At Aquaplex Fort Lauderdale, PhD stands for Pretty Hot Divas. The venue is hosting a fundraiser for the OutSFL Melissa St. John College Student Scholarship Fund. Named after the legendary Palm Beach County icon, the goal is to educate and inspire the next generation of performers.
Velvet Lenore, the reigning Mz. Out South Florida and entertainment director at Aquaplex, is leading the event, Uncle Bob’s Birthday Bash.
“Uncle Bob is very close to my mother, Melissa St. John. They’re basically brother and sister. When I first started doing drag and trying to find myself, he was with Melissa. He gave me some money when I needed [it]. He was here to give support and always had great words and inspired me to know that I was okay.”
For many queens, the stage is more than a stage, it’s a platform. More than ever, drag entertainers are under attack and vilified. Despite derision, they stand up and fight back from the stage, on social media, and in their everyday activities. Like many, Lenore struggled as she found herself, even living in her car for a time. Now she is a community leader on and off the stage. She hopes to make it a little easier for the next generation of performers and says she’ll know it when she sees it.
“[I’m looking for] somebody who’s gonna be dedicated and heartfelt, put work into it. When I was coming up I didn’t have a scholarship to help me out. I had to figure out everything on my own. I had to put myself through college because my family couldn’t afford to do it.”
The evening will be jam packed with entertainment including performers Melissa St. John, Erika Norell, Quinn Lenore, Jay Wolf Lenore, Kimberly Venom, Angie Ovahness and Cathy Craig.
“I don’t want to give away too much but it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” she said.
The event is Oct. 29 and includes a full dinner show. Tickets are $55 and $20 if you decline the dinner option. Buy tickets at flockfestevents.org. Twenty dollars from each ticket as well as all performer tips will go to the scholarship.
About $7,500 has been raised so far.
Donate to The Out South Florida Melissa St. John College Student Scholarship Fund here.
Photo by Carina Mask.
