Los Angeles 01.07.2009

Drag Debutantes

The longstanding L.A monthly Dragstrip 66 celebrates Sweet 16

What does one give a drag queen on her Sweet 16th? If you’ve ever set foot inside L.A.’s nightlife institution Dragstrip 66, then you know there is only one thing you can get her: hammered.

And since it hasn’t been too long since our 16th (we count birthdays from our first step out of the closet; it helps us justify lying about our age on Manhunt), we’ll be there to celebrate and help accept the boozy gifts.

There aren’t many sweet 16 birthday parties for events in Los Angeles. The city’s denizens are fickle, always looking for the next hot party. As with most things, this is exaggerated in the gay community, where monthlies and bi-weeklies quickly fade into the distant hum of the past, like faux-hawks and Atkins.

But Dragstrip has always been different. Since 1993 the monthly event has been a home-away-from-home for the city’s underground drag and androgynous community. Most of the event’s revelers have faithfully attended since the party’s beginnings, while first timers easily become dazzled by the spectacles of avant garde performance and costume, and quickly turn into regulars.

We wish we could remember more about our visits to Dragstrip. The raucous party atmosphere hasn’t exactly provoked memory-retaining abilities. We simply know that if ever a visitor is in town on a Dragstrip weekend, they must check it out to witness why L.A.’s underground competes with the best in the world.

Whether we like it our not, this weekend the drag queens of Dragstrip will be coming (of age). That’s certainly worth celebrating!

Dragstrip 66 16th Anniversary Party
Saturday, January 10, 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
$15; cross dress for less
The Echoplex
1152 Glendale Boulevard, Echo Park
(323) 969-2596
www.dragstrip66.com

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