Getting Personal

Erickatoure Aviance burst onto the New York scene in 1999 as a dance-school student and daughter of the House of Aviance. “I started dressing up as soon as I got here and was soon noticed by the nightlife powers that be,” the drag diva explains. Aviance’s look is unique—a mix of ’80s-era glamour with DIY flourishes. (Fellow club royal One-Half Nelson and her sisters in the House help her pull together her Joan Collins-meets-Shelia E. look.) Known for her fierce turns at the Ritz, The F Word and Hudson Hotel’s The Happening—and being ejected from The Wendy Williams Show for looking a little too ferosh—Erickatoure is also a singer: We lived for her single, “My Pumps,” and her new EP drops March 9 on iTunes. We threatened to burn a vintage Versace and got her to unzip her lips. continue reading »

Whether it’s the Life Ball, the Pill Awards or the Gay Erotic Expo, if there’s a red carpet with homos on it, you’ll probably find media personality Mike Diamond there.  The avowed “unrepentant attention hog” began interviewing folks in P-Town a few years ago, but has moved on to segments for Fierth.com and Logo’s PopLab and TripOutGayTravel.com. “I  like shy people because they get all giggly and weird and  end up having a good time,” says Diamond about his favorite subjects. “Also, big beefy hunks who agree to give me piggyback rides on camera!” We polished Diamond up nice and got him to shine. continue reading »

The bubbly Lady Bunny is currently stretching her thespian talents in When Joey Married Bobby, the new queer comedy now at Theater 80 St Marks. “I play Charity Divine, a Southern Baptist minister’s wife who’s daffy...but with a temper,” says the North Carolina import. “The writing is hysterical. I can see it becoming a film or sitcom.” Bunny hopped onto the scene as a go-go dancer at the Pyramid  in the ’80s, and got her first DJ  from infamous club king Michael Alig. Her new “day job” in the theater means she’s had to bolt after the curtain falls on Fridays to make it to Amalia, where she spins at the weekly Rockit party.“I’ll leave there at 4am with a full beard,” she moans. We tempted “Bunion” with a big, uncut carrot and got her to open up. continue reading »

She went from being an exotic flower to a household name (at least in gay homes), but RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bebe Zahara Benet is just beginning her mission to conquer the world in wigs and heels. “It’s my plan for 2010 to take my career to the next level,” says the Cameroonian beauty, “so I’ve set goals for myself and am working hard to attain them.” She was a presenter at the Pill Awards in January, will be popping up on the new season of Drag Race and has been working the scene with her debut single “I’m the Shit!” On February 13, she’ll be performing the song at Brandon Voss and Tony Fornabaio’s Club 57. We hunted Bebe down and got her to reveal some of her innermost thoughts. —Dan Avery continue reading »

If you’re sick of the cold, may we suggest warming up at Uncut, Louis “Loca” M.’s sizzling Friday-night Latin party at Elevate? The Puerto Rican promoter was raised on the Lower East Side and has been in the New York nightlife scene since age 17, when he was the doorman at Café Con Leche—a favorite of stars like Madonna and Prince in the 1990s. Now he throws his own bashes through his company, Loca Entertainment. Uncut’s been going strong since 2001, when it debuted at the Stonewall Inn. But Loca says it’s not just the papis who love it. “It’s a diverse mix of Latinos, blacks, white, Asians, boys, girls, straight, bi, curious, and everything in between,” he explains. “And lots of pinga!” We slipped Loca some Spanish Fly and got him to share his story. continue reading »

Ernie Cote is something of a study in contradictions. By day, the 29-year-old from Maine teaches chemistry at the university level, but by night he’s more focused on human anatomy. Specifically, with filling his infamously raunchy parties at The Cock, Rockbar, The Ritz and elsewhere with hipster boys and mouthwatering go-gos. “I got my first bar gig to pay for that pesky graduate degree in biochemistry,” he explains. “The one I use sooo much now!” Not surprisingly, Cote’s scientific training finds him fielding some interesting requests. “No, I won’t make ecstasy for you,” he jokes. We shot Cote up with Sodium Pentathol and got him to spill the beans. continue reading »

With the voice of an angel and the composure of a soused Dean Martin, sloppy chanteuse Bridget Everett charmed her way to the top of the alt-cabaret scene. Her 2007 solo show, At Least It’s Pink, featured intentional wardrobe malfunctions, drunken lechery and paeans to anal sex. It also caught the eye of producer Michael Patrick King and got her a part in the Sex and the City film—as “Drunk Party Girl,” naturally. The blonde bombed-shell performs monthly with Neal Medlyn and Kenny Mellman in the pop-music spoof Our Hit Parade at Joe’s Pub. “I have a lot of inspirations,” Everett, 37, reveals. “John Belushi, Richard Pryor and Michael Jackson. [And] a little of my mom drunk at the piano thrown in.” We plied Everett with a bottle of Trader Joe’s Chardonnay and got her to share her story. continue reading »