(Originally Published On The Huffington Post On 4/24/2013)

Accidental Trailblazer: An Interview With Cult Cinema Icon Mink Stole
Each spring, Portland, Ore., plays host to QDoc: Queer Documentary Film Festival, the only festival in the U.S. devoted exclusively to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) documentaries, and one of only two festivals of its kind in the entire world!

Now in its seventh year, QDoc 2013 begins May 16. The opening-night film is I Am Divine, filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz’s new feature-length documentary about the life and times of John Waters protégé and drag pioneer Divine, aka Glenn Milstead.

Last week I had the chance to view a screening of the film and catch up with one of its stars, queer cult cinema icon, actress/singer and original John Waters muse Mink Stole.

 

Logan Lynn: Thanks so much for chatting with me this morning, Mink. I am a huge fan of your work. I just watched the I Am Divine screener.

Mink Stole: I haven’t seen it yet.

Lynn: What?!

Stole: I have not seen it yet.

Lynn: Oh, wow. That’s surprising. I feel so lucky!

Stole: I’m gonna see it in Boston in a couple of weeks, and then again in Portland.

Lynn: Well, I felt very moved by the film. There was a “dreams really do come true” theme running throughout the film with regard to Divine‘s life. In making the film, how was it to be looking back at that period, and in particular your friendship with him?

Stole: It was nice, actually, because Jeffrey came here to Baltimore, and we spent a really fun couple of hours together. His take on Divine was so friendly, and so loving. I didn’t feel challenged at all to have to defend my friendship — and it was a real friendship. I wouldn’t say that Divine and I were best friends. You know, he had a whole life with his music career that I was not even remotely part of. I mean, I saw him perform and thought he was amazing, but I wasn’t part of that life. I’ll tell you the truth: We had lost touch between Polyester and Hairspray. He was off in Europe doing all this music stuff, but when John proposed Hairspray to us, Divine and I got back together. He had moved into an apartment right around the corner from me in New York, and we started spending time together again. It was really wonderful to reconnect with him. He was happy. He was doing really well. You know, he had money for practically the first time in his life, and it was wonderful to see him. Divine always did better when Read the rest of this entry »

I agreed to be one of the guest panelists for an upcoming Portland Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence event at Crush in Portland on May 19th called “One Nun, Few Peeps”. It’s a fundraiser for Outside In, and it’s a take on Logo’s 1 girl 5 gays. I will be one of said gays, answering questions about (and I quote) “innuendo, intrigue and why we get that tingly sensation whenever we see a hot dog in a bun!” on stage.

Oh my god, friends. What have I gotten myself into???!!!

My homegirl Sister The Vegan Mary is going to be on the panel with me alongside Sister Krissy Fiction, James Lindquist, Zora Phoenix, & Athens Scities Foxx from the Rose Court…and the whole thing is hosted by Novice Sister Bertha Byotch. Don’t miss it!

Click HERE to RSVP.

P.S. – Yes. That’s Grammy Award-winning pop star Matt Alber in this photo with me and the Portland Sisters. He won’t be at this event with us, other than he holds a special place in my heart so he is kinda always there.

🙂

(Originally Published on The Huffington Post on 1/28/2013)

New York City cabaret/performance-art/drag icon Joey Arias hits the road next month with fellow East Village art scene veteran Kristian Hoffman for a West Coast tour called Lightning Strikes, so… get ready, America! Borrowed from the title of German countertenor Klaus Nomi‘s song by the same name, Lightning Strikes marks the first collaboration between Arias and Hoffman, both having been dear friends and collaborators with Nomi until the time of his death in 1983.

I had the chance to catch up with Joey last week to chat about music, love, Lady Gaga vs. Madonna, how the gay rights movement has changed and what magic is in store for us as Lightning Strikes rolls into cities across the western United States.

Logan Lynn: As you already know, I adore you. To me, you are everything that matters about New York.

Joey Arias: Thank you, Logan, for that lovely compliment. New York is a state of mind. The Empire State: that’s me! [Laughs.]

Lynn: The last time we saw you in Portland was a couple years back, for the premiere of Arias With a Twist at QDoc: Queer Documentary Film Festival, where you famously performed with Pink Martini frontman Thomas Lauderdale on piano at Mother’s Bistro. How was that friendship formed? Are there more Joey Arias/Pink Martini collaborations in store?

Arias: I guess I love meeting beautiful people. You have been super-sweet to me, as have Thomas and Hugh and many others in Portland. As far as Pink Martini goes, I’d been a huge fan, and it was Kim Hastrieter of Paper mag that introduced us. Thomas came to my apartment and dropped off his CD and hugged me and said how much he loved me, and then he ran away. We caught up that evening at Kim’s for dinner and got into a great conversation. I’ve been invited many times to perform with them. It’s been an honor to grace the stage with them! We’re all so busy, and I don’t know when the next time will be, but I’m sure in the future there will be more collaborations.

Lynn: That is very exciting! Speaking of collaborations, many folks remember your famous performance with David Bowie and Klaus Nomi on Saturday Night Live in the ’80s. Your new tour is named after one of Klaus Nomi’s songs. Is the tour a tribute to your old friend, in part?

Arias: The tour is a celebration of friendship. Kristian Hoffman was part of the original East Village scene. He Read the rest of this entry »