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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
Flaggg reemerged the gay scene the 1970s, but the orig stori vary. The are the “flaggers” – performg one of the only exclively gay art forms existence – and if you’ve ever toyed wh the ia of givg the flags a twirl, now is your chance.