Purple Magazine
— S/S 2012 issue 17

A Truely Dysfunctional Family Says Goodbye

<img class="wp-image-115431 size-medium" src="https://static.purple.fr/2015/06/A-Truly-Dysfunctional-Family-Says-Goodbye_-2010-207×300.jpg", 2010, Unique Polaroid Collage, Courtesy Jeremy Kost Studio

text and photo JEREMY KOST

 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an enigma. Long considered a dead city, with only the past glory of the steel industry’s titans of fortunes to boast of, it’s now experiencing a bit of a comeback. Due to my upcoming solo show at the Andy Warhol Museum, I’ve spent a lot of time in the city over the past couple of years, under the watchful eye of the museum’s incredible director, Eric C. Shiner.

I discovered a small family of drag queens living in Shadyside, the super-cute neighborhood all the gays live in. This group includes Veruca la Pirahana, Alaska Thunderfuck, Cherri Baum, and Sharon Needles, who’s currently appearing on RuPaul’s show “Drag Race.” She was also featured on the cover of my last book, It’s Always Darkest Before Dawn. All the queens are real characters, pushing their own boundaries — and everyone’s buttons — on a nightly basis.

Maybe now that RuPaul is featuring Sharon on his show, and I’m showing her and the others in my work, they all won’t have to hide out in Shadyside much longer.

[Table of contents]

S/S 2012 issue 17

Table of contents

purple EDITO

purple NEWS

purple BEST of the SEASON

purple INTERVIEW

purple FASHION WOMEN

purple FASHION MEN

purple DOCUMENTS

purple BEAUTY

purple TRAVEL

purple NAKED

purple NIGHT

purple SUMMER

purple VISUAL ESSAY

© Purple Institute

Subscribe to our newsletter