The Drag Kings of 1997

In the 1990s there were several lesbian bars in New York City, primarily in Manhattan. Today they are all but gone. However, one that stood out from the rest, Club Casanova specialized in featuring Drag Kings both as entertainers as well as patrons. It began as a roving party until it settled in the East Village in 1996 and 1997, produced and curated by Maureen Fischer, aka Mo B Dick. The ‘guys’ all had whimsical names filled with humor if not out right satire towards male culture. As a nightlife creature myself, having my own weekly party I produced and deejayed on the 107th floor of the former World Trade Center, I prowled my favorite haunts when I was not working my own gigs. Club Casanova was one of my favorites, full of irreverence and awesome macho attitude being dished out by the women, who unlike Drag Queens, skirted glamour and glitz, opting instead to channel and represent your average Joe, complete with facial and chest hair. After photographing the scene for several months, I asked some of the main characters if they would be willing to pose for me in portrait sessions, in their homes mostly, far from the noise and nightlife. These are a sample of them here.