEALED THE QUEER COMMUNY","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2018-10-19T17:34:54.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2018-10-19T17:34:54.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"MIKE MIKSCHE","KEYWORDS":"LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO A CIRCU PARTY, YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN FLAGGERS DANCG AND TWIRLG TIE-DYE SILK FABRICS TO THE BEAT, AS IF THEY’RE DRAWG MIL NOT BY HAND. FLAGGG IS SIAR TO POI—THE SPNG OF WEIGHTS ON A TETHER, OFTEN WH FIRE OR LED LIGHTS ON THE ENDS—BUT STEAD SILK, POLY SILK, NYLON, AND LAMé FABRIC WH WEIGHTS SEWN THE HEM TO ALLOW THE FLAGS TO FLOW. TO AN OUTSIR, THE FLAGS MAY SEEM LIKE A NOVEL PARTY PROP, BUT TTH, THEY’RE PART OF A QUEER ART FORM WH EMOTNAL AND SPIRUAL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ROBERT GOMEZ, WHO’S BEEN WORKG HARD TO KEEP THE ART FORM ALIVE NEW YORK CY THROUGH HIS GROUP, NYC FLAGGER INVASN, IS NO EXCEPTN. GOMEZ AND HIS LATE HBAND, JEFF HETTGER (THE FOUNR OF NYC FLAGGER INVASN), ED TO GO TO NIGHTCLUBS TOGETHER. BUT BACK THEN, HETTGER WOULD FLAG ON HIS OWN. INSTEAD OF JOG , GOMEZ WOULD FOLLOW HIS PARTNER WH TWO UV FLASHLIGHTS TO HELP THE FLAGS BE MORE VISIBLE THE CLUBS (THE PATTERNS ON FLAGS GENERALLY E FLUORCENT DY SO THEY POP UNR BLACK LIGHTS).{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I DID THAT FOR LIKE FOUR YEARS," GOMEZ TELLS NEWNOWNEXT, "AND ONE DAY I JT LOOKED AT HIS MOVEMENT WHEN I WAS DOG FLASHLIGHTS AND I WENT UP TO HIM: ‘CAN I BORROW YOUR FLAGS FOR A SEND?’ THEN I DID THE MOVEMENT AND REALIZED THAT I HAD DOWN." THAT WAS 2010. “AND MY HBAND SAID, ‘I WAS WONRG HOW LONG WAS GOG TO TAKE YOU TO FIGURE THAT OUT.’”JOE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FROM LEFT: JEFF HETTGER AND ROBERT GOMEZ FLAG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}PEOPLE FLY FLAGS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WHETHER ’S FOR ARTISTIC EXPRSN, A WAY TO CELEBRATE OR ATTRACT ATTENTN, OR TO JT BLOW OFF STEAM. FOR GOMEZ, HEIGHTENS HIS DANCE EXPERIENCE: AS THE SILK FLAGS MOVE ACROSS HIS SK, THEY RAISE HIS ENDORPHS AND FEELGS OF SENSUALY. FLAGGG HAD ALSO STRENGTHENED THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN GOMEZ AND HETTGER. BEG A NON-VERBAL ART, THE ACT OF DOG TOGETHER MA THEM MORE TUNE WH EACH OTHER’S BODI, A NNECTN THAT NTUED EVEN WHEN THEY WEREN’T ON THE DANCE FLOOR. THEY WERE ABLE TO MUNITE BETTER DAY TO DAY WHOUT HAVG TO SAY A {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“WHEN WE WOULD E TO A DIFFICULT POT OUR RELATNSHIP, WE WOULD ACTUALLY BOTH START ACTIVELY LOOKG FOR A DANCE CLUB TO GO TO SO WE ULD LIFT OUR MOOD AND CHANGE OUR HEADSPACE. WE WOULD FLAG TOGETHER, TOWARD EACH OTHER. IT WAS HEALG BEE WE WERE MUNITG NON-VERBALLY.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;POSN:RELATIVE;PADDG-BOTTOM:75%;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;POSN:ABSOLUTE;HEIGHT:100% !IMPORTANT;WIDTH:100% !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE ORIGS OF THIS TRANSFORMATIVE ART ARE AMBIGUO. IT’S ARGUED THAT FLAGGG DAT BACK TO LBIAN AVANT-GAR DANCER LOIE FULLER, WHO BEME KNOWN FOR HER UNIQUE SKIRT DANC THE 1890S THAT UTILIZED SILKS WH LORED LIGHTS. OF URSE, DANC THAT EMPLOY SKIRTS HAVE BEEN AROUND LONG BEFORE THAT—BE NN OR WHIRLG DANCE—BUT FULLER’S WORK WAS DIFFERENT: HER PSYCHELIC EXPLOSNS OF FLOWG SILKS IS WHAT MOST VISUALLY REMBL WHAT WE KNOW AS FLAGGG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FLAGGG REEMERGED THE GAY SCENE THE 1970S, BUT THE ORIG STORI VARY. SOME SAY THAT ME THE FORM OF FANS, AND SOME SAY WEIGHTED HANKI AND SWEATY TE. IT HAS ALSO BEEN MORED THAT FLAGGG HAS BEEN AROUND AT LEAST AS LONG AS THE FIRST CIRCU-TYPE PARTI SAN FRANCIS, NEW YORK CY, AND ON FIRE ISLAND, BUT S REEMERGENCE HAS ALSO BEEN PEGGED TO THE LEATHER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“NOBODY ALIVE NOW REALLY KNOWS JACK SH, ANYWAY,” SAYS LEGENDARY FANNER CANDIDA STT PIEL, WHO SPECTS THAT VAR MUNI MIGHT HAVE THEIR OWN ORIG STORI. PIEL HAS BEEN WORKG HARD SCE THE ‘90S TO STA FAN DANCG, A DANCE WHICH HAS SIAR MOVEMENTS TO FLAGGG AND IS ROOTED WH THE SAME MUNY. DUE TO THE SECRECY SURROUNDG FLAGGERS, AND THE SAD FACT THAT THE AIDS EPIMIC TOOK THE LIV OF MANY THE SCENE, WE MAY NEVER KNOW THE TE ORIGS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHILE THERE WAS A LULL THE SCENE DURG THE WORST OF THE EPIMIC, ACRDG TO XAVIER CAYLOR, A NEW WAVE OF FLAGGG ME ALONG THE MID-90S, WHICH HE RRELAT WH THE ADVENT OF EFFECTIVE HIV TREATMENT. CAYLOR, WHO HAS BEEN FLAGGG FOR 21 YEARS AND IS THE PRODUCER OF FLAGGG THE PARK SAN FRANCIS, SAYS, “IT WAS BEE OF AIDS THAT WE STARTED TO GATHER THE LARGE NUMBERS.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“PEOPLE HAD BEEN HAVG PARTI TO RAISE FUNDS,” HE ADDS. “I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT THE CIRCU WAS BUILT ON. PEOPLE WOULD TRAVEL OM ALL OVER THE UNTRY SO THAT WAY THEY ULD GO TO THE PARTI, BUT THE CEPTN WAS BEE THEY WERE RAISG MONEY FOR PEOPLE WH AIDS.”JOE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE [AROUND] AFTER THE ‘80S AND ‘90S, WHEN THEIR HEALTH GOT BETTER, THEY FOUND FLAGGG,” SAYS GOMEZ, “AND THEY FOUND A SOURCE OF HEALG BEE THEY WERE ABLE TO FALLY MEDATE AND RELAX AND SELF-EXPRS A WAY THAT THEY HADN’T BEEN ABLE TO BEFORE THE EPIMIC.” GOMEZ’S HBAND WAS ONE OF THOSE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}CAYLOR CLAIMS THAT THE FLAGGG SCENE IS THRIVG SAN FRANCIS, WHILE, ACRDG TO GOMEZ, NEW YORK CY IS SEEG YET ANOTHER CLE. WH CLUB SIZ SHRKG THE CY, THERE’S LS ROOM FOR THE MUNY TO DO THEIR THG. GOMEZ, WHO’S BASED NEW YORK, SAYS THAT THEY N TAKE THEIR SILKS OUT ON THE DANCE FLOOR FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE FILLS UP. SOME PROMOTERS AREN’T ALLOWG THEM UP ON STAGE EHER, SCE SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM DUE TO THE LED LIGHTS, WHICH WASN’T SO MUCH OF A PROBLEM YEARS PAST. THE FEAR NOW IS THAT THE LIGHTG ULD BE DAMAGED BY THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“I THK ALL ACROSS THE UNTRY EVERYBODY IS HAVG A LTLE B MORE OF AN ISSUE. MORE PRODUCERS ARE NOT LETTG FLAGGERS ON THE STAGE BEE ONCE YOU HAVE THE STAGE YOU N STAY UP THERE ALL NIGHT.”JOE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}GOMEZ HAS MA HIS MISSN TO MAKE FLAGGG MORE VISIBLE AND ACCEPTED CLUBS TODAY. “IT BASILLY IS JT ABOUT KEEPG NEW PEOPLE EXPOSED AND BEG PART OF THE MUNY,” HE SAYS. AS WELL AS NNG HIS WEEKLY GROUP, GOMEZ ANIZ CENTRAL PARK FLAGGER INVASN, WHICH HAPPENS ONCE A MONTH OM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER CENTRAL PARS. IN ADDN TO ORDATG, HIS GROUP FLAGS AT FOLSOM STREET EAST, NYC PRI MARCH, AND AT PRI ISLAND ON THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}“[MY PARTNER] STARTED ALL OF THIS HERE NEW YORK AND WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM,” GOMEZ EXPLAS. “AND WHEN HE PASSED, THERE WERE A FEW THGS THAT HE’D ALREADY SET TO MOTN THAT I HAD TO MAKE SURE GOT RRIED OUT. THEY WERE HIS EVENTS, AND I FOUND THAT [GETTG VOLVED] WAS A [WAY] FOR ME TO WORK THROUGH MY GRIEF.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}LGBTQ HISTORY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
In 1982, ABBA’s North Amerin label issued s kdred uptempo tune “The Visors” as a sgle, but once aga, a gay subscriptn-only remix service, Hot Tracks, supplied the extend ABBA that year rerd what would be for s s fal ssns, U. Producers such as Stock Aken Waterman filled the void wh gay-targeted “hi-NRG” tracks that crossed to the mastream via Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Mogue and Summer, while everyone om the Lat Rasls to the Pet Shop Boys replited Rodriguez’s mache-gun hi-NRG ran s urse, England’s Erasure released 1992’s “Abba-que, ” a love letter of ver versns. Its gay lead sger, Andy Bell, and his straight synth sikick Vce Clarke even re-created their source material’s “Take a Chance on Me” vio drag, wh U.
In 1994, the oldi promently popped up the movi “Muriel’s Weddg, ” which gave gay fave Toni Collette her big break, and “The Adventur of Priscilla, Queen of the Dert, ” a trans-tastic road edy. At the absolute nadir of the AIDS plague, ABBA was reborn to paragons of gloom-relievg if bombastic outfs and bubblegum hooks had been the only gear ABBA gave to LGBTQ culture, s gay appeal would’ve plummeted after the lifavg arrival of antiviral cktails.
Our survival strategy has always been to unter hate wh love; we manift gayns to endure s on the most fundamental level, ABBA’s heterosexualy is more overt than the straightt rock dus. Lbian separatists and gay male misogynists might gmble, but most of relish ABBA’s unmatched genr pary and equaly.