Photograph: Miss G with Billie Boots at Footlight Theatre"

Dublin Core

Title

Photograph: Miss G with Billie Boots at Footlight Theatre"

Description

Image of Miss G and Billie Boots at the Footlight Theatre at Parliament House, Orlando.

Billie Boots, known as "Florida's Queen Mother", began his drag career at an early age in the Daytona Beach area (he was an orphan and stripped as a woman in a carnival). He experimented with drag names such as Eva Paradise and Candy Barr until deciding to use his own name. He traveled throughout the United States with his partner of 21 years, Tubby Boots and worked as a seamstress for famous actresses and musicians. Although his health declined, he continued to serve the LGBTQ community through raising over $200,000 for local charities and HIV/AIDS service organizations, earning him the title "Florida's Queen Mother". Boots has earned several titles and awards such as Miss Gay Florida America (1974), Honorary Miss Florida F.L. (1997), Offical Miss Florida Queen Mother (1997) and much more. His last recorded performance was documented in the film "Queens for a Night", where Boots discusses the cultural changes and requirements in early drag performances and his experience being arrested. His contributions remains an important part within LGBTQ history of Florida and is felt through the presence of The Billie Boots Memorial Benefit for Outreach, which continues to raise funds for HIV/AIDS.

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

Unknown

Rights Holder

LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida

Files

Miss_G_Billie_Boots383.jpg

Citation

Unknown, “Photograph: Miss G with Billie Boots at Footlight Theatre",” LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida - Digital Archive, accessed March 28, 2024, https://floridalgbtqmuseum.omeka.net/items/show/746.

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