The Not-So-Straight Road to Drag
28 | OutBoise Magazine | NEWS
OutBoisemag. com | Issue 19 | May 2016
The Not-So-Straight Road to Drag
By Desmond Slowe“ I thought,‘ Oh, my, God. What in the world is that?’”
It was a drag queen. In particularly, it was Gem Empress 29 Reba McEnwhat.
Sissy That Walk...
“ I was in the old Lucky Dog, on Front [ Street ], with a friend and walks in this voluptuous blond in this fabulous blue gown. Biggest hair I ever saw; covered in jewelry. I’ d never seen a drag queen before in my life. I‘ d never been in a gay bar in my entire life. I had no idea what any of this was. I asked my friend,‘ What’ s that?’”
“ My friend says,‘ I think her name is Reba. She is part of the Gem Court.”
Supermodel( You Better Work)
I am sharing a small table with Jim and Scott at the Flying M on a Saturday afternoon. It is a table for two but we manage to saddle up three chairs to it with three drinks, two large pastries, my recorder and notebook on the tabletop. The intimacy doesn’ t bother me; in fact, it makes the whole interview seem more personal. It is busy this Saturday and moments into our interview Jim and Scott greet friends who sit close to our table. This is the gay community. This is family.
“ I can give a quick background on me,” says Jim.
“ I was married 31 years. I got married clear back in 1977. I was going to school at Idaho State. My wife came down from the University of Idaho and finished up her teaching degree at Idaho State. She started teaching a local ] elementary while I finished up my degrees. We had a daughter. In 2003, like most gay men that are in [ opposite sex ] marriages, you finally realize this is not where you are supposed to be. It crescendo and it was time.”