DO THIS: Wing Bowl for Drag Queens to Kick Off Pride Weekend in Philly


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Logo design by David Ayllon.

This year’s Wing Bowl seemed to stir up a particularly hefty amount of criticism, mostly concerning its objectification of women. This didn’t escape Alexander Kacala, socialite, a former contributor to G Philly and, full disclosure, a personal friend of mine. So he decided to do something to turn the whole thing on its head: compete in 2016 as his long-retired drag persona Tammy Faymous.

“I think we can all agree that the annual Wing Bowl in Philadelphia reeks of misogyny and homophobia,” he tells me. “So I took to social media to tell people I would compete as Tammy, and it was well received.” But then he thought he’d take it a step further: “Why not bring a bunch of drag queens together for a good cause and have them do what they do best, eat.”

His idea evolved into Wigs & Wings, where drag queens sponsored by Gayborhood businesses will pull up to a table and stuff their faces with chicken wings to raise funds for the William Way Community Center and MANNA, a local nonprofit that works to feed people in Philadelphia with life-debilitating diseases such as HIV and cancer.

The bowl will consist of three rounds at 10 minutes each. At the end of each round, the queen who has eaten the least amount of wings will sashay away (that’s drag queen speak for “bitch is disqualified”). At the end of the third round, the queen who has eaten the most wings wins the title of Miss Wigs & Wings 2014 and a TBD prize. Tammy Faymous will be hosting, along with a trio of Wingettes—what Kacala explains as “three sexy boys in underwear.” There will also be performances from some competitors between each round.

The whole thing is a kick-off to Pride weekend, taking place on June 12th outside Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar at 200 South 12th Street. Any queen or business interested in participating can find a form and contact information here.

That covers most of the details, but one question remains: Will (please, please, please) Tammy Faymous still compete in the 2016 Wing Bowl? “Well, if this gains momentum, then hopefully that will give Tammy an opportunity to compete. As a hairy, fishy drag chanteuse, I may get hate-crimed on the stadium floor, but that is a risk I’m willing to take in the name of my love for wings and our Philadelphia gay community.”

Spoken like a true drama queen.