Wigstock 2018
© Ruben Natal
By Ruben Natal-San Miguel
Wigstock returned with a vengeance . After a long hiatus, which made most think was already dead, the ''Wig Out’’ extravaganza did not disappoint . I was glued right in front of the stage for almost 10 hours without even a glass of water. The setting was pretty symbolic, the Brooklyn Bridge with it’s flag down at half mast ( due to McCain's passing ), also stood for a symbol of resistance, resilience and perseverance that the LGBTQ community has experienced and continues with this current political administration .
© Ruben Natal
Wigstock was an annual outdoor drag festival that began in the 1980s in Manhattan's East Village that took place on Labor Day. Traditionally the festival would act as the unofficial end to summer for the gay community of New York City. The name refers to the 1969 Woodstock Festival. The festival was revived by Lady Bunny and Neil Patrick Harris on September 1, 2018 at Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport in New York City.
© Ruben Natal
Hosted by co-creator Lady Bunny, the festival was held in its first years in Tompkins Square Park. According to Lady Bunny, the event began spontaneously in 1984 after a group of drag queens (along with Wendy Wild and a couple of Fleshtones) became inebriated at the nearby Pyramid Club and decided to put on a show in the park. In the mid 90s the Giuliani administration prohibited the festival being in Tompkins Square and Union Square it was moved to the Hudson River so the event would lose its grassroots activist appeal. Lady Bunny said that 2001's Wigstock would be the last, but in 2003, 2004, and 2005, Wigstock and Bunny returned to Tompkins Square, this time under the auspices of the Howl Festival.
RESIST!
© Ruben Natal
© Ruben Natal
© Ruben Natal
