Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 309 – March 29, 2017

BY IAN-MICHAEL BERGERON
@ianmichaelinwonderland
For the first time in my
life, I was on time for an
event.
Mostly, I think I was just
worried that I wouldn’t
be able to get into the
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Season 9 Premiere Party.
There was some confusion
earlier in the day about
whose name was on the
list, and sure enough mine
wasn’t. A quick email later,
the coordinators put a
hot pink wristband on my
boyfriend and me and
ushered us inside.
We followed throngs
of people into the
Playstation Theater, but
a man in a SECURITY
t-shirt stopped us. “Pink
wristbands go this way,”
he said, indicating toward
an empty hallway to our
left. We obeyed, and
another security man let
us into the theater.
We realized, immediately,
that we were in the VIP
section. (I was glad I
bought a new pair of silk
pants from Theory for the
occasion.) We went over
to the drinks table for
something to
VIP Queens
start with, but when we
went to pay, the bartender
smiled: “Oh, nope, pink
wristbands are open
bar.” We tipped extra
and searched for a table
with the best view of the
screen; I asked a blonde
man if the seats next to
him were taken.
“No, darling!” he
exclaimed, turning
around. “Please, sit with
us!” I recognized him
immediately: infamous
club kid Richie Rich, all
done up with beautiful
eyeshadow and sequins
galore.
We left our coats as seat
savers and wandered the
room. I made a beeline
for James Michael
Nichols, deputy editor
for Queer Voices at The
Huffington Post, and Noah
Michelson, the editorial
director for HuffPost
Voices.
“Ian-Michael,” my
boyfriend whispered
as I started my second
drink, “that’s Mrs. Kasha
Davis!” I ran over to
her, pretending we were
familiar. “Hi!” I sang,
“it’s so good to see you!
Love your earrings. Have
you met my boyfriend,
Adam?” He was
enamored, even more
so when she responded
to his tweet about how
delightful she was.
After Richie Rich
introduced me to Drew
Elliott, the creative
director of Paper
magazine and judge on
“America’s Next Top
Model,” and “Top Model”
finalist India (who, I
found out when watching
the finale the following
evening, won), they
introduced the queens.
Alexis Michelle, a favorite
of mine I first saw singing
live at Boots and Saddle,
stunned in a white dress
that I can only describe
as upside-down, creating
a table top around
her waist, with vibrant
lavender hair. Completing
the pastel fantasy were
queens Farrah Moan, her
cotton-candy-colored
hair matching a gorgeous
feather ensemble, and
Brooklyn’s own Aja, with
powder blue hair to match
her shoes. (Her dress was
made completely from
clear PVC.)
Before showing the first
episode, RuPaul HERSELF
showed up to introduce
the new season. Wearing
those signature glasses
and a plaid suit jacket,
he announced that Lady
Gaga would be in the first
episode, joking, “We tried
to get Lady Bunny, but she
turned us down.” Lady
Bunny, who was DJing the
event, just laughed—and
laughed harder when
RuPaul called out, “You
are a whore!” RuPaul
talked about his original