Flamboyance – big hair, botoxed lips, glittery frocks, giant boobs, feather boas, stilettoes, et al – aside, I believe Alan Amsby, aka Mr Pussy, undersells himself here. London born, he brought drag to Dirty ‘Ole via Belfast in the early 1970s, loved us and stayed. Still, behind the relentlessly cheerful presentation are glimpses of a thoughtful, and vulnerable, human being. Whatever one’s feelings about drag – is it show business, sexual appropriation of cartoon female-ness by men, or an expression of modern gender fluidity? – the persecution from which gay men are only just emerging is only too real. Amsby recalls the “queer bashing” in Fairview Park in 1982, and the death of Aer Rianta worker, David Quinn – two of his attackers members of the Defence Forces. At the trial the judge said “this could never be regarded as murder”. Four months later Dublin held its first Gay Pride march, with 200 participants. Clearly, being Ireland’s first drag queen, took steely balls. Although almost 80, Ambsy looks 40, youthful enough to ditch his ghostwriter next time round and give it to us straight. Rock on, dude.
