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aimilah t1_jdjno1h wrote

May she rest in feathery peace.

175

JoeGoats t1_jdjpcuz wrote

Rest in Peace. We took my Country Boy Father to Darcelle's in Portland for his 50th birthday many years ago. It was a fun time. Her legend will live on.

461

oxford_serpentine t1_jdjtc24 wrote

Rest well. That's going to be one lit funeral and or memorial. Biggest party of the year

350

Negative_Gravitas t1_jdjvr18 wrote

Saw her back in the 80s. Really fun show. So long, actual Portland trailblazer. You were great.

225

Direlion t1_jdjwak7 wrote

Wow that's nuts. Darcelle's Female Impersonators was a beloved Portland Landmark. I lived in the Pearl District and Chinatown border during my college years so it was always part of life there.

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pastesale t1_jdjx4li wrote

Absolute legend and a true pioneer in Portland. Its been a local right of passage to watch her perform and she’s done so much for the LGBTQ+ community and youth. May she rest in glamorous peace.

129

cinderparty t1_jdjzqc5 wrote

He came out in 1969. That took serious bravery.

224

lighthandstoo t1_jdk0dq7 wrote

Thanks for touching my heart, honey. Your dressing room in VR was a trip, larger than life!!

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ironically-spiders t1_jdk1jc5 wrote

That is fucking amazing, good on 'em. That said, genuine question, the article says they used female pronouns on stage but male pronouns off stage. In the case of talking to them like this, in a news context of an individual, which pronoun would be appropriate? I mean, Darcelle is a she, but they are still a person outside of drag, and the entire person, drag and all, passed away. The article uses he, but I want to make sure that is the appropriate one. I don't want to use the wrong pronouns.

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ObiFloppin t1_jdk3dfg wrote

Replying to [deleted] (#2,344,860)

There's plenty of comments here from people who care. Your personal level of interest doesn't determine if something is news or not. The world does not revolve around you and your tastes.

61

jupfold t1_jdk9qwj wrote

Replying to JoeGoats (#2,343,224)

If only more people went to see drag queens perform. Most midwest conservative men would laugh their asses off and come around. Drag queens are some of the funniest bitches out there.

268

bg370 t1_jdkcfdl wrote

I never saw her but I saw Linda Simpson and Murray Hill a bunch of times in NYC in the 2000s at bingo. They were great together

−3

reddittisfreedom t1_jdkns5n wrote

I'm so glad I met her, right before the pandemic shut the city down. She was about to celebrate her 90th birthday and she was so full of life, but you just knew it would all be ending soon. Truly a great citizen of Portland, and an even more impactful leader of the drag scene.

29

BurstEDO t1_jdkqfcf wrote

Imagine loving your work so much that you not only work past retirement age but also literally up to the day you pass away.

What a whimsical and magical legacy to leave...

24

thalia97224 t1_jdkve27 wrote

Portland Oregon legend, icon and all around cool person.

15

Schiffy94 t1_jdl1s62 wrote

>and was regaling audiences until the very end

Ah fuck I just hope that wasn't literally.

3

NeonWarcry t1_jdl4r83 wrote

It’s rare our elders live to see this long in the community. Rest in peace.

14

dtucci t1_jdl5g62 wrote

Walter was one of the most generous, caring, funny fuckers ever.

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darlin133 t1_jdl7u0q wrote

Rest in beauty you divine flower.

−1

ozagnaria t1_jdl868i wrote

Cole’s passing won’t be the end of Darcelle XV Showplace, which is the oldest operating drag club west of the Mississippi. His son, Walter, who goes by the nickname J.R., has worked at the nightclub for more than 30 years, and has long been trained to take over the business.

Cole was preceded in death by Neuhardt, who passed away in October 2017 at 82.

Cole is survived by his wife, Jeannette, his son and daughter, Walter Jr. and Maridee, along with two granddaughters, a great-granddaughter and a great-grandson.

Details on a public memorial are pending.

https://www.bendbulletin.com/lifestyle/entertainment/walter-cole-portland-s-legendary-drag-queen-darcelle-and-civic-icon-dies-at-92/article_84e16b74-37d0-5a7f-ab50-185f148a9d47.html

​

Clearly his children were traumatized by their father being a drag queen. /s

And gay relationships never last long with Cole and Roxy Neuhardt (1969–2017) being partnered almost 50 years - that is clearly a short term relationship. (No idea why he and Jeanette never divorced - not anyone's business but theirs and Roxy's.) But she obviously hated him. /s

This was in the 60's - if she thought he wasn't a good dad - she could have ruined him and kept him from having any relationship with his kids ever - much less grandkids and great grandkids.

Everyone's family is different. Doesn't mean one type of family is less than someone else's.

63

dougfir1975 t1_jdl9n7l wrote

Rest in Boas and Glitz, you were a Portland treasure.

5

Dirtybrd t1_jdlcz67 wrote

That's a long life doing the thing you love. We should all be so lucky. Rest in power.

8

KingGatrie t1_jdled0r wrote

Replying to Daahk (#2,349,412)

Generally you use she/her pronouns for feminine drag personas and he/him for masc personas. You are referring to the character they are acting out so pronouns don’t necessarily align with the persons gender expression.

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warface363 t1_jdlex4t wrote

Dang, doing a dead drop at 92? Respect.

3

Rogue42bdf t1_jdlhqq0 wrote

I worked an overnight security patrol in Portland. Every now and then driving past some clubs I would see some statuesque Amazons standing out on the sidewalk. Then I’d realize where I was and remember what was probably under those dresses. Good times.
R.I.P. to a Portland legend.

−2

fakeknees t1_jdll113 wrote

Long live this Portland, drag legend!

2

DaisukiYo t1_jdlmkng wrote

Chad Michaels is now the oldest working drag queen.

−2

gaymesfranco t1_jdlxazm wrote

She’ll stay in my heart, performing Rhinestone Cowboy in silver assless chaps

8

tydestra t1_jdlyw1h wrote

Replying to cinderparty (#2,344,495)

Saw friends, family and lovers die of Aids. We gay people lost an entire generation worth of people who should be seniors now during the 80s.

I'm glad they lived to see all the progress we have made even if it's hard now to see how that progress is constantly challenged

35

savorie t1_jdlzw2h wrote

Replying to pseudonympersona (#2,349,462)

RuPaul seems to go by he/him all the time, when in drag or not. I’ve never heard feminine pronouns applied to him in any context. I assume RuPaul’s a unique exception because he doesn’t have a separate character name?

12

Background_Dream_920 t1_jdmo3wh wrote

Darcelles is a Portland institution. I’ve never met anyone that didn’t have a blast there. RIP. Sad day.

3

PaleontologistClear4 t1_jdmuwqf wrote

RIP you big beautiful drag queen, the one time I went, she embarrassed me so bad and it kind of ruined the show for me, but looking back on it now it was funny.

4

COMCredit t1_jdmwojr wrote

Replying to tydestra (#2,351,138)

I'm reminded of this photo of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, which shows the absolutely stunning impact and loss that AIDS had on the community. It's absolutely heartbreaking to remember that many of those men had moved to San Francisco and found a new family after being rejected from their original communities, only to see most of their friends suffer and die in a matter of years.

24

judyzzzzzzz t1_jdmzkjs wrote

I moved from Portland four years ago. I have so many memories of Darcelle's. Everytime I go back, things have changed. And now this.

2

CaitlinNYC t1_jdn3frv wrote

As an utterly exhausted new mom I once emerged from a downtown NYC subway station into rain, baby strapped to my chest. A drag queen crossed a street to give me her umbrella. This glamorous queen had full makeup, perfect hair and a chic skirted suit. “But..!” “For the baby!” “But.. I.. Oh thank you!.. You are just fabulous!”

She deadpanned as she looked deeply into my eyes, “I know.”

12

Schiffy94 t1_jdnf7px wrote

Replying to Grizlyfrontbum (#2,356,634)

That's something she said in one interview, yet in another she claims the two of them snuck into his hotel room uninvited and initiated the encounter.

I'm no victim blamer but she seems to have willingly self-identified as the offender in one instance. At the very least, that's weird.

1

Grizlyfrontbum t1_jdnfq87 wrote

Replying to Schiffy94 (#2,356,907)

Well, it could come off as victim blaming. Certain celebrities get a pass it seems. If she was 14 she was incapable of consent. How could she be the offender at 14? Honest question. The truth is, certain people seem to get a pass, depending on which side of certain arguments they fall on. Which is the really weird thing.

4

Schiffy94 t1_jdngkmb wrote

Replying to Grizlyfrontbum (#2,356,950)

There's a gray area if her account of him being tired is accurate. If an adult and a minor both appear to "consent", then it's statutory rape on the part of the adult hands down.

But what if the adult in the situation doesn't consent? What if the minor initiates against the adult's will? If he was in fact tired, or even not alert enough to consent, we tread into a territory where the age of reason matters more than the age of consent.

Hypothetically, what if a minor were to roofie and adult and have sex with them? Who's the offender there?

2

Grizlyfrontbum t1_jdnhnud wrote

Replying to Schiffy94 (#2,357,043)

Well we can guess that he was never alert with all the drugs, however I actually agree with you. I’m more calling out the ridiculous ways people try to make it ok in some instances and not others. I think that a 14 year old knows enough between right and wrong. So do most courts in regard to murder sentences when deciding to charge as an adult. Either they’re capable of knowing right from wrong or they’re not. The severity of the crime shouldn’t be the deciding factor on whether they are an adult or not. In your hypothetical scenario, I have had this same thought as well. I think that the current state of our system would place the blame on the adult, even when incapacitated. Which is ridiculous.

Her Account

Edited to include what I read. Doesn’t seem he was incapable of consent. Obviously there are multiple stories.

1

jayzeeinthehouse t1_jdni65h wrote

Between her death, and the Roxy closing, it has been an awful year for the Portland LGBT community, and I think we should all celebrate the heroes and trailblazers the city has lost because they did so much good for everyone that had no where else to turn back in the day.

5

jayzeeinthehouse t1_jdnk0i6 wrote

Replying to ironically-spiders (#2,344,722)

She for stage name and he for everything else.

Most of the Oregon queens don't do drag full time, so the female part of them is an on stage persona and they have lives outside of that, that are totally separate from the scene.

I know the media makes it seem like that isn't generally the case, but that community is as diverse as anything else out there, and the people in it may or may not view themselves as trans.

It's also insanely expensive and time consuming from what my queen friends tell me, so most people can't afford to do full time drag.

6

ironically-spiders t1_jdnljxt wrote

Replying to jayzeeinthehouse (#2,357,371)

Oh I bet! Its not the same, but I do cosplay and that drains my bank account dry. And I assume they also take classes for various things, be in singing or whatever talent they show (I saw one that did hoops -- that is HARD). > I know the media makes it seem like that isn't generally the case, but that community is as diverse as anything else out there, and the people in it may or may not view themselves as trans.

I confess that originally I thought they were all trans. Then I saw a documentary about drag and was educated. It's a lot like any performance career -- anyone can do it and have that stage persona. First examples that come to mind are Dolly Parton or any of the members of Kiss. I think all these folks who are against drag politically or involving kids should go see a good drag show. Dita Von Teese has a great one, but I know there are a lot on a smaller, local scale. [unrelated: i just googled her to make sure I spelled her name correctly; she is 50! Damn, she looks like she's 30]

So when talking about his death, since we're talking about the entire person, not just the drag persona, he is the appropriate pronoun?

3

Nezgul t1_jdnmuy7 wrote

Replying to aLittleQueer (#2,354,799)

Yes! What you're describing is called camp. Hilariously extreme, over the top, and most importantly, self-aware! The humor comes from queens being outrageous and poking fun at themselves through their performance, because we're all in on the joke of camp's absurdity. It's some of my favorite drag and provides a nice contrast to some of the high fashion/glam drag that a lot of queens are excelling at.

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GlowUpper t1_jdnnzj2 wrote

Replying to RPDRNick (#2,349,662)

It's also important to note that there are exceptions to this rule (Joe Black for example uses he/him even while performing). But as a general guideline, this is correct.

7

tydestra t1_jdnqwmn wrote

Replying to COMCredit (#2,354,855)

I was 8 in 1990 and my mom's best friend is a gay dude who is like a father to me. He survived, but every other week I was hearing about him going to another funeral. I remember hearing people joke about it, assholes like Rush Limbaugh who mockingly read gay obituaries on his show.

11

AggressivePayment0 t1_jdntytv wrote

Most of the time I pay respects to people lost I admired by doing something that we did together, going somewhere were frequented, a more private introverted approach to grief, I don't like publicly grieving. This time though, I'm going to drive the few hours to attend the group public memorial, support the community full on. The loss to the drag community is profound, and they need our support and love more than ever. What an icon of joy and love, celebrating and comfort she was to so many, aside from being a stellar performer.

2

timpdx t1_jdnuxak wrote

Oh, wow! 90s Portland memories.

1