The Cockettes were a psychedelic drag queen troupe founded by Hibiscus, aka George Harris, on New Years Eve, 1969 in San Francisco, combining intricate LSD-influenced choreography, set design, costumes and their own versions of showtunes. John Waters' screen diva Divine was a member of the group, as well as Tomata duPlenty, who went on to sing in the seminal L.A. synthpunk band, the Screamers. 70's disco diva Sylvester was also a member, and later dropped out of the troup to form his own band. He appeared as the opening act for the first week of the Cockettes run at the Anderson theatre in New York City, November of 1971. The Cockettes were credited at the time with being a huge influence on gay liberation: The term "genderf__k" was coined about them to express what one might make of a drag queen with a beard and a glittered penis.
Bibliography
Tent, Pam (2004). Midnight at the Palace: My Life as a Fabulous Cockette. Los Angeles:Alyson Books. ISBN 155583874X
External link
A site with information about The Cockettes and the 2002 documentary about their history. Template:Wikiquote
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