A Queen For Every Season

Most of us are lucky to see five, maybe six drag queens perform in a single evening. Tonight that number practically doubles when AIDS Housing Alliance/SF presents the Desperate Divas Grand Drag Pageant. The fund-raiser showcases glamorous production numbers by each of the 12 girls who appear in the Desperate Divas 2008 Calendar, including Raya Light, Anna Conda, and Candi Gurl. This year's theme is "Transitions," a concept malleable enough to support performances about puberty, cocoons, Southeast Asian sex-change operations, and plenty more. The panel of celebrity judges this year includes calendar photographer Kingmond Young, Louise Rizzo of indispensable drag enabler MAC cosmetics, and Brian Basinger, executive director of AHA/SF. The loudest audience response determines which three performers advance to a challenging question-and-answer session, and one lucky queen gets a throbbing 12-inch crown on her head, as well as the coveted title of Miss Desperate Diva 2008. Heklina and Miss Anita Fixx host the pageant.
Sat., Sept. 29, 7-11 p.m., 2007