The Cockettes were born in the wilds of the Society of the Haight, San Francisco,1969, when LSD was the trip du jour. The group pioneered the concepts of gender fluidity, multi-dimensional identity and an intense sense of self-individuation; a no-holds-barred, in-your-face experimental theatre troupe channeling the volatile energy of the city.

The Cockettes manifested a new visual language that mirrored their cubistic, timeless and surreal sensibilities. Dubbed “High Drag,” it was so far ahead of its time and so original in its concepts that it took 50 years to explode into the worlds of fashion, film, theater and beyond, becoming a complete genre in and of itself, highly influential in designer fashion, streetwear, stagewear and anywhere that you see a unique creature that looks like no one else. The Cockettes forever changed just how daring and expressive you can be when you dress for the street, the club, the prom or the wedding.

Fayette Hauser is a founding member of The Cockettes, performing in San Francisco from 1969 to 1972, and then moving to Seattle to join Ze Whiz Kidz. That same year, she and her partner Tomata Du Plenty came to Manhattan. Their shows, now called Proto-Punk, were the first to grace the stage of CBGBs, hallowed birthplace of the NYC punk scene. In a rare Village performance, Fayette will reflect on the Cockette years with a talk and slideshow that will evoke nostalgia in those who were there and envy in those who missed out.

She will also introduce two rarely seen films starring The Cockettes.

Palace (1970), directed by Scott Runyon and Syd Dutton, features the only live footage of the group in their Halloween show Les Ghouls, a film that captures the Seventies zeitgeist. In Variety, David Rooney wrote,
“A fascinatingly detailed snapshot of the flamboyant outer reaches of countercultural San Francisco in the hippie years and an emotional celebration of diversity, liberation, sexual anarchy and fabulousness… The climate of all-embracing acceptance, blurred sexual lines, joyful transgression, rebellion and freedom comes through with warmth, humor, and nostalgia."

Elevator Girls in Bondage (1971), directed by Michael Kalman, hilariously tells the story of the beleaguered Elevator Girls of a seedy hotel and their Socialist awakening ala Karl Marx, starting a rebellion against their oppressive boss. They involve a glamourous tourist, a freaky writer and long-haired hippies in their mayhem, ending in an orgy, of course! Satire run amok!!

Room 301, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center 208 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011