SACurrent.com – By Nicole Chavez
The Warhol social scene of 1970s New York was a source of intrigue for many – gay or straight, free-spirited or unadventurous – because human beings are inherently curious. The primal desire to delve into the unknown is one of the central aspects of gender-bending, whether you’re the cross-dresser venturing on stage for the first time or the curious bystander who wants to understand this evolution of popular culture. Think about the first time you heard Lou Reed croon the opening lyrics of “Walk on the Wild Side,” his 1972 hit that made legendary drag queen and Warhol Factory star Holly Woodlawn famous. “Plucked her eyebrows on the way/Shaved her legs and then he was a she … ” If you were too young to comprehend the lyrics then, didn’t you at least want to understand them?