Sharon Needles of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4

Something glamorous and twisted this way comes and her name is Sharon Needles. The Pittsburgh drag queen is one of thirteen contestants vying for the coveted title of America’s Next Drag Superstar on the fourth season of RuPaul’s “Drag Race.” See the deliciously dark queen and her peers on the 90-minute premiere Monday, January 30, at 9 p.m. on Logo. In the meantime, check out our exclusive interview with Sharon Needles.

Fenuxe: Why did you audition for Drag Race?
Sharon: I auditioned because every drag queen in the world apparently wants to be on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and I want a piece of the action, too.

Fenuxe: What did you like most about being on the show?
Sharon: Making life-long friendships with a lot of the girls. I didn’t expect to make such good friends. It’s a competition and you put yourself first but it really wasn’t that way. I genuinely cared about everyone in the competition.

Fenuxe: Who is your favorite drag queen from a previous Drag Race season?
Sharon: Anyone who has ever walked that runway is my favorite drag queen. I love the commercial beauty of Raven. I love the awkwardness of Tammy Brown. I love the comedy of Mimi Imfurst. I love them all. Anyone who has ever walked that runway I’m the biggest fan of.

Fenuxe: How did you get into drag?
Sharon: I don’t know. I don’t remember. It was so long ago. I grew up on a farm in Iowa in the middle of nowhere, and I was pretty much raised by a television. I was always obsessed with beauty pageants and femininity with people like Elvira and Peggy Bundy. The Halloween box in my house was never put away. I always liked the manipulation of beauty. I started performing when I was really young in the basement of a Des Moines nightclub. I guess I’ve always been in drag.

Fenuxe: How would you describe your look and persona?
Sharon: Sexy, bitchy, scary and approachable. A lot of people call me “goth.” I knew I had an opportunity with RuPaul’s Drag Race to be a remembered entertainer. Some of the girls who have had this opportunity on the show in the past didn’t take their branding very seriously. I wouldn’t call myself a “goth”; I’d call myself a genius for creating a character and sticking to it and never breaking it.

Fenuxe: Do you have acting experience?
Sharon: No. Just being a compulsive liar. And a drama queen.

Fenuxe: Where do you perform?
Sharon: I perform in Pittsburg mostly. I have a show bar called Blue Moon which I absolutely love because I get away with murder. It’s a cast of queens that have been kicked out of every other drag bar in the city. So we’re just a family of misfits that love making a mess and making people laugh. I also do a monthly show at the Brillobox, which is a straight bar. But they love our antics, and we have a really good time there.

Fenuxe: What do you do when you’re not doing drag?
Sharon: I’m usually thinking about drag in a dive bar with a shot of well whiskey. It’s after 5 somewhere, right?

Fenuxe: What’s next for you?
Sharon: Next for Sharon Needles, that is the question. As of now I woke up hung over, and I’m about to take off last night’s face and spackle on another one for a photo shoot. But for the long run I don’t know. I basically want to base my career on Elvira’s career. I want to be relevant forever and never change my clothes.

After years of heating up various Atlanta dance floors, DJay McCracken will pack up his music and head for the West Coast. Before he leaves on February 1, he will spin one last time as an official Atlantan for his farewell party “ATL to LAX First Class” at the Jungle on Friday, January 27, from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. DJ Vicki Powell and DJ Mike Pope will also spin. Partial proceeds from the $5 cover will benefit MISTER and GO Atlanta.

DJay McCracken took a few moments to speak with Fenuxe about his career in Atlanta and his swiftly approaching move to Los Angeles

Fenuxe: Why are you leaving?
McCracken: I feel like I need to explore and see what else the world has to offer. A change of pace would be kind of nice.

Fenuxe: What will you be doing?
McCracken: I’m basically moving my company to the West Coast and expanding. So Spiked Entertainment will be on both sides of the US. From there I’ll attempt to go to New York and Chicago and keep on with it.

Fenuxe: What will you miss most about Atlanta?
McCracken: The people. I’ll miss everybody. Everyone is really great here. It’s hard to leave, but I feel like it’s the best thing for me to do as far as progression is concerned.

Fenuxe: Where are you originally from and what brought you to Atlanta?
McCracken: I was born in Winter Park, Florida, but have been in Georgia spontaneously since the age of 3.  While living on the outskirts of the city the majority of my life, my career was only going so far. So by the time I had hit 20, I knew it was time for me to move on to bigger and better things.

Fenuxe: How did you became a DJ and what attracted you to that career?
McCracken: It all began with a Chemical Brothers cd “Brothers Gonna Work it Out” a friend had given me. I was only 11 years old but I immediately fell in love with the unique five-track, hour-long cd. Growing up in my teens I played guitar, wrote music and had jam sessions with friends on a regular basis. At that time it was all mostly rock music, but I certainly had my Paul Oakenfold “Tranceport” and Sasha & Digweed “Global Underground” jams to keep going. By the time I hit 16 I was obsessed with drum and bass artists like AK1200 and Dieselboy. Other artists like Keoki were a part of the mix as well, while his “Keoki Klash” CD is still one of my all-time favorites. While working at various restaurants and bars I would always push the limits of my efforts and eventually ended up providing set music playlists for venues such as BED Atlanta and Noir Lounge. From there came the WETbar days where I went from bartender in the VIP lounge to house promoter for VIP Thursdays. On the night of my 24th birthday, which happened to land on a Thursday, I had my first full-on DJ experience with friend and Blake’s resident DJ, Bill Berdeaux.

“James has served this organization well in his decade-plus tenure with Pride,” Atlanta Pride Committee Board Chair Glen Paul Freedman said. “While we are saddened that he will be leaving us, we are excited for him in his new endeavor and wish him well.”

Sheffield will join the Health Initiative as Director of Organizational Development. In this new position, he will be working closely with long-time Health Initiative Executive Director Linda Ellis.

“It was not an easy decision, as I am emotionally invested in APC,” Sheffield said. “I believe that my skill set is ideal for the Health Initiative’s expansion work. My interest in LGBT health has grown with my involvement in the Pride Community Health Expo, partnerships with Grady and Kaiser, and my own personal experiences related to healthcare as a trans man. The Health Initiative’s movement toward reaching a more broad community excites me and I want to play a role in this new level of outreach.”

Freedman said the Health Initiative has been an important partner of Atlanta Pride’s for many years.

“While we will miss him, we are very happy that ‘Shef’ is going to be continuing as a leader in Atlanta’s LGBTQ community and supporting our friends.” Freedman said. “Because both Pride and the Health Initiative have office space in the Rush Center, he is just moving across the hall, so we will still see him frequently.”

The Atlanta Pride Committee plans to appoint an interim manager until an open search for a new executive director can be conducted. Until then, APC’s Executive Committee, board and other staff members will work with vendors and contractors to continue moving forward with current fund-raising efforts, programming and the 2012 Atlanta Pride Festival, which is scheduled for October 13-14.

Winning a leather competition requires more than looking hot in your harness. That’s why Sir Alan of Atlanta’s Panther Leather/Levi Club decided to put together the Future Titleholders Workshop.

Scheduled for Saturday, January 28, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Atlanta Eagle, the workshop will feature producers and representatives from most of the major Southeast contests who will present information about their contest and answer any questions about becoming a local, regional, or international leather titleholder.

Producers and representatives from the major Southeast contests participating in the workshop include Mr. and Ms. Atlanta Eagle, Mr. and Ms. Georgia Leather, Southeast Olympus Leather, Southeast LeatherSIR and Leatherboy, Southeast Community Bootblack, Mr. Southeast Rubber, International Transgender and Southeast LeatherFest.

Fenuxe asked Sir Alan, currently the 2011 International LeatherSIR, about Atlanta’s leather community and his passion for the lifestyle.

Fenuxe: You are the current International LeatherSIR. How did it feel to win that title?
Sir Alan: I won the Mr. Atlanta Eagle contest in 2009. After winning Mr. Atlanta Eagle I went on to compete in the 2009 International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago where I placed second runner-up out of 54 men from around the world. In the fall of 2010 I was appointed Southeast LeatherSIR 2011, and I had the great honor of competing alongside my boy, Pup Nitro (Southeast Leatherboy 2011), in the 2011 International LeatherSIR and Leatherboy contest in San Francisco. Nitro and I won our respective International Leather titles and it was an absolutely incredible experience to win the International LeatherSIR title alongside my boy Nitro.

Fenuxe: How did you first get involved in the leather community and what attracted you to it?
Sir Alan: I first became involved in the leather lifestyle back in the early 1990’s while living in south Florida. For me, my leather lifestyle is all about the kind of sex I have. It is about what arouses me. It is the look, the smell, the feel of a man in leather. It is about the sexual energy and power exchange that exists between leathermen.

Fenuxe: How long have you served with Panther L/L?
Sir Alan: I became an associate member of Panther Leather/Levi Club in November 2007 and became a full member in February 2009. I have been club president since January 2011. Panther L/L Inc. is a leather/Levi club for men and women of leather that is relevant, timely and responsive to the need for growth and sustainability of the 21st century leather community in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. Values are the foundation from which the success of Panther L/L will be created. In accordance with our Statement of Purpose, the members of Panther L/L must strive to uphold the basic values that have served as the pillars within the leather community for decades: trust, honor and respect. In addition to these basic pillars, the values of honesty, openness, integrity and commitment to community will serve as a means for achieving harmony and growth within our club.

Fenuxe: How many total members are involved in Panther L/L?
Sir Alan: Currently Panther Leather/Levi Club has nine full members, two pledges who will become full members within the next couple of months, and well over 100 local and long-distance associate members.

Fenuxe: What is the leather scene like in Atlanta?
Sir Alan: The leather scene in Atlanta continues to grow and become more visible within the larger LGBT community. We have a large and very fun leather, rubber and fetish community, and I embrace the new playful younger generation of leatherfolk that are proudly coming out in Atlanta.

Fenuxe: What prompted you to start this workshop?
Sir Alan: I wanted to find a way in which we might be able increase the number and the quality of contestants we have competing in our local and regional leather and fetish lifestyle contests and to increase contest visibility within our community. So, I thought what better way to accomplish this goal than to have all of the local and regional contest producers together in one venue to talk face to face with men and women who have had an interest in competing in a contest.

GLAAD announced 116 nominees in 25 English-language categories, and 35 Spanish-language nominees in 10 categories. In the English-language categories, cable networks earned 23 nominations, while broadcast networks garnered 19 nominations.

Nominees for Outstanding Film (wide release) are “Beginners,” starring Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor; “Albert Nobbs,” starring Glenn Close and Janet McTeer; and “J. Edgar,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer.

Outstanding Reality Show nominations went to “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC), “Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys” (Sundance), “The Glee Project” (Oxygen), “The Real L Word” (Showtime) and “The Voice” (NBC).

Outstanding Comedy nominees are “The Big C” (Showtime), “Exes and Ohs” (Logo), “Glee” (Fox), “Happy Endings” (ABC) and “Modern Family” (ABC).

Drama Series nominations went to “Degrassi” (TeenNick), “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC), “Pretty Little Liars” (ABC Family), “Torchwood: Miracle Day” (Starz) and “Shameless” (Showtime).

HBO’s “Cinema Verite” snagged the only nomination in the TV movie or miniseries race.

Heretic
New York producer and DJ Chad Jack serves up hot music for the “Halfway to Wonderland” kickoff party on Saturday. No cover before 10PM.

Jungle
No cover when you show your Grindr app at the door or $5 all night for patrons 21 and up this Saturday. DJ Rob Reum spins.

“Avenue Q”
The risqué Broadway hit starring puppets opens tonight at Horizon Theatre. Tickets range from $30 to $100. For show times and more information, please visit www.horizontheatre.com.

XS Ultra Lounge
The King Weekend Extravaganza continues with events through Monday. Doors open at 6PM tonight for the Welcome to the ATL Party with no cover all night. The Man 2 Man MLK Weekend Bash is Saturday featuring a $1,000 Hot Body Contest, hosted by adult film stars from “Dark Centaur.” Doors open at 10PM. On Monday, the Martin Luther King March & Rally kicks off at 2PM with assembly time at 1:15PM. More details at www.traxxatlanta.com.

What is your favorite thing about Atlanta?
I’d have to say I love all of the diverse areas that give the city its cool places to hang—like Inman Park, Virginia Highlands, Little Five Points, Midtown and Grant Park.

Describe your perfect date night.
It would start with a killer restaurant, a fantastic bottle of red wine and an appetizer paired perfectly with the wine. After dinner, we would see some live music, probably jazz or R&B. The night might end with a roof-top cocktail somewhere, depending on just how perfect the weather is!

What is your guilty pleasure?
I have three: DJ Hero, Investigation Discovery (ID) channel, and honey roasted almonds.

Who is your celebrity crush?
I have two: LL Cool J and Lady GaGa. I follow LL on Twitter, and he constantly tweets positive messages. He is all about positive mind and body. GaGa is the whole package when it comes to talent. She is also extremely sharp and down to earth when you meet her. What’s not to love?

Shaving off his hair for the role of Daddy Warbucks wasn’t an issue for actor Brad Oscar. His most recent gig as Uncle Fester in the New York production of “The Addams Family” required a similar look.

“Again, another iconic baldheaded character,” said Brad of his portrayal of the billionaire turned adopted father in the Theater of the Stars production of “Annie” at the Fox Theatre.

Although this will be his first time to play Warbucks, Brad has long ties to the show. He was an ensemble member in a production about 20 years ago and his actress sister has played the role of Miss Hannigan on tour.

“It’s always been a special show,” he told Fenuxe during a rehearsal break. “I’m loving it. I’m so excited to sing these songs.”

“Annie” marks the New Yorker’s third performance in Atlanta. He first acted in a production of “Jekyll and Hyde” in 1995, and his most recent visit was two years ago for “Young Frankenstein.”

“It’s always great to be back,” said Brad, who will try to squeeze in visits to the Georgia Aquarium and the Center for Puppetry Arts. An intense rehearsal schedule and various performances will demand most of his time.

But, Brad is used to hectic schedules. He’s been acting since he was a child growing up in Washington DC. With his parents acting in community theater, Brad was exposed to theater at an early age.

“Acting is something that has always interested me,” the 47-year-old said.

His first role in a “real production” outside of school was “Fiddler on the Roof,” where he played the part of Motel at the age of 12. He also played a child reporter for a DC television show.

Brad’s favorite acting job so far has been the Broadway production of “The Producers.” He snagged a Tony nomination in 2001 for his role as Franz Liebkind and was the understudy for the lead of Max Bialystock. Brad later replaced Nathan Lane as Max.

“It’s a role most character actors dream of,” Brad said. “I did that role over 1,400 times on Broadway, on tour and Las Vegas. It made me more visible as an actor.”

His success with “The Producers” has garnered much acclaim for Brad, which keeps his acting career quite busy. His plans after “Annie,” however, won’t require his acting chops. He’ll be preparing an April wedding to his partner, Diego, of six years. The couple will hold their ceremony where they first met—at the Arena Stage in Washington DC.

“It’s very exciting” Brad said.

It’s really hard to believe another year has come and gone. Every two weeks we’ve brought you the latest trends, fashions, gay-friendly destinations and entertainment coverage and had a ball doing it! It’s been a jam-packed year for Fenuxe and what a ride it’s been. I thought I would take a moment to share with you our highlights, both good and bad.

THE FUN

We started the year with an event benefitting charity with our first Best Bachelor’s Party and Auction. Last February the community voted via fenuxe.com for the top ten most eligible bachelors, who we then auctioned for a sweet date package. The best part of all is the proceeds benefited one of the most deserving non-profits in the city – AID Atlanta. Through a combination of the Bachelor Auction and the Bachelor AIDS Walk team, more than $15,000 was raised in donations! In 2012 we look forward to completely blowing that number out of the water.

Later, in April of last year, we rocked Atlanta with our annual Fire Party, complete with fire breathers, dancers and all those sexy ROKK Vikings! In all, 748 people turned up the heat at The Bill Lowe Gallery, creating quite a challenge for the air conditioning, but, nonetheless, it was a great way to kick off the warmer months.
Just this past November we held our second annual Ice Party, which gave us the distinct privilege of honoring those individuals who work tirelessly for our community–the 2011 Fenuxe 50. Five-thousand pounds of sculpted ice created a delightfully frozen world set against a 360 degree view of Atlanta’s sparkling skyline. The night was truly magical!

THE REALITY

I’ve enjoyed working in my community, working for my community and getting to know our community on a much deeper and intimate level. I also look forward to serving our community for many more years in new and exciting ways. There are some truly amazing individuals and some incredible progress being made behind the scenes. However, at the same time, I can’t help but notice some of the in-fighting, pessimism, complacency and back stabbing that also takes place. What would happen if we stood together in 2012 instead of fighting amongst ourselves?

Have you ever taken a moment and noticed the intricacies of the world around us? Our solar system is composed of huge shapes swirling around imaginary planetary routes. Sometimes I marvel at their beauty but at the same time I can’t help but look deep within our own world at the staggering array of fauna and creatures. I then look even deeper into the micro-world of organisms and bacteria surrounding our every move. It’s fascinating to find all these components working cohesively from the largest to the very smallest and all in-between, and it’s beautiful.

Think about our community in this same sense: A world that is composed of many different parts, many different people, many different beliefs and opinions, and many differing ways of life, but we are still one community. It is important that we all keep working together as a community. If the system breaks down we can’t have progress.

Take bullying for instance, one of the hot button issues of today. This sensational topic has created such a frenzy within our community we are now arguing with each other over which way to best handle this issue. Bullying is a horrible situation that must be dealt with, but let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture: our equal and human rights.

One clear example of self destruction comes from a local chicken house. We should not be forced to live in a world where a corporation like Chick-fil-a can spew hate against our community and still make record profits. This company does not have our community’s best interest in mind. Chick-fil-A, as tempting as the Polynesian sauce may be, should not be able to enjoy our hard-earned dollars. If we are serious about our rights when these type of issues come to light, we should be much more aggressive as a community in either changing their behavior or completely boycotting their services. I’ve heard some of my peers tell me they just cannot help themselves and make the choice to eat there. If you make the choice to spend your money with companies who do not support you then you also missed an opportunity to spend money with companies who support you. These businesses need our dollars to continue giving support. 2011, unfortunately, marks a year in which we have seen gay staples of our community being forced to close up shop. This shouldn’t happen, not while Chick-fil-A sells billions of dollars worth of unhealthy chicken.

THE FUTURE

New young blood is needed in our community. We see it all around us, the same ideas and minds we’ve had for years behind our largest non-profits, like The Atlanta Pride Committee. It is time for the younger generation to start to take responsibility for the freedoms, privileges and conveniences we have within our community. I encourage every single person younger than 25 to get involved on some scale with their favorite non-profit organization. Great things happen when everyone chimes in.

So what will you change in 2012? What will you do to make our community stronger? Fenuxe is excited to make an even more determined effort in 2012 to publicize the amazing accomplishments of our community. Our newest member of the Fenuxe Family is associate writer Shannon Jenkins, who has made it his personal goal next year to tell more of your stories! We want to hear those stories. We want to hear your reactions. We want to know about your own obstacles and where you’re headed. Are you planning a wedding or starting a family? Creating a new business or passing a milestone? Let us know.

I want to personally thank you, our loyal readers, for all of your support, for your time and for everything you do for our community. Let’s have an amazing 2012 together!

Tyler Calkins, Publisher