Out-and-Proud: Gay Headliners

Never a Drag When They Perform!

Drag queens' usually scabrously politically incorrect parody songs have long been a staple of gay bars and clubs. RuPaul's tentpole shows on the Logo network has broadened their appeal. So it's nice to see so many of them going back to their roots (whatever the color!) during Pride.

Lady Gaga made headlines by performing a gay ending to the National Anthem at June's New York City Pride Rally, but I suspect she was also taking notes when Pandora Boxx, the Rally hostess, performed.

Pandora Boxx, gave it up with a series of numbers that rang the gamut from show tunes to rock standards to R&B -- not only weaving in and out of songs and genres but sometimes more than one at the same time! Best known as a contestant on "RuPaul's Drag Race," she continued after her elimination on spin-off "RuPaul's Drag U." Most people, however, probably associate her with an off-the-wall Absolut Vodka ad where she dressed as Bloody Mary.

Boxx was such an audience favorite that she was selected to appear in "RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race." Despite being a front runner, Boxx eventually lost to Sharon Needles -- who, as it happened, headlined the Superhero Spandex Party during Washington, D.C., Pride.

D.C.'s Pride was a hotbed of drag performers. At Town, there were more "Drag Race" constestants: William, Detox and Vicky on Friday; and top contenders Alaska, Jinkx Monsoon and Roxxxy the next night. Alaska lived up to her name with a cool-as-ice sultry ballad. But don't worry: She segued soon enough to into a jiggly disco number. Roxxxy got down in a sexy R&B number. Jinkx Monsoon did the kind of pastiche number that is the epitome of great drag.

Much more than a drag queen, Flava has established herself as a top-notch singer whose performances are more like art installations than club gigs. She proved that again at the Reflex Closing Party in Los Angeles.

Dressed in sci-fi garb that would put LaBelle to shame, she tore it up to dance hits while literally bouncing off the walls. When not channeling Flava, Mark Martinez works as a choreographer whose roster includes Janet Jackson, Prince and Michael Jackson.

Gods and God Des

Miami Beach scored the biggest out-gay headliner, Adam Lambert, who performed his hits and showed his range. "Whataya Want from Me" was a quiet, soulful ballad, whereas "Pop that Lock" from his "Trespassing" album was pure hard club beats, complete with male back-up dancers.

"Whenever you get to come to a celebration like this, the energy is really high," Lambert said at the time. "The feeling is unified. It's a family feeling."

Levi Kreis also became nationally known after competing in a singing competition, XM Radio's edition of "The Apprentice." But it was an actor that he really made his mark. After touring in "Rent," he won a Tony Award for his portrayal of proto-rocker Jerry Lee Lewis in "Million Dollar Quartet." It was an emotional high point for a guy from Oliver Springs, Tenn., who dreamed of show business. Kreis was the featured performer at this year's Windy City Gay Idol competition, held during Chicago Pride.

Follow this link to a free download of Levi Kreis' "Gonna Be Alright"

God-Des and She became known through Showtime's series "The L Word," where they performed their provocative track "Lick it." Their song "Love You Better" was the Number One video on MTV Logo for 15 weeks. They've toured with Lady Gaga, Salt n' Pepa and SIA.

Follow this link to a free download of God-Des and She - "Lick it"

The duo really did Pride this year, with Pride gigs not only in major cities (Las Vegas, Portland, Ore., Minneapolis, Seattle) but smaller ones as well (Knoxville, Tenn., Louisville, Ky., Ft. Wayne, Ind.).

With an uncle and father who, performing as the Rebel Brothers, popular Country & Western act in in the 1970s, Oklahoma-born Houston Bernard comes with an outlaw and musical pedigree that extends back to his great-grandfather, George "Bittercreek" Newcomb, one of the Most Wanted back in the 1890s.

After moving to New York when he was 20, Bernard delved deep into the city's underground. He devoted his emotionally charged music to human rights, free speech, and his sexuality. For his performance at Boston Pride, he performed "Rollercoaster," a song that fuses rockabilly with punk.

At L.A. Pride, indie/electro-rock duo Uh Huh Her's "Explode" did just that. The group, best known for "Human Nature," a song featured in the movie "Twilight," harks back to hard-rocking women like Joan Jett and Pat Benatar.

Follow this link to a free download of Uh Huh Her - "Human Nature"

Many gay artists have dedicated their careers to activism. One of them is Ryan Amador, who performed at New York's Pride Rally. Amador started composing when was 9 years old and hasn't stopped. His most recent single, "Define Me," a duet with Jo Lampert, has become an instant LGBT anthem, which the duo have performed at many important events for gay youth.

Just as Pride marches show the world how diverse our community is, so these Pride entertainers explode the myth of a monolithic "gay music" genre.