History of Gender Identity and Gender Expression in Central PA
Entertaining for a Cause
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A year after the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, Paul Foltz and others founded the Lily White & Company, which preformed from 1982 into the late 1990s. Formed with the intention to raise funds for HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ organizations, this troupe of drag performers toured throughout Pennsylvania and the United States. The members of the troupe believed one of their main goals to be upheld was “to produce events that typify the Gay culture…” The success and range of places the organization traveled to show that drag was becoming a vital part of the community. Not only as a form of entertainment but as a way to express alternative forms of gender expression.
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LGBT-043: Mailer, "Miss Lily Say to All...", undated
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LGBT-043: Into the Woods & Out of the Bushes, SCAAN Benefit Show, August 1988
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LGBT-043: Aids Benefit at Stallions, 1987
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Miss Tina talks about identity terms and the difficulty of identifying with a particular definition. The terminology thought comes from their performing in events like Miss Tally Ho. She also describes the troupe she performed with to raise money for LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS groups, similar to the work of Lily White & Company.
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