It takes balls to be a drag queen. But with a little duct tape, that'll be the dong and short of it.
Seriously, though, photographer J.W. Calcaterra (a.k.a. Pompano Bill) has amassed quite a pile of pictures of drag queens. Now 79, Calcaterra served in the Navy during World War II, then worked for IBM for 34 years. After moving to Pompano Beach in 1992, he picked up a camera and began a third career -- as a shutterbug for gay publications such as Scoop, 411, and Express. As you can imagine, he's encountered his share of done-up cross-dressers.
Calcaterra's first solo exhibit -- called "Drag" -- shows off his coruscating collection of queens. Check it out through April 30 at the Stonewall Library and Archives (1717 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale). The event is sponsored by ArtsUnited, a volunteer, nonprofit organization that uses the arts to present a positive message about the gay and lesbian community. Admission is free. Call 954-530-2723. -- John Shannon
Stars for Jews
Triangles for gays
THU 4/7
Despite the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, the '90s were fairly, um, gay. During the Clinton years, hard-core homophobia seemed to be evaporating like a shallow glass of Tanqueray on a hot summer's day. Unfortunately, the emboldened religious right has been increasingly lashing back in a clear sign that it's tired of bending over when it comes to same-sex love.
While today's situation is bad, you can see what really bad looked like during the 1930's Heimatland. "Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945," is a traveling exhibit from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Its 250 reproductions of historical documents and photographs trace the Nazis' campaign to imprison and murder thousands of homosexuals during the Holocaust. The exhibit runs until June 3 at the main branch of the Broward County Library (100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale). Visit www.stonewall-library.org, or call 954-763-8565. -- Dave Amber
See Stuff at BCC
THU 4/7
Brownnosing the teacher didn't help Broward Community College art students who were trying to get their work into "FutureCast," the school's annual student exhibition. That's 'cause a player from the "real world" -- the Broward Art Guild's executive director, Susan Buzzi -- stepped in to select 80 paintings, photographs, sculptures, and drawings from 140 submissions. "It's important that students be recognized by someone outside of our cocoon," says BCC's gallery director, Barbara Ryan. Recognize 'em at the campus gallery (Bldg. 3, 3501 Davie Rd., Davie) -- and keep an eye out for the maple table that student Troy Humble found in the street and then attacked with a Sharpie marker, turning it into a gaming table. There's an opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, and the exhibit remains open through May 5. Call 954-201-6984. -- Deirdra Funcheon
