Quaintly Queer

For a change of pace from the massive LGBT Pride celebrations in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, Half Moon Bay's second annual Coastside Pride celebrations will be intimate, to be sure. But with several Bay Area drag talents performing, and a beer garden sponsored by Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, this intimate celebration, set for Saturday July 12, will doubtlessly be another South Bay hit.

Road Trip, Anyone?

The idea for the event came from Connie Servative, a Montara resident and transgender activist, who decided to both raise awareness for transgendered people while providing a fun way to bring communities together. The first event, held last July, was a success.

Servative, who lives with her wife of two decades, called the event "a celebration of trans and gay and drag. It's one event down here that's not about pumpkins or hot rods," she said, referring the much larger annual auto and pumpkin festivals held in Half Moon Bay.

"One of the great things that we have down here that makes our area totally unique is the large lesbian population," added Servative. "We are the lesbian Guerneville, and have one of the largest groups of lesbian women."

Servative agreed that her event could inspire San Franciscans to visit for a fun day trip or overnight visit. "If we have this large population and we're right next to a bigger city, why not bring people down here for this event?"

Noting the diversity of the audiences, Servative said, "We've had straight families come and see the drag queens, and the kids are wonderful. Seeing their looks with big eyes, it's like they're saying, 'You mean it's okay? Let's go home, Mom, and do this.' It's like giving someone permission to be who you are."

Servative, who lived as a man for decades while working in the Arctic and on an oil rig, is a fascinating person who's also active with local environmental issues in Half Moon Bay.

"We have a big marine preserve and a huge seal population that migrates in spring and fall," she said. "Some people here want to develop it all, and that's crazy. Why would we want to destroy this area and turn it into Laguna Beach?"

While keeping a focus on environmental issues in regards to tourism and traffic, Servative hopes to expand future Coastside Pride events. She mentioned the numerous local seafood restaurants as a popular attraction in the usually quiet town.

"If you ask a restaurant owner who has the best seafood, they're sure to say, 'All of them.'"

This year's festivities will take place at the Coastside Inn. The hotel is still accepting reservations for the weekend. The dog-friendly heated outdoor patio space, which includes a full bar and food menu, will once again be the setting for a fun yet "family-friendly" show featuring San Francisco talents Ginger Snap, Kitty Tapata (as drag king Kit Tapata), plus the Screaming Striesands (Connie Servative's three-keyboard trio), Natalie Ray, Sheena Rose and veteran trans icon Donna Persona.

"I found it to be a most inclusive and rewarding experience, a breath of fresh sea air, so to speak," said Tweaka Turner, one of the drag talents who performed at last year's show, and who will return. "The audience was enthusiastic and I felt they were thoughly entertained by us queens. You could sense that this wasn't a regular occurence down their way."

For beer fans, Half Moon Bay Brewery's selection of tap and bottled beverages emphasizes locally-made session beers and delicious ales. Each autumn, the brewery also makes a special spicey pumpkin beer timed with the town's annual Pumpkin Festival.

Speaking of spices, Ginger Snap (aka bartender Tim Tait), when asked about participating for the first time, said that "Performing for a mostly straight audience is quite fun, actually. I typically perform for a local San Francisco gay audience, and they get to see drag shows nearly every night of the week. Going somewhere like Half Moon Bay is a treat, because that audience doesn't get the opportunity to see as many shows, and they tend to get really excited."

Tait said he doesn't have to tone down his act, either. "I don't really have to adapt my performances to be family-friendly, they're pretty friendly already. There's no cursing in my performances, mostly pop, comedy and showtunes."

Tweaka Turner may perform either a Tina Turner number, or her rendition of "Milk Shake" while dressed as a cow. " class=null>One of the more unusual places I've performed was in an ice cream truck parked in front of a gay disco," Turner added.

Hello, Kitty

As the event builds bridges between gay, straight and transgendered people, are drag performers serving as ambassadors between communities?

For Kitty Tapata, aka Karin Jaffie, the Half Moon Bay event has some significance.

"My wife and I have dined at Coastside Brewery more than once," she said. "I am extremely honored that Connie asked me participate."

Jaffie will perform at Kit Tapata, a "drag king ambassador for the breed."

As host of the weekly trivia game night at the 3300 Club, a family-owned Irish bar in the Mission, Jaffie said she's "pretty well-versed -and immersed- in the hetero community, and they like me, they really like me." She also performs at the Castro Country Club's sober yet festive monthly Mascara shows.

Jaffie's more unusual gigs have included performing a lunchtime drag show at an upscale hotel's employee cafeteria, touring Laguna Honda Hospital with drag host Mutha Chucka to cheer up patients and staff, and in a muddy cow pasture at the Golden State Gay Rodeo.

No matter the venue, Jaffie said that she appreciates any lively audience.

"Kit's a bit of a swinger," she said of her drag king persona. "I get to flirt with both genders. I'm often the only 'guy' in a drag line-up. But as a five-foot-nothing ultra-charming teddy bear, I can get away with a lot. I have to be careful though; some of those housewives seem kind of hungry."

Asked how she tones down her act, Jaffie said, "Leave the curse words and sexy talk at home, and try to point to my crotch less! Fortunately, my repertoire includes many classic movie songs, including ones adults -and kids- can sing along to; one of my favorite things to have happen. For that one moment, we're all just people singing and being together, a feeling I hope will sustain."

Jaffie divulged that she'll be singing a sample of her upcoming "purrrrformance" as the campy Dandy Lion in Cockatelia's River of Oz show at Buck's in Guerneville on July 19. And, she added, "If there's time for one more, then a swampy rainbow nod to my hero, Kermit the Frog."

Sheena and Donna

Sheena Rose also performed last year, and will sing her own songs and remixes live at this weekend's event. She described last year's event as having "great entertainment, food, and the audience was mixed and amazing."

A regular performer at Aunt Charlie's Lounge, Rose said she has performed for very mixed straight and gay audiences.

"We get a lot of bachelorette parties and birthday parties. It's not really all that different," she said. "I've found that everyone who comes to my shows wants to have a good time and are there for the show and to be entertained. For the most part everyone is very respectful. Sometimes you may get a straight guy or lady who may be a little shy or feel out of place. As an entertainer, it's your job to gauge that audience and make them feel comfortable and to respect their space. In the end, after a couple drinks, everyone is having a great time."

Rose considers her act as 'family-friendly,' and compares her faux-breasts as comparable to a Dolly Parton concert.

"My numbers can be sexy, but are not overly sexy and offensive or in your face, and really no cuss words in them," she said. "I try and be respectful to everyone, and I know that at events, like this especially, that there will be some children present."

She also cited the mainstream effect of "RuPaul's Drag Race."

"RuPaul was very non-threatening and not overtly sexy and in your face about it, she essentially performed House music that at times could be considered bubble gum pop."

And pop music is part of Rose's talent. She'll perform a medley of her original dance music songs, including "Queen of Clubs" and "Make Me Over."

"I'm especially excited to be performing my dance version of the Broadway gay anthem 'I Am What I Am' [from La Cage Aux Folles]," she said. "This is a song that I recorded and released for my appearance at this year's Trans March, and it's my gift of love to all of my LGBT sisters and brothers."
High heels and hilarity from last year s premiere Half Moon Bay Pride party. photo: Mary Oldham

Patrons of bars like Aunt Charlie's Lounge know Donna Persona. This is her first time performing in Half Moon Bay, but she's old pals with all the performers.

"What we have in common is we're fun-loving, light-hearted women. I've had a good helping of straight family audiences," said Persona.

As to strange venues, Persona recalled a Cockettes show at the Center for Sex & Culture where an audience member was caught masturbating. "That was deemed inappropriate!"

Persona's performances extend beyond bars and nightclubs, including with The Cockettes and at the East Bay Mills College. "I served up my glamorous Donna Persona," she said of the college gig. "After the show, a young hetero couple brought their five-year-old son over. He wanted to meet me. This is what I hope to bring to this show."

Persona noted the difference with such first-time fans. "Straight audiences see our performances with different eyes, more wonder," she said. "I find that they love it. Sometimes they look at me in astonishment. They want to know about our world."

Persona said she's excited about this event, "Because I do feel like an ambassador for my community, especially on the heels of our own San Francisco Pride. As we go along in time, it's my hope that there is less distance between straights and 'us' and more family of us all."

Coastside Inn, 230 Cabrillo Hwy S, Half Moon Bay. (650) 726-3400. www.coastsideinn.com