? “The Sun King” Mabon Mummer’s Play—September 1998. A group of Faeries stage an entire sacred theater piece in the middle of Dupont Circle, complete with the death of a Queer Sun King after being emasculated by a lobbyist for gay conformity; the failure of medicine, law, or the media to resuscitate the Sun King; and his glorious resurrection aided by a wet kiss from a hairy Sacred Fool and a pink silicone extra penis.
? The “Freaks Are Family” March—May 1999 Responding to the sense of exclusion of the Queer dimension of LGBT culture from the HRC-sponsored “Millennium March on Washington” (originally subtitled “Faith and Family”), the DC Radical Faeries, in partnership with DC’s radical bisexual rights group Bisexual Insurgence, hosted a Queer counter-march. Stepping off just in front of the marshals of the Millennium Mess parade, the Freaks Are Family March stole the show and the headlines from the more conformist event and raised an illegal Maypole on the Mall. A Radical Faerie-Bisexual Insurgence statement appeared on the front page of the Washington Post saying, “as long as the most marginalized members of our community are oppressed, we are all oppressed.”
? Returning Joan of Arc’s Sword—Summer Solstice 1999 Faeries held a ritual for Summer Solstice at the feet of the statue of Joan of Arc in Malcolm X Park. The statue’s sword had long since been stolen or disappeared, so Faeries, invoking Joan as a patron saint of Queer liberators, transgender warriors, and feminist spiritual ecstatics, returned her sword. A Quagan Dyke Dynamo scaled the statue and tied a plastic toy sword to Joan of Arc’s sword-belt while Papa Griz kept time with his staff as the Faeries chanted; that day, the QDD was given the Faerie name Joan of Arc aka Jeanne d’Arc.
? Protests at the Christian Coalition’s Legislative Conference— September 2000 The Faeries formed a partnership with two other DC Queer grass-roots groups—the Lesbian Avengers and Bisexual Insurgence—to organize a 250+-person community protest and “Queer-In” outside the “Hinckley Hilton” during the Christian Coalition’s annual Legislative Conference. Lesbian Avengers set up a Lesbian Recruiting Booth, Bisexual Insurgence urged “ex-Gay” counter-protesters to admit they were really bi, and Radical Faeries performed a multi-faith Exorcism of Prejudice ceremony.
? First Saint Nikolai’s Day—December 2000 Baba Niko and Hezekiah introduce the Faeries to Saint Nikolai’s Day, an Eastern Orthodox holy day that becomes one of the primary holidays of the DC Radfey liturgical calendar. Beginning an annual tradition, desiccated lemons, golden eggs, and storytelling about Saint Nikolai become a treasured part of Faerie winter folklore.
? Jeremiad from Papa Griz—August 2001 During a moment of Faerie kerfuf?e, when some complained that the Faeries never did anything for anyone, Radical faggot and community elder Papa Griz rose and in a surly, authoritative voice said, “You hold open a space for people every week, without fail. In 30 years in the DC gay community, no one else has done that for this long. You don’t realize how big a thing that is.” It was like a thunderclap went off in the room.
? The Dragon Dances—February 2002 The Radical Faeries continue the Faerie and Reclaiming tradition of the Red Dragon Feast to raise energy, hope, and money for blood-borne diseases. Faeries fashioned a truly amazing giant red dragon head, which Knox and others continue to decorate progressively more fabulously every year.
? Cody’s Ashes — June 2002 Dwayne “Cody” Harris, one of the DC RadFeys’ own, died of an HIV-related infection and his partner Tom gifted the Faeries with Cody’s Tarot deck and part of his ashes. The picture Tom sent in to appear with his obituary was of Cody proudly marching with the DC Radical Faeries (in June of our year of bamboozlement) He became one of the most important Faerie Ancestors for our Tribe, and his name now is always remembered when we list our beloved Ancestors. Faeries later found a single tooth in his ashes, which would have perfectly suited Cody, whose sense of humor delighted in the morbid and grotesque.
? Help for the NOLA Faeries—Autumn 2005 Responding to the plight of Faeries displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the DC Faeries raise just over $1,200 to help them. Fritter acts as inter-Faerie emissary on a mission of hope, delivering donated clothes, personal items, ritual supplies, and other things to help Katrina evacuee Faeries taking refuge at Short Mountain Sanctuary in Tennessee.
? Nonpro?t Status—Winter 2005 Surprising even themselves, the DC Faeries won Federal recognition as a nonpro? t 501(c)(3) organization based on their charitable, educational, spiritual, and artistic work. This paves the way for a ?nancially viable plan to acquire our own permanent space, or Faerie Homo Home.
? “Peggy Lee’s Croning— Autumn 2006 For the ?rst time in DCRF history we ceremonially honored the elderhood of one of our own. At autumn’s turn we celebrated the Peggy Leequinox and bestowed the title of “Crone” upon Peggy Lee Magnuson. His Faerie Family bestowed him with a scarlet hat (a symbol of ladies of an age), rainbow dog tags (a symbol of longterm HIV survivors) and a sharp, toothy golden sickle (a symbol of age and wisdom saying “Don’t Fuck with me!”).
? “DCRF piece for the SMS Faerie Quilt — Autumn 2006 Fritter and Potpourri responded to Gonoway’s call to help create a new Heart Circle quilt for the Short Mountain Sanctuary. In a single season Fritter cracked the whip and set the faeries to quilting like mad and by March 30th our masterpiece, emblematic of the DC Faeries, had been created. On April Fool’s Day we performed a rite of ensoulment upon the quilt piece and in our moment of silent meditation and energy raising, the Goddess spoke to us through the voice of Bette Midler (who none of us knew was in the random cd rotation) who began singing “I Know This Town.”
