Winter's a drag... ...but the queens of the House of LeMay offered some color this Valentine's Day

Author: Amanda Cormier

When you venture to talk to Maggie LeMay, expect to be taken on a tangent.

"In Vermont, we've always been very lucky about having more gay rights than any other state in the country, with civil unions and different kinds of affirmative action," said LeMay, one of the four sisters in the House of LeMay, Vermont's premiere drag group. She turned to a short woman who had squeezed through the crowd en route to the exit of the crowded Higher Ground lobby. "Yeah, Tracy, that's fine. Leave. Where are my wings? Make sure they get back to me."

Maggie had just finished a whirlwind of song and dance performances in the cabaret show that kicked off the 14th annual "Winter is a Drag Ball" at Higher Ground on Feb. 14. Breathless, she sauntered through the lobby in a self-designed Queen of Hearts gown with a cocktail balanced in one hand, greeting nearly every person that she passed with a "Hi, darling," and a compliment on his or her outfit.

After 12 years of performing as one of the four sisters in the House of LeMay, Maggie (who outside of performances goes by Michael Hayes) knows everyone.

The ball was hosted for the sixth time by the House of LeMay as a fundraiser for the Vermont People With AIDS Coalition, which helps fund a yearly retreat for people living with HIV/AIDS in Vermont. Although the LeMays had been performing in drag balls for years, the group gladly seized the opportunity for philanthropy when the Coalition approached the group's leader, Bob Bolyard (Amber LeMay). Each year, the group raises more money for the Coalition than any other organization. Maggie is quick to point this out.

"Last year we set a record for the largest attendance of any single event at Higher Ground at 1,064," she said. "This year we sold out 1,000 tickets by 2 or 3 p.m. on the day they started selling." She then turned to a friend who, drink in hand, ventured toward the door. "No booze outside. I'm sorry - I'm a control queen."

Kathy Kilcourse, program administrator for the Coalition, said that the ball has become a crucial component in the group's efforts to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.

"It would be very hard for us to do our retreat without the support of the drag ball," Kilcourse said.

The large-scale event made use of both of Higher Ground's performance spaces. A cabaret-style show, complete with soft lighting and lots of hearts dangling everywhere showcased the night's theme, "Queen of Hearts." Amber, Maggie and cousin Lucybelle (Johnnie McLaughlin) sang several numbers and introduced performances by Vermont artists like soul singer Myra Flynn.

In the adjacent space, a rotation of DJs and local bands performed to a dancing crowd of nearly 1,200. The traditional "drag ball" originated in New York City in the early 1980s, where different "Houses" or groups of drag queens competed in dance and costuming. The event is more of an outlandish cotillion for the LGBT community, where anything goes and everyone is accepted. Maggie said that the group drew on New York City drag ball culture to form the LeMays, a play on the inexpensive fabric "lam