 |
|
• EROS CITIES
• EROTICA / ZINE
• MASTHEAD
• ADVERTISE
|
|
erotica fictiongallerylifestyles fetishbdsmqueer/bi/transswingersfeatures news
briefsarticlessexy
spreadsfree speech x-presseros bits sound
offtriviasexfessionsdiva's debaucherysexual intelligence
reviewsevents sf
nightlifeeros photo classified ads about eros zine
Sponsored Links
|
Rusty Hips is not only the hardest working king in San Francisco, he's also one of the biggest title holders. From San Francisco Drag King of 2002 to Mr. Trannyshack, Rusty has been performing almost nonstop for the past five years and winning all kinds of contests! Rusty took a few moments from his busy schedule to tell us about growing up Mormon, varying one's performance personas and what it takes to win.
Rusty Hips: Well, Rusty actually has a few different characters, each inspired by the music I lip-synch to. I tend to be mostly drawn to music -- R & B, soul, funk and rock from the 70's -- that will bring out the polyester, platform shoe, big sideburns-wearing dude. Most people know Rusty as that persona. I've also done a Billy Idol impersonation, which seems to be a crowd favorite. I studied him intently before ever performing to his music. Honestly, it would take an entire article to go through each character I've done: Dirty Uncle, San Bernardino Joe, B-Boy Rusty, etc. As for how doing drag came about, I went to a San Francisco Drag King contest back in, gosh, 1999 I think. Throughout the show, I thought, "Shit! I could fucking do this, and do it better." However, Electro (the pop 'n' lock king) who won that year was flawless and quite the inspiration. Working with the queens at Trannyshack has probably been my biggest inspiration, though. That is the fiercest tranny talent on earth! Eros Zine: How did you get to be known as "the hardest working king in San Francisco"? Rusty Hips: Well, I probably got that title because for over three years straight I was averaging three to four gigs a month. I don't know any other kings around here that have worked that hard. Between Trannyshack (my drag home and family), Pride events, Women's Weekend and the random gig at the local dyke bars and clubs, not to mention some really weird benefits with a bunch of rich straight white people -- they loved Rusty! -- that shit adds up! Back in the day I never said no to an invite. Times have changed, though. Eros Zine: You're a major title holder. How did you win all those contests? Bribery? Sheer talent? Genius? Rusty Hips: Honestly, I think I won because I was doing something that people had never seen before. Too many times I've seen or talked to people who have seen drag kings, and all you get is a dyke wearing a mustache lip-synching a song-and some pretty bad lip-synching at that. They usually pull out their dick and jack it off or have someone come suck them off...boring. I'm really into character development and authenticity, and my heart is behind it all, too. I like to tell a story and give the audience a mini-rock-opera, so to speak. I have no fear when I'm on stage, so I do things a lot of people might not feel comfortable doing. Rusty Hips: It's funny, after five years I still don't really feel like I fit in as a "Drag King." I feel more like my style of performance art falls into that category. It sometimes frustrates me when queer performance art shows have a variety of acts, but never drag kings, like what I do isn't taken seriously as "art.".
Rusty Hips: Dang! I've gotta get in the memory bank for this one! Well, the first time I entered SFDK in 2001, I won first runner-up for my Billy Idol impersonation, which I'd done when I performed for the first time ever winning the Mr. FAB Drag King contest for Women's Weekend a month prior. The next year I was determined to do something that would blow everything out of the water. So I did my epic "Sir Psycho Sexy" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was high drama, over eight minutes long, and we rehearsed for months. So in 2002, I was crowned SFDK. When I won Mr. Trannyshack, I did a strip tease to Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" I've done that number numerous times; it's a riot! I'm really comfortable in my body, so things like adhering hair all over my chest, wearing fake nipples made of FIMO, when the only clothing I'm wearing is a tiger-print Speedo come pretty naturally to me. This is an advantage. Eros Zine: What other kinds of performing do you do? Rusty Hips: I've performed with the drag king burlesque troupe "Boilesque" and have done some stage work with Peaches Christ for Midnight Mass. I'm at a place in my life where I'm trying to figure out what exactly is my next outlet for my creative energy. I've gotten a bit burnt out on kinging. Eros Zine: What was it like for you growing up? Rusty Hips: I was raised Mormon -- yes, Mormon. This religion has very specific gender roles and my mother was determined to have me boxed in. Like most conservative Christian families, life was dictated for you. There was no original thought or idea or plan. Someone else did that for you. Eros Zine: Wow! Well, now that you're in San Francisco, there's a huge genderqueer community. Where do you see yourself in that community?
Eros Zine: So you've lived in San Francisco for a decade. Do you think living there influenced your drag persona? Rusty Hips: I don't think living here influenced my drag persona. I do believe, however, that living here definitely influenced my trans persona. I moved up here from Los Angeles when I was 21. For anyone who is familiar with LA dykes -- or, really, lesbians -- where's the butches? Trannies? The "butch" women still wear makeup and clothes from the women's section. The day I moved to Oakland -- I've actually never lived in San Francisco. East Bay all the way! -- I looked in the mirror and I told myself that I never had to wear makeup again or try to fit in to being "female." Just being up here allowed me to evolve in a way that living in LA didn't. Eros Zine: Do you have any history or backstory on crossdressing growing up? Rusty Hips: Well, I can remember being a little kid and posing in front of my full-length mirror in just my panties, packing a sock or tennis ball or something, thinking I looked so good and cool. One time my mom walked in on me and didn't think it was too cute. Out of drag, I identify as a trans-genderqueer-dyke -- or something like that. Eros Zine: Did fucking with your gender identification lead you to being a drag king performer? Rusty Hips: I think it was pretty natural and easy to channel my "inner-dude." In all honesty, for me to perform in "drag" would be as a queen. That would be more challenging and difficult to pull off. In everyday life, people always see me as male. In fact, when I went to Ireland to perform with the Dublin kings, the Shamcocks, they even asked if I was a biological female. This is just who and what I am, drag king or not. Eros Zine: Do you have any other tales of "passing" that are particularly interesting, entertaining or enlightening? Rusty Hips: I think the funniest is when I'm all decked out in my traditional Rusty gear and I have to do something like get gas or pick up a pack of gum or something. Guys LOVE it! Like they think I'm this bad-ass little guy (I'm 5' 2") all dressed up and confident and looking cool or something. Eros Zine: Do you have any experiences with gender that you'd care to comment on? Rusty Hips: I always find it interesting performing to different demographics of audiences. The most active, fun and loving are, for the most part, gay men. This is one of the many reasons why I love performing at Trannyshack. I find it disheartening to not get this kind of warmth from a mostly dyke/lesbo/queer women crowd. I mean, isn't that my "community"? I can't help but think that societal influences that instill insecurities for people who are raised female are still so strong. It's so obvious to me as a performer and, really, quite sad. It's so old a paradigm. Eros Zine: Well, perhaps that will change -- eventually! Thank you, Rusty!
|
|
|
||
|
 |
|