Photograph: "Rita Beads" (1975-76)

Dublin Core

Title

Photograph: "Rita Beads" (1975-76)

Description

Image of Rita Beads performing at Parliament House, Orlando around 1975 to 1976. Rita Beads was the Comedy Queen among the Footlight players at Parliament House. Although not much is known about Rita, his male name Peter, what is known through Rusti Fawcett Hurd is that Peter became part of the leather scene back in the early 1980's. He would later marry and move to New Orleans. Hurd also explained that he has been told that Peter has since passed. Sam Singhaus comments that is this was called "Booger drag and she was quite funny."

Taken from Orlando Sentinel (21 Nov. 1976, Sun):
RITA BEADS. A professional drag queen for a year and a half, Rita has a built-in following- the other members of her motorcycle gang. "Your head has to be in the right place to do this," she says. "It was a joke, a hobby, to me at first, but then I got a following so I worked hard." Rita says she isn't in it for the money "obviously. Most of us need the recognition, but I would freeze on stage without makeup. It's role playing." She says she lives on what little she makes plus a government disability check for an automobile wreck she was in while in the armed services. Even in public, in male dress, Rita says she's recognized by people who've seen her perform. "And you can always tell the straights from the gays in the audience," she says. "our peers are really critical of us, but the straights bubble. I feel lucky audiences have always liked me. I've seen audiences throw things at queens they didn't like." And , sure, Rita says, almost every night there is a someone who asks her about getting into the business. "But most of them have no flair for it or they're too big. You have to have feminine features or you look awful.

Creator

Unknown

Source

Drag Album

Publisher

Unknown

Contributor

Rodriguez, Alexis

Rights

Images may be used for educational purposes only.
Image credit: Image courtesy of LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida.
For all other purposes please email: floridalgbtqmuseum@gmail.com

Format

image/jpeg

Type

Photograph

Coverage

Orlando

Date Available

7/4/2020

Date Created

1975-76

Rights Holder

LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida

Files

Rita_Beads370.jpg

Citation

Unknown, “Photograph: "Rita Beads" (1975-76),” LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida - Digital Archive, accessed March 29, 2024, https://floridalgbtqmuseum.omeka.net/items/show/737.

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