I know people say Halloween is the gayest holiday of the year, but seriously…what is gayer than Christmas?
+ Mariah Carey is the Queen of the season
+ There’s lights EVERYWHERE and GARLAND (not Judy…but I, myself, am a friend of Dorothy)
+ The movies are overly dramatic and campy with a sense of wonder
+ Aren’t we donning our apparel gay after all?
+ Christmas music is all CHEER
+ Have you ever seen the Vanessa Williams version of a Christmas Carol. Rightfully titled, A Diva’s Christmas Carol (I watched that EVERY SINGLE TIME it came on VH1 as a kid)
Maybe I’m wrong, but in my Queer mind…I’m not.
I love this holiday and I always have. For some folks, especially Queer folks, it can be a difficult time of the year. I myself have chosen to reclaim what it means to spend the holidays alone and made it more of a delight for that very reason. When I lived in Philly for instance, my tradition was going to visit the LOVE Park Christmas tree on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve. And yes I walked there all the way from South Philly (and by South I do mean below Washington St).
Now, my partner and I visit NYC because what is more magical than NYC on Christmas? – although the pandemic kind of wrecked that tradition.
Like most Queer people I know, once we have truly discovered ourselves – we become professionals at being able to reinvent meanings and traditions to fit the people we are forever evolving into.
So what exactly does Christmas mean to me?
It means joy, it means plugging in my fiber optic Christmas tree and creating invisible holiday joyous boundaries that disallow any and all Grinches from ruining my fa-la-la-la bubble.
On a serious note, if the holidays are hard for you – in whatever capacity, I hope you have the support you need in whatever shape or form that is. You deserve to feel love and joy this time of year or you deserve all the bah-hum bugs if that is more your vibe. I support it either way.
And finally.. the whole reason you clicked on this article to begin with… for your listening pleasure…let me re-share the infamous Happy Holigays playlist from your favorite Queer…you’re welcome & good cheer–
Happy Holigays playlist for your pleasure:
Traci Tay 