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GAY PEOPle's ChronICLE AUGUST 21, 1998

COMMUNITY GROUPS

'Wing Fling' will benefit Columbus AIDS Task Force

Powell, Ohio-The second annual Wing Fling, benefitting the Columbus AIDS Task Force, will be held on August 29 from 2:00 until 10:00 pm at Murphy's Party Barn and Race Track, located 1 mile east of the Columbus Zoo and 2 miles north of I-270, on Sawmill Rd. on the edge of Franklin and Delaware counties in Powell, Ohio. Thousands "flocked" to last year's event,

and enjoyed great chicken wings and great music while raising money for a great cause. This scenic venue houses a beautiful children's playground. Area restaurants will gather to sell their wings along with other foods and beverages for all to enjoy. There is no Ohio State football this day. The event will be held rain or shine, and the public is invited.

A continuous variety of music featuring McGuffey Lane, the HooDoo Soul Band, and other bands to be announced; periodic raffles with valuable prizes throughout the day, along with goodie bags for the first one hundred vehicles, will highlight the event. The fee for the event is five dollars per carload with a portion of the parking going to the charity also.

A unique competition throughout the day, culminating_with_the_final “fling” at the end of the day with a $1,000 prize given to one successful contestant, caps off this second annual exciting event in central Ohio.

Spaces are still available. For more information, call Adam Montemarano at 614431-3610.

Drag king troupe will steal the audience's hearts

by Donna Jean Troka Columbus-You can feel the heat and the energy of the crowd. The anticipation hangs heavy in the air. What will Lustivious be wearing? Will the kings perform any new acts? Will they perform the old crowd-pleasing ones? Will there be another infamous leather act?

While such variables abound, one thing is for certain-regardless of what acts they do, the drag kings of H.I.S. Kings will be sure to steal your heart:

When they started in the fall of 1996, the female-to-male drag troupe consisted of three kings: Helen Harris (Billy), Ivett Domalewski (Derrick), and Sue Steirer (Tony). While the name “H.I.S Kings" comes from the first letter of each original king's first name, the idea for such a troupe came from various places.

D.J., part owner and recently crowned king Julia Applegate (Jake) was searching for a space to spin her mix of high energy, techno, rap and hip-hop music. Emcee, part owner and sometimes king Sile Singleton (Lustivious de la Virgion/ Luster) was interested in creating a space that brought together a diverse group of queer women in a way that had not been done before in Columbus.

After traveling to San Francisco and going to a nightclub where women dressed in male drag and escorted other women to dinner, Singleton shared her ideas with Applegate and her roommate Harris, who expressed a desire to perform in drag. Both Applegate and Harris agreed that a new, more diverse scene was needed for queer women in Columbus. The kings took the stage for the first time in September of that year.

At the Kings' second show in February 1997, several new kings debuted: Nicole Kramer (Nick), Magik, Alyson Mann (Andy), Monifa Porter (Preston), Sumira Pruitt (David) and Donna Troka (dj love). The third show brought on Heidi Madsen (Toby), Shani Scott (Max), Shannon Martin-Crew (Barry) and Donna Baladad (Baby T.). Within the next year Heather Boydston (Butch), Becky Lyons (Eddie), Jacci Morrison (Reardon) and Kim Segna (Mitch) were crowned kings and Erin Tarr became the official stage manager.

Not only did the number of kings grow, they also began performing outside of the Columbus area, traveling to Yellow Springs, Akron, Louisville, Kentucky and even taking a trip to New York City to perform at the Meow Mix for two nights.

They'll be making an encore appearance in Cleveland on August 28 for a 10:30 show at Code Blue, hot on the heels of their smash success at the annual Garden Party, which was held on July 12 as a fundraiser for the Cleveland Lesbian and Gay Center.

You may be wondering what to expect at an H.I.S Kings show. Not only are the kings themselves diverse based on race, class, age and occupation, they also provide various types of entertainment. Some kings lip sync, some dance, some act out skits, but all engage in the performance of masculinity.

This manifests itself in the pelvic thrusts of Elvis, the smooth sweetness of Maxwell, the funky beats of Blackstreet, or the downhome country goodness of Garth Brooks. Shows are completely interactive, and audience members are encouraged to show their enthusiasm and devotion via dollar bills.

What is most amazing about H.I.S. Kings and their production company, Fast Friday Productions, is how they operate like a collective community. All four owners do their part and then some. Singleton emcees along with being the head of public relations and operations. Applegate deejays and helps with the promotion and booking, Harris is responsible for photography and displays, and Madsen is in charge of all financial matters. All of these duties are above and beyond their performing responsibilities.

This is true of the kings as well. Along with creating and practicing acts, kings promote, organize, videotape, set up shows, create scenery and props, and ultimately ensure that every thing remains running smoothly.

And on a larger scale, all of the "behind the scenes" work would not be possible without the unending support of friends, family and fans through-

out the greater Columbus community. Their unconditional support and loyalty keeps the kings at the top.

On September 12, the Kings will be the headline entertainment at the tenth annual Ohio Lesbian Festival at Frontier Ranch near Kirkersville. Closer to the end of the month, on September 25 and 26, H.I.S. Kings will celebrate their second anniversary with back-to-back Friday and Saturday night shows at Summit Station in Columbus.

Not only have they created a new way of looking at drag, they have contrived a new type of entertainment for a wide variety of people and shown that lesbians do know how to have 100% pure fun. ♡

Donna Jean Troka is a member of H.I.S. Kings, appearing as dj love.

Maxwell (Shani Scott)

Billy (Helen Harris)

dj love (Donna Troka)