A very queer week ...

The other week was a big one for the Queer community in Adelaide with not one, but two, star studded and glittering events making their way onto the social calendar.

Well, when I say glittering, I am perhaps stretching a point. In contrast to what one may expect of the queer scene in our fair city there was nary a false eyelash to be seen and a decided lack of sequins. Perhaps due to the fact that every drag queen in Adelaide had tottered off to Sydney for the DIVA awards (no relation to my DIVA) and were doubtless getting wasted at the Taxi Club or other like venue.

Not to be deterred, however, the Love Interest and I were invited to the launch of the Adelaide Queer Film Festival, an event to take place in September and featuring the best of queer film making that money didn't have to buy. Brought to you by Shoestrings-R-Us.

Actually that is being very unfair. A dear friend has worked tirelessly to bring this collection of films to Adelaide, joined by a number of enthusiasts in the hopes that this Festival will be the first of many and lead to great things. I sincerely hope it succeeds spectacularly ...

Considering the tight budget, the collection of films on offer seems impressive. We were treated to teaser clips from several offerings and were particularly impressed by a documentary the Middle East about living gay in an Islamic regime. There's been a lot of publicity about the lot of women under sha'aira law but this film gives another perspective and was, aparantly, made at considerable risk to the film-makers. Can't wait to see it.

There was also a romantic musical that appeared, to my untrained eye, to involve any number of excuses for boys who spend far to much time at the gym to take most of their clothes off, and what may become a cult classic featuring the ever glamorous RuPaul.

I was particularly interested, however, in the sneak peak of a film which featured a number of gay zombies munching their way through the masses. Probably fabulous - a sort of Hom-Zom-Rom-Com. I'm sure it will do famously.

Later in the week was a fundraiser for FEAST - a night of fabulous cabaret to mark the launch of the FEAST poster for 2008. At least that's what we were told ...

Now I will be the first to admit that one of the acts for the evening was worth the price of admission. The sensational Miaow Miaow was a knock out and had the crowd (what crowd?) on their feet immediately. Also moving the furniture to cater to the delightful Miss Miaow to the great consternation of the Norwood Concert Hall custodians who were almost beside themselves with anxiety lest some avid table mover scratch the floor ...

However, the rest of the line-up was less than impressive. There was a reasonably good belter to open the show, but she was unfortunately followed by an overly earnest girl group who sang a capella - a tuneful but overly long song about their mothers. Followed by another almost indistiguishable piece about their neices. Then grandmothers. Then the Great Aunt of the lady who used to live down the street. Followed by an encore ...

However, this was as nothing to the treat in store after interval! Bouncing (and I MEAN bouncing) on to stage was a leather queen with hairy chest, chaps and some flimsy lycra codpiece that left us in no doubt as to the nature of his three piece set. FAR more information than anyone at our table was really comfortable with. To make matters worse, he was accompanied by a group of middle aged lady line dancers who I'm sure had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Possibly he had a sister or cousin (or great aunt of a lady who used to live down the street) that had consented to this travesty and brought along her friends?

By this stage the cigarette breaks were coming at a frequency that suggested chain smoking, simply to escape from the horror. However we were not lucky enough to miss the speeches and the 'launch' of the fabulous FEAST poster.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!!!!!!!!

Apologies to anyone who has a better eye for allusion and design, but to me it looks like an angel taking a crap!

And to make it worse, the words "Gay and Lesbian" (or indeed, "Lesbian and Gay") do not seem to appear. Anywhere.

Now it's all very well for various persons to bleat that everyone who SHOULD know, DOES know what FEAST is, but to my mind it seems just a tad less 'out and proud' than one might expect. Perhaps the sponsors didn't like it?

Anyway, by the time the final act pranced onto stage, our group had decided to high tail it out of there and go get shit-faced at the local pub instead.

Can't wait to see the program!