“To Wong Foo, Thank you for everything! Julie Newmar” before June, please

“To Wong Foo, Thank you for everything! Julie Newmar” (Beeban Kidron, 1995) is one of the most important and complete LGBT+ films of all time for bringing together discussions about machismo, domestic violence, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, lack of emotional perspective, gender identity, ageism and transphobia – at a time when many of these terms did not even exist. It is mandatory to be mentioned every LGBT+ Pride Month.

Even those who haven’t seen the film have already been impacted by the publicity images, such is the deconstructive force of “To Wong Foo…”. In 1995, between “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (1994) and “The Birdcage” (1996), Patrick Swayze (Vida Boheme), Wesley Snipes (Noxeema Jackson) and John Leguizamo (Chi-Chi Rodriguez) came across the great and dangerous challenge of playing a drag queen.

Dangerous is not enough, extremely dangerous in times where associating your image with the LGBT+ world was a certainty of losing advertisers, partnerships and “straight” roles. What is nowadays a reason for fights between cool actors, LGBT+ characters, until very recently, caused this commercial tragedy in the lives of those who played them. How can you imagine the black sex symbol Wesley Snipes going crazy, wearing a wig, wearing heels, acting crazy? It was impossible until it was done in “To Wong Foo..”.

Patrick Swayze was the hot heartthrob in 1995, with women still going wild and wet over his role in “Ghost.” She appears as the most delicate of the girls, the most refined, the richest, but also the one who harbors a sadness typical of every LGBT+ person who had to cross the door of their house while hearing screams – and never returned to this house.

The main credit is precisely to make this first impact with the cast, to deal with issues with comedy, but without shrillness, clichés, absurd colorism and views of those who don’t experience our drama. It’s not a show, it’s the story of three girls lost in the countryside of the United States. They are heading to Hollywood for the final stage of the drag competition – a dream for everyone.

But the scenes focus on a peaceful daily life that is shaken up with their arrival after a car problem – chosen more for style than for good conservation conditions in an epic scene. They arrive in a city stuck in the 60s, an appointment made when they discover a stock of incredible looks from this very libertarian era.

Freedom runs through the small streets, there is a show, a parade, breaking standards and placing women in charge of themselves. Something essential in a daily life full of machismo, with violence against women happening under the eyes of these three divas – who change the course of the sad story played by Stockard Channing as the submissive Carol Ann.

Chi-Chi, responsible for the role of Latina, stars alongside Noxeema in brilliant jokes that poke at xenophobia and racism. It is she who shows the lack of emotional perspective that so many transvestites face, with an impossibility of being loved in this city stuck in time – and who gives her departure when the heels of these divas step on her floor.

“To Wong Foo…” also features Naomi Campbell falling over Noxeema and dying of envy for her. Robbie Williams all welcoming. And, of course, Ru Paul, the ultimate icon of world drag art back in 1995 – and who maintains the same shine to this day, like this indispensable film. It is available on: Prime, AppleTV, GooglePlay and YouTube.

By Ezatamentchy