2015 - Ongoing
Berlin, Germany; California, United States; New York, United States; Hollywood, California, United States; Oakland, California, United States
Every Tuesday, I go to watch drag at Aunt Charlie’s. In 2016, on the night of the presidential election, we watched the results on TV as we waited for the drag show to begin. The show was designed as if Hillary Clinton won. It felt like our own show was mocking us. I took this photo of Mandy Coco—dressed as a female politician, holding an American Flag—performing Abba’s “The Winner Takes It All.”
Aunt Charlie’s is the oldest gay bar in the Tenderlion. It was truly surreal to see the younger queer regulars grapple with what was to come alongside the older regulars, who comprise a lost generation that survived the AIDS epidemic.
George was getting kicked out of his apartment in Berlin. He had his daughters for the weekend, no money, and two weeks to move out. George and the girls’ mother separated some time ago. On some of the days that he had the kids, I would come to help out. When I got to his apartment, his daughter would have tantrum unless Geroge held her, making it difficult to pack.
I asked George if I could take a photo of him and Ofelia. He demanded that he shave first. He set her down for a second and the tears immediately started pouring.