Mitzy Sixx is a graduate of the Academy of Burlesque who took a chance by trying Burlesque. She experienced major transformation and more confidence!
How would you describe yourself before you started burlesque?
Pretty darn sheltered (even in my 30s).
How did you hear about Academy of Burlesque?
I participated regularly in Bacon Strip. Iva Handfull and Waxie Moon had been in the shows at certain points, and one day at brunch Sylvia O’Stayformore just flat out asked me “Why don’t you get into burlesque?” It just so happened that Shanghai Pearl was joining the brunch later, and Sylvia said I should pick her brain about it. I did, and she suggested enrolling in Burlesque 101 just for kicks. If it was something I ended up enjoying, great! If not, well, at least I tried it out and I knew for myself.
What was it that you found intriguing?
The creativity when some performers stripped out of their costumes was cool. Also, I liked the fact that people could be goofy yet sexy at the same time.
What were your fears?
I was afraid that maybe this was yet another route of artistic expression that would once again refuse me. I was at the tail end of my modern dance career and I couldn’t handle more rejection. That was my lack of confidence, basically.
What was it that made you decide to do it in spite of those fears?
Again, at least I tried it. I had to find out for myself.
How long did you think about it before you took the plunge?
Not very long, maybe a couple of months. I had to wait that long because the next round of classes didn’t happen until then.
What was it like learning through Academy of Burlesque?
It was a lot more laid back than I thought it would be. Very supportive, and I think that was ultimately what led me back to Academy of Burlesque for the 202 class. That was a support I had never experienced.
What about the recital? What was it like for you performing?
I remember still not being too confident about my body until we did the dress rehearsal. Some students forgot their pasties and just stripped topless (just for the class). That made me think, “If they’re performing with nothing to lose, who am I? What am I trying to preserve?”
I only invited people I knew wouldn’t take pictures (people do because they’re excited for their friends, I get it), and people that I know I could still look in the eye if my pasties popped! I remember liking performing.
What’s the most powerful transformation that has happened in your life as a result of burlesque?
Weeeeeeeeeell, I met this guy after his Burlesque 202 recital. I just had to meet him because his performance to “Miserable” by Lit was so F*****G spot on to how I was feeling about love, and I just had to tell him. That was Eddie Van Glam. Fast forward 7 years and we are married with a child (we refer to him as Baby Van Glam). That was kinda huge.
How did your experience of your body, sexuality, and femininity shift?
I realized femininity doesn’t mean “weak”. I realized it’s ok if I want to dress sexy, and tell jerks to F off because I’m not doing it for them. I did go through a spell there where I cried about my body, but I realized it was because I was trying to please a producer with standards I was never going to fit, so I stopped associating with them.
What were you suffering from that burlesque healed?
I still have problems with confidence, but not as much. I still have problems opening up to people (new people especially), but I accept that and don’t make myself feel worse about it. That always led to a downward spiral that was hard to get out of.
Any advice for people who may be on the fence about learning burlesque?
Think of it as a bucket list item. If you like it and decide to pursue it, great! If not, at least you know that about yourself.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Coming back after pregnancy has been a challenge. However, I remind myself that it isn’t always going to be this way. My first year back I did one show when I was three months postpartum. I was pumping backstage, still dealing with massive hormonal changes to my skin, attitude, hair, shoe size, all the stuff they don’t go over in your “child preparedness” classes. And it occurred to me: I didn’t need to be a super mom. If I don’t do many shows, people will still remember me.
So don’t worry if you can’t make every show, even as an audience member. Keep in contact, drop a “good luck” message to other performers because it still means a lot, but please don’t beat yourself up because you can’t juggle it all. It’s a major transition, and burlesque will always be there to go back to. Take your time, come back healthy (mentally and physically), and show off those tiger stripes wherever they may appear.
The post Testimonial: Mitzy Sixx appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
]]>Tiffany Diamond is a recent graduate of the Academy of Burlesque with a dance background. She had been looking for a fun creative outlet that would let her express herself, and feel joy.
Tell us a little about how you’d describe yourself before you started burlesque.
I was a performer and dancer. I’ve always had a performance background, but I had taken a step away from performing. I was doing a lot of admin work behind the scenes. After college before I moved to Seattle, I danced professionally for a bit but I felt like I wasn’t going to be as great as I wanted to be, and was unsure of what I wanted to do with dance and performing. I was teaching dance and my mom passed away and I was really sad and realized I needed a change in my life. I missed being on stage and being a performer, and I wasn’t as fulfilled being behind the scenes anymore. I was trying to figure out what my next step was in getting back to a scene in which I wasn’t feeling as confident and successful as I wanted to be.
How did you hear about The Academy of Burlesque?
I had known about it from being in the Seattle performing arts community. I knew some burlesque performers that did a lot of contemporary dance performance too. I had gone to some burlesque shows. I liked it and thought it would be something to pursue, but I didn’t know how to start before I discovered the academy. It was a little research and a little happenstance.
With your dance background, what was it about burlesque specifically that you found intriguing?
Growing up I had done a lot of jazz and tap and more theatrical dance. By the time I was in high school I was focused on ballet and more contemporary work. It became very academic – no more sequins and no more rhinestones. It was all very pulled back and distilled. College was more contemporary dance driven. I love it but it’s also depressing. Sometimes I’m a sensitive person and the subject matter is often more serious. When I watched burlesque I wanted to express myself that way again. It’s fun and enjoyable and you put a smile on someone’s face. There’s still an academic side, but with burlesque, I can create and do art and move my body in a way that people enjoy. It was a refreshing way to go back to something I knew but in a different form.
Was there anything you were afraid of? Did you have any hesitations when you were considering burlesque?
I was scared to tell my dad. It’s more provocative, and I was also nervous about doing it in front of my friends and people I know. It was scary. It’s very different than anything I’ve done.
Also, I was used to having a serious, focused face when I performed. I was scared to put myself out there and be big and over the top and silly and crazy, and show aspects of my personality I usually reserve for my close friends. I wondered if I’d have any success with it.
What made you decide to do it anyway?
It was always something I wanted to try, and there was finally room in my schedule to try it. I had taken some of the booty dance classes and I really liked the community. It was a now or never moment. If I didn’t suck it up and try it, I might have never done it and I would have always wondered if it would have been something I could have enjoyed.
I thought about it for three or four years before I actually did it.
In retrospect would you have waited that long?
I wish I had done it sooner because I love it so much. It takes time to go through the process of learning and performing. But I’m also older and more mature now, so maybe when I was younger I wouldn’t have liked it as much or found it as valuable.
What was it like learning burlesque and performing in your first recital?
I was really nervous. I went to one of the meetings but I got married over the summer and my wedding date fell during the program. I did two of the sessions virtually. When I got back and finally got to join the classes, it was exciting and nerve-wracking to be sexy in front of people, learning how to remove my clothes. It was new and it was intimate, but everyone was so supportive of each other. The women were warm and welcoming and no one judged anyone. It was a fun community of people to meet up with every week, spending time together learning something new, asking questions, and going through the journey together working toward a final performance.
I’ve been to a lot of workshops where you learn something but have no way to apply it. It makes a having a recital where you can apply all these things you’re learning, invite your family or friends to come see what you learned, and have everyone there to encourage you. It’s such a welcoming and warm group of individuals. You’re all behind each other 100% and only wish the best performance for everyone.
Other forms of art and performance can be critical and competitive. But the way everyone was approaching this was so encouraging, which is something I didn’t always feel in contemporary performance. I felt like I could flower and grow as a performer.
How did your experience of your body, sexuality, and femininity shift throughout the process?
I’ve always had body image issues from growing up with my dance background. The way all the material is taught is celebrating our bodies and the things we don’t love YET. It was really awesome for me to watch the other women I was with be so confident, and to be around other women who were experiencing the same thing at the same time. It’s okay to love your body and it’s okay to have curves, to not have curves, to have muscles, whatever. Your body is beautiful if you embrace it. It helped me to have a community of people. It helped me feel more confident about how I look, knowing I got to choose how and when I presented it.
My character is a little silly and she’s a little crazy. She doesn’t know she’s being sexy. Choosing how to do it was really empowering. I’m going to let you see my body, and I’m going to be really silly while I’m doing it.
You mentioned the word “empowering” and that’s a word we hear a lot in burlesque. How did that empowerment affect other areas of your life?
I definitely feel more decisive about things. I’ve always been nervous to state an opinion or to be the person who says, “We’re going to go here and we’re going to do this. I don’t want people to not enjoy it. Now I’m going “This is what we’re doing”. This is what I want to do, so let’s do it. I’m vocalizing my needs and desires and knowing that what I want to do or say is valuable. I’m more assertive.
If you had a friend who was considering burlesque but was on the fence, what would you say?
Anyone on the fence should just do it, even if you don’t want to pursue performing afterward or have never performed. Just the experience of working with this group of people, going through a process and building something with an end goal is powerful. The feeling of accomplishment at the end is really rewarding, and knowing you spent time and effort and you gave 110% to do something is really valuable. You may discover things about yourself you didn’t know, or find talents you didn’t know you had. You might find out you’re funnier than you thought you were, or sexier, or more glamorous.
I love that the group of people I was with still text each other and support each other. Knowing that they’re still there is really awesome, even if you already have a ton of friends.
The post Testimonial: Tiffany Diamond appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
]]>Amara Strutt came to the Academy of Burlesque in 2015 seeking a creative outlet. Although she had an extensive background in dance, Amara had stepped away from her artistic side and settled into a comfortable routine as a bartender, while making dog collars on the side.
Amara “Before”
How would you have described yourself before you started burlesque?
I had a self-deprecating sense of humor. I wasn’t shy, but mostly hid behind a lot of clothes. I’d dress up once a year and get really excited about it. Most of the time I was silly and would do silly dances, but in kind of an apologetic way.
How did you find out about the Academy of Burlesque?
I watched A Wink and a Smile [the documentary film about The Academy of Burlesque]. I don’t know how I didn’t know about burlesque before! I also saw the documentary about Crazy Horse in Paris, And I was obsessed with it.
I have a background in dance and was a choreographer in college. I thought, “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know this existed. This is what I’ve been looking for, but I didn’t know I was looking for it.”
What was it about burlesque that was so striking and different than other types of dance you’ve done before?
It really hit me while watching the Crazy Horse documentary. It focused on images, beautiful shapes and the dancer’s body in a way other dances don’t. And then through A Wink and a Smile I started learning more… so much of it isn’t choreographed— it’s your own act and your own personality and your own experience that you’re showcasing. Other types of dance are about the choreographer’s experience, and the dancers are the tools.
Did you have any hesitations or fears about trying burlesque?
I had a lot of body image issues. I was hesitant about doing it for a couple of reasons, but body image was a big thing. I used to be a dancer but then 20 years passed and I didn’t have a dancer’s body any more.
I thought “I’m supposed to be a certain way because I grew up as a dancer. I’m supposed to be that and I’m not that any more and I’m sorry and I’m hiding.” I used to have nightmares about someone putting me in a leotard and putting me out on stage when I wasn’t ready for it.
And it was a big investment. I didn’t know if I was worth that investment. I was thinking, “It’s just this silly thing I want to do and I’m obsessed with it and it looks really beautiful and interesting but…I’m not worth that.”
What got me over the hurdle was a class with Indigo. I was so struck in that class. It was Beginning Bump & Grind, teaching people to dance who had never danced before. That’s really hard.
She was so patient and so good at breaking down the movement, making it fun, and engaging with the students. There was such an honesty there. And in just that one-hour experience I knew I could trust her, and I could trust this. I told myself, “Just do it. Your 40th birthday is coming up. This is your birthday present. It’s a little extravagant… but I’m going to do this for myself.”
Now, looking back, I think, “It doesn’t matter if you have this big milestone. You’re worth that investment.” It’s like that nice bottle of wine you’ve been saving for a special occasion. It’s not doing anyone any good just sitting there on the shelf!
When you were in 101, what was that learning process like for you?
I was so excited and so overwhelmed. I didn’t really know what to expect. I signed up a couple months before the class. I started figuring out what my routine was going to be, choreographing it, designing my costume in my head and picking out the music and doing all those things. And then I went to the first class and realized, “Oh, I don’t know anything. All these things I had planned, throw them away and start fresh.”
Amara “During”
I completely changed my approach and opened up to learning a completely different thing, and it opened me up to go in a direction I never would have gone.
I remember before that class I dressed up. My “dress up” then was a western plaid shirt and Frye boots and my “nice” jeans. Looking back, it was SO not a celebration of me. It was not me at all. I just didn’t want to stand out.
What does dressing up look like for you now?
It’s ridiculous (in the best way). If it’s really dressy, I wear these ridiculous gowns and fur coats and boas and gloves. And then if it’s medium dressy I have a bunch of pin-up dresses and my wear my hair up with a flower in it, and heels.
Do you think any of that had to do with a shift in body image? What did you notice around your body image when you started doing burlesque?
I was always apologizing for what I wasn’t. But nobody knows me from 20 years ago. It’s okay. You don’t have to be perfect. There is no perfect. There’s a range of bodies and they’re all sexy. Seeing burlesque performed made me go, “Wait, look at all these different bodies. And these performers are all in their own bodies, and celebrating their bodies.” And there’s such a range of bodies in the class! Everyone was scared, but everyone stepped up and did it. Once you’re in a room and see all those bodies, you relax. We’re not all models in a magazine, and we don’t need to be.
When you get up and perform in front of an audience, with people cheering and hooting and hollering, no one is saying, “Yeah, but you’re not skinny enough, you’re not this enough, you’re not that enough.” It made such a difference to be who I am and be accepted for it.
What else did you take with you into your daily life, that started in the studio?
Confidence, for sure. Suddenly I wasn’t apologizing for myself or hiding. I never wanted to draw attention to myself or try to be the center of anything. And suddenly I was like, “Wait, it’s okay. This is who I am.” All of these things I had been quiet about, all of the sudden I was proud of.
My understanding of who I am changed a lot.
Would you have ever expected that?
Not at all. I thought I was going to have this opportunity to get up and show off. None of my friends, and not even my husband, had ever seen me dance. I just thought I’d get all my friends to come to it. They’d say, “Wow, we didn’t know you could do that! And we saw your boobs! Cool!” and then that would be done and I would go back to my life.
I found the art form that I had been looking for. During the third class I felt like “this is what’s been missing”. This was what I had been looking for. I bounced around a lot in college and did a lot of things, but nothing I tried was quite right. And I found it 20 years later. This is what I was studying that whole time. This is what I was training for. I had been looking or this for a really long time and it changed so many things.
It was the beginning of finding community, and finding my tribe. They’re accepting, and creative, and sexy. I didn’t expect to find any of that. It was a huge transformation.
Tell us a little about how you continued and what you’re doing now.
After my last 101 class I asked Indigo, “How do I keep doing this?” She gave me a couple of suggestions so I started taking any class that was available. I was a sponge.
Amara “After”!
There were 2 students who helped out with our 101 recitals, and they saw my act and hired me for one of their shows. There’s a thing called Tassel Talk where you can bring an act in progress and get peer reviewed. I went to every one of them, and started speaking up and giving feedback. People were wondering, “Who are you and why are you talking to us?” I was there about six months before I actually did an act, and then people said, “Oh! You’re actually pretty good! You actually know what you’re talking about!”
A year later I signed up for the next level of classes (202), and after that Indigo asked me to join the staff of the Academy. That really changed everything.
Now I’m actually teaching at the Academy. I performed at the Burlesque Hall of Fame recently which was a huge honor, and this summer I started doing costume commissions. My life has completely changed!
The post Testimonial: Amara Strutt appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
]]>Heidi Von Haught
Heidi Von Haught (center)
Photographer Unknown – Is it you?
I have done a lot of hard work, made a lot of lifelong friends, and had a wonderful weird naked life. These days, I only produce and perform about once a year but I pour a lot of love into those shows. I’m looking forward to another fifteen years of being a weird naked artist.
with love,
HVH”
Photo by Max Shaw
Randi Rascal and Heidi Von Haught
Photo by David Peterman
The post Then + Now: Heidi Von Haught appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
]]>If you’ve been to a Burlesque show in Seattle recently, you’ve probably seen The Academy of Burlesque’s current Photographer-in-Residence, Max Shaw. Max’s stunning images of the current Reigning Queen of Burlesque and Academy Lead Instructor INGA have garnered him national attention.
Max specializes in performer headshots, glamour and boudoir shoots, and live event photography. He also does family photos, weddings, corporate headshots, troupe photos, and even pets!
Max’s sensitive and collaborative approach to capturing the essence of individuals and groups is at the heart of his evocative images. He naturally creates a safe, comfortable, fun, and experimental environment for his subjects, and easily draws out both the vulnerable and powerful moments.
We are delighted to have Max at STUDIOBlue, and honored to have him as our Recital/Show Photographer, as well as snapping in-class and behind-the-scenes images of the Academy of Burlesque. Grab a chance to shoot with Max at STUDIOBlue this August during the Academy of Burlesque’s summer break!
In Max’s own words:
“My biggest inspirations right now are Alfred Cheney Johnson and Neil Kendall. Annie Liebovitz, too!
Our Queen INGA has become such an inspiration for me and I feel so lucky that I get to create with her often. She’s definitely one of my muses!
It’s an honor to be in Seattle right now – and it’s my hope to capture even just a piece of this queer moment.
One of my goals for the upcoming year is to travel and photograph a show out of town. I’d love to make it to BHOF 2019 and a couple of festivals along the way!”
Max is much more than just a talented eye behind the lens. Find out more on this podcast featuring Max, and another Seattle photographer Dylan M Austin. Dive into Max’s personal story, and his philosophy on photography and queerness.
Check out even more of Max Shaw’s amazing work on his brand new website (where you can also make booking inquiries!) and follow him on Instagram.
Curious about studio rental? Check out STUDIOblue for more information!
The post Spotlight: Max Shaw Photos appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
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How did you get your start in Burlesque?
I got into burlesque thanks in part to my mom. I had been to maybe one or two burlesque shows but never thought about participating. My mom told me about a segment she saw about the Academy of Burlesque and the Burlesque 101 classes on a local television show. I was intrigued and looked into it. It looked like it would be a hoot so I signed up. I hadn’t made plans to continue performing after the recital. I figured I had my moment in the burlesque spotlight and that was it but a friend of a friend was putting on a show and was looking for burlesque performers. My career snowballed from there.
How long have you been performing?
My eight year burlesque anniversary was this past August.
What has been the best single piece of advice about performing that you have received?
In a class in the Burlesque 101 course Miss Indigo Blue said your performance should always tell a story. That really struck a chord with me and I pretty much live by those words. I’m always thinking of what am I trying to say or what story am I trying to tell when I create an act.
What drew you to Burlesque?
It looked like so much fun and I loved the idea of creating acts and putting it all together from what story I want to tell to finding music that can encompass story telling to choreography.
Were you always a performer?
I sporadically took dance classes throughout my life but never had a solid string of years where I had a disciplined practice. I never had a problem in front of people or on stage. I always found it fun to perform and entertain.
Any pre-performance rituals?
I always have to practice my routine a few times back stage. Even if I’ve done the routine a thousand times and can do it in my sleep. Going through the routine helps calms my nerves and gives me the okay, like, you know your stuff, go out there and kill it.
In what ways is Burlesque inherently political?
The root of the word burlesque is derived from the Italian word burla which means to joke, ridicule, or mock. Even if the basis is comedic it is still using an emotion to tell a story, to create a dialog or use commentary to highlight a specific issue. Being a woman on stage in a patriarchal society is political in of itself not to mention being a person of color, or someone with a disability, or someone from the LGBTQ community. People from marginalized groups getting onstage and creating art for themselves and others is extremely political.
What do you want people to take away from your class?
What I want people to take away from the class is the confidence and steps to create an act that not only speaks about something that is important to you but is also socially conscious.
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Yeah. I have done a lot of different types of dance. I came to dance late so I felt like I needed to get my hands into anything I could when I first started.
When did you start?
I started training in 2001 in my senior year of high school. A lot of dancers start when they are three years old in ballet class. That wasn’t my story, I actually became an athlete at a very young age and was talked out of being a dancer and then eventually came back to it because of my passion.
What kind of athlete were you?
I was a runner. I was a runner from age 8-17. I ran track. I traveled the country with two different age group track teams and it was a very big part of my childhood.
What brought you back to dance?
I decided to do a play in high school and I told my parents that I was going to audition. They didn’t know what to expect. All of us kids were athletes and they didn’t have any children that were artists. So I auditioned for a play. My high school had an amazing theater program and so it was a big deal to be in a production in my school. I auditioned and I got a secondary lead and it was a drama which subsequently lead me to be in the spring musical Dream Girls. I was in the chorus of that show and that really sparked my passion for being on stage.
What lead you to burlesque?
Burlesque was something that I knew about. I knew about the resurgence when I lived in Philadelphia, but I didn’t know how to really get into it. I was in the same dance company as Sophie Sucre of Peek-A-Boo Revue and I knew that she did burlesque, but really didn’t know how I could hop into that. So after I finished Grad School I took some cabaret classes at Debbie Reynold’s studio and just really loved being around people celebrating their bodies. When I moved to Seattle 4 ½ years ago, I met Miss Briq House and the rest is pretty much history. She at that time was getting ready to have Shuga Shaq for the first time at the Can Can and I started Kittening for her and then eventually had my debut at the Sunday night Shuga Shaq and just went from there.
Did spICE! come with you from the East coast or was she somebody you created here in Seattle?
I think I had been creating her for a long time. I didn’t know how to express or exude that kind of energy in concert dance. Concert dance is a different kind of energy. It’s not entertainment. It’s art for art’s sake. So I didn’t really know how to release that energy. After my debut, I had never felt that liberated on stage. She was in me for a long time and I felt like I had freed her.
Do you have any pre-performance rituals?
Stretching. If I have the space some yoga and jogging. I usually come to the theater in baggy sweat pants and hoodie not dressed all the way for stage. My body needs to be extremely warm and sweaty before I get on stage. I have had that ritual since Grad school.
What has been the best piece of performance art you’ve seen in the last year?
Sydni Devereaux’s Led Zepplin piece she did a the Moisture Festival.
I was recently on stage with Egypt Black Nile (and basically anything she does) but her performance last year for the Viva Las Vegas competition was one of the most spectacular pieces I’ve ever seen in my life.
Kitten n’ Lou. I love CampTacular. I love their well thought out, witty productions.
Where do you get your ideas from?
It depends on various things, but mostly just from walking down the street listening to music. I will listen to a piece for weeks sometimes months and obsess about it and imagine movement motifs. Sometimes I get the piece into my body it’s not how I imagined, but once I like a motif I will take it and improvise.
What are your favorite choreographic tools?
Repetition, repeat with intensity.
ABA format
Sometimes retrograde
I like to mash things together and embellish and take all the different styles of dance I have learned West African, Bollywood, contemporary and mix and mash them together.
Do you have a piece of advice for someone just starting out in Burlesque?
I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to offer this to someone and my advice was for them to be themselves. Be true to your art, be true to your aesthetic, be true to what you bring on stage. That doesn’t mean don’t rehearse or warm up, but you must stand for something and be yourself.
The post Introducing spICE! appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
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Ten things I have learned in my first few months at Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque:
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First order of business when opening the studio, sweep up the marabou feathers from the last class
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There is always a chocolate covered treat in the teacher snack drawer
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Every day is bring your dog to work day (Sombrero, maracas and all!)
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The students are the best
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The teachers are the best
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There will always be a rhinestone stuck to the bottom of my shoe when leaving the studio
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I love my job
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Communication is more than key when scheduling and organizing our instructors who are also performers that are highly in demand
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The recitals that culminate the Burlesque and Boylesque 101 series are so inspiring to watch, and make me proud to be a part of an experience that is transformative for so many people
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This place is where #funissexy
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We are so excited to have Cookie on board at the Academy, please be sure to say hello and “welcome!” the next time you are at the studio!
The post Welcome to Cookie Bellini, Academy Administrator appeared first on Academy of Burlesque.
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Today marks the 28th anniversary of National Coming Out Day! Here at The Academy, we wanted to acknowledge this special day by asking some of our Queer-identified faculty and visiting instructors – How was coming out as a burlesque performer different from coming out as a member of the queer community?
“I’ve lived a different experience than most as I never really “came out.” I’ve always felt kind pretty damn queer. I remember my mom asking me in high school if I was attracted to women and I think my response was a nonchalant “I don’t know, I guess!”
When I became involved in my first visibly queer relationship a lot of people asked “When did you come out?!” but I never did… and it was assumed that I’m straight.
Coming out as a stripper was more difficult. I didn’t want my family to be ashamed of me or think that I was giving up on my performance dreams. Luckily I have an incredible family who supports all of my endeavors. Clothed, nude, queer and all!”
“Coming out as a Burlesque performer was curiously more complicated for me than coming out as queer.
For instance, my whole family has accepted every queer thing about me since I came out, yet most of my extended family (liberal and conservative alike) have never come to see me in a burlesque show in the 12 years I’ve been performing, and many of them have told me that they never will.
But I keep inviting them to shows, because you never know ;)”
“Coming out isn’t something you do once and then it’s over; its something you do every time you meet someone new, start a new job, etc.
Coming Out Day is important to me because it’s not easy to be brave and tell your truth. It’s a day of solidarity where you can get and give support to those who understand the difficulty of telling your truth and becoming your authentic self.
I’m happy that at the age of 38 I can feel confident enough to be honest and open about my queerness. I no longer desire to fit in or pretend to be “normal” in order to make others feel comfortable. I’m not normal, I’m a unicorn and that’s pretty darn magical!”
“Coming out as gay was scary, challenging, and ultimately one of the most important and powerful things I have ever done – bringing me closer to everyone I knew, and my authentic self.
Coming out as “Waxie Moon” was immediate – I included “queer” in my tag-line. This too was a powerful statement of self expression – a way of saying “I’m here and queer, dammit!”
“Coming out as queer was a gradual process for me – but I thankfully had an incredibly supportive family. I feel so blessed for that, I know many people do not have that experience.
When I became a burlesque performer, and started being interviewed by the press, I knew I had to tell my parents about my pre-burlesque past as a stripper in the sex industry. I was going to tell the truth about it to the media, so I wanted my family to hear it from me first. Once they understood that I was safe and happy, they were supportive about all forms of my work as well.”
Much love to all members and lovers of the queer community!
xoxo AOB
Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/resources/national-coming-out-day.
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