Before anything else, I want to acknowledge the passing of Alexis Arquette.  Yes, we were both publicly critical of the other.  But it must be said that Arquette was a trailblazer and one of the most vehemently outspoken advocates for gay rights and education about transgender issues.  And yet, this passing shows how far we still have to go.  While siblings Patricia, Rosanna, and David were vocal in mourning their sister Alexis, brother Richmond is mourning “our brother Robert, who became our brother Alexis, who became our sister Alexis, who became our brother Alexis.”  Certainly this is new territory for the general public, but I’m not even sure who died!

Also this week we remember Lady Chablis.  I only met her a couple of times, but she made an indelible impression on me.  While I only became aware of her after her landmark performance in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, it was with her autobiography that she made the biggest impression.  While I don’t know if she invented the phrase “hiding my candy”, she certainly popularized it.  Rest in peace, Lady.