13 Drag Queens, 13 Charities. Presenting “THE DRAG SUPPER”: a patron-funded painting by trans artist Joni Augustine, inspired by an accidental AI post. Charity cards & prints now on sale!
Hallo loves…
Well, that project title is a mouthful, ain’t it. It’s been a hell of a week….drag queens and patreon, take me away!!!!
Quick housekeeping:
-For now, this is a PATRON-ONLY post, I’ll post to socials and open this project and the merch sale to the public on Monday.
-NEW YORK CITY: SURPRISE!!! I’ve just added a TINY gig on DECEMBER 3rd at Life & Trust as part of their “Unlocked” series! I’ll be in conversation with Ilana Gilovich. TICKETS ARE FREE and the space is tiny. GRAB NOW: https://lifeandtrustnyc.com/events/
-BOSTON: Save Dec 9th evening. I’m gonna do a patron-only live-stream event. Location and guests TBD!
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OK…..and now.
I hope you all love this project as much as I do, WE ALL NEED SOME HOPE. It’s QUITE A STORY, so buckle up. There’s Jesus, there’s AI, drag queens, there’s misunderstandings, there’s paintings, there’s MERCH!, and there’s…a lot. It’s a AMANDA PALMER HOLIDAY SPECIAL.
In Summary: I used patron funds to commission Belfast-based trans painter (and long-time collaborator) Joni Augustine to make a painting – with the permission of the 13 drag artists depicted – called “The Drag Supper”: a riff on The Last Supper, and a fun internet-lemonade-pivot after being called out on social media for posting a meme image generated by AI. Sound confusing? Nah.
And we are gonna raise money for some important charities:
13 charities picked by 13 drag queens, all of whom are depicted in the painting.
LET’S FUCKING GO.
IF YOU ORDER NOW YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THESE IN THE MAIL BY DECEMBER 15TH, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN MAIL YOUR OWN DRAG SUPPER CARDS TO FRIEND BY XMAS! DELIVER DETAILS ARE ON THE SITE.
MERCH LINKS:
🇺🇸U.S.A./INTERNATIONAL STORE LNK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!
🇬🇧U.K. ONLY STORE LINK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!
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THE FULL STORY:
Maybe you remember this happening a few months back, on the last day of March, 2024, which was Easter, and ALSO happened to be Transgender Day of Visibility, which always falls on March 31st. I saw this random meme-y looking image of Jesus With Queens at a Last Supper in a What’s app chat….
…..and I posted it to IG and Facebook. I then got tutted by some folks in the comments. NOT BY THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT, because JESUS, but by the left, because it was an AI-generated image. You can tell from….the many fingers on the queens. I admitted: I had not noticed it was AI.
Well, my dears, just like with the patron-funded AI art-lemonade-commision I posted a couple of weeks ago, I decided – that very day – to make lemoade and give some work to a REAL LIFE ARTIST andcomssion a REAL PAINTING OF A DRAG SUPPER starring – TA DAAAAA – REAL LIFE DRAG QUEENS.
I texted Joni Augustine, my painter friend in Belfast, to see if she’d be up for the job. She was thriled. I said: hold the phone, we can’t just use random drag queens. Let’s get real ones.
I texted Jinkx Monsoon first, to ask if she’d be into allowing her likeness to be used. I texted Peaches Christ. I texted John Cameron Mitchell. I DM’d other queens. Thirteen said yes. It took MONTHS….but we did it.
We asked the thiurteen queens to pick 13 charities. They did. My new management team (Liz and Hampton) took this on as one of their first big projects with me. Bless them.
The queens are from around the world, and have chosen charities from their various corners of the world (US, Canada, UK, Australia)
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HERE IS THE FINISHED PAINTING.
Isn’t it beauitiful?
The painting itself is HUGE…..
Here it is for scale, and with differernt lighting…..
And here’s a beautiful portrait that Joni took of herself, working on it in her studio in Ireland. I don’t know what’s more beautiful, honestly. This photo, or the painting itself. 🙂
A little word about Joni, and me.
Joni is trans. We met over the internet when she tagged me in a portrait painting she’d done of me just for kicks. I loved it so much I’d used it as a profile avatar for a while. Soon after that, I was touring in Ireland and Joni came to a show me the painting in person. She also honored me with a task: to be the legal witness to her official name-change papers for the government.
It was an emotional moment for both of us.
Since that day, Joni has become a huge fixture in this community, and I’ve commission at least a half dozen paintings and portraits from her: album covers, itnernet projects, but also, personal projects. One of my step-daughters recently got married and I hired Joni to paint a (gorgeous) painting for her wedding gift. I commissioned her to do a painting of my Scottish ancestors for my mom’s 80th birthday. It’s just the best, having a go-to painter. Joni has been a constant inspiration and bright light in my life for the last few years. I love that the patreon has helped us both, and also brought a lot of joy to other people.
(If you want to commission a painting from Joni (or from ANY painter), you know you can DO THAT, right? It’s an amazing way to keep your painter friends alive. Niki McQueen is also out there and taking commissions, and selling prints. This community supporting them is huge. Do it.)
Joni also made a litte voice memo for the patrons…I’ll send it over the weekend.
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Here are some progress shots and details of the painting….
There’s tons of fun little easter eggs on the table….including a nod to me.
(Get it? Easter eggs?? Never mind.)
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AND NOW…..
THE 13 QUEENS and THEIR 13 CHARITIES:
Again: ALL the profits from the sales of the posters and greeting cards are going to be split between these 13 charities.
PEACHES CHRIST, as Jesus, of course.
Peaches’ charity is the LGBT ASYLUM PROJECT – “The only San Francisco nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to providing accessible legal representation for LGBT asylum seekers who are fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or HIV status.”
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JINKX MONSOON
Jink’s chosen charity is BLACK VISIONS – “We believe in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in the right relationship within our ecosystems.”
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TRIXXIE CARR
Trixie’s chosen charity is SFSPCA – “transforming how pet guardians and their furry friends access lifesaving care through our world-class veterinary hospital, adoption center, and community medicine programs.”
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IRMA GERD
Irma’s chosen charity is QUADRANGLE NL – “Creating a physical space welcoming to all members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Newfoundland and Labrador, which will house and offer services and programs designed to create social connections, provide resources, and advance all aspects of health and the quality of life for our community through inclusion and diversity, community development, collaboration, and recognition.”
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BRIGITTE BANDIT
Brigitte’s chosen charity is TENT (Transgender Education Network of Texas) – “an organization dedicated to furthering gender-diverse equality in Texas. We work to accomplish this through education and networking in both public and private forums. Through our efforts, we strive to halt discrimination through social, legislative, and corporate education.”
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JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL
John’s chosen charity is Manos Amigues Queer Soup Kitchen – “the first LGBT+ Community Center in Mexico City which combines food assistance with cultural programming. Our programming is run by LGBT+ people in order to provide a safe space for our community, however our doors are open to everyone regardless of their identity.”
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LE GATEAU CHOCOLAT
Gateau’s chosen charity is Mermaids UK – “one of the UK’s leading trans-focused charities. We provide services directly to trans children and young people, to families, and work to educate and inform professionals and organisations who want to be part of a society where trans children and young people are safe, included and empowered to be their best selves.”
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CRÉATINE PRICE
Créatine’s chosen charity is Music and Mentoring House – “a New York State non-profit organization that will cultivate a positive appreciation for the arts and culture, by enhancing the educational experience of artists in a safe, affordable and mentored environment. The corporation will also provide a place where the public can come together and experience the development of young artists and the importance the arts play in society.”
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CONSTANCE MARAJ
Constance’s chosen charity is Rainbow Youth NZ – “working with young people, their whānau and their wider communities to provide safe and respectful support. We provide strengths-based peer support that considers hauora, resilience, cultural identities, and individual journeys.”
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BENDELACREME
DeLa’s chosen charity is Trans Lifeline – “connecting trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive. We envision a world where trans people have the connection, economic security, and care everyone needs and deserves—free of prisons and police.”
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SCARLET ENVY
Scarlet has not decided on a charity yet, but we will update with the info, when they have!
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COCO PERU
Coco’s chosen charity is Los Angeles LGBT Center – “caring for, championing, and celebrating LGBTQ individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today, the Center’s nearly 800 employees provide services for more queer and trans people than any other organization in the world—offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, and Leadership and Advocacy.”
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LATRICE ROYALE
Latrice’s chosen charity is SAVE LGBT – “Florida’s longest-serving LGBTQ civil righs organization since 1993, restoring the ordinance that had been torn down years before. In the years since, from the hard-fought restoration of the nondiscrimination ordinance to the fight for marriage equality to the addition of our transgender peers to existing protections and beyond, SAVE has stood at the forefront of our struggles.”
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MORE ABOUT THE PRINTS THEMSELVES….
THE GIFT CARDS – Price is $20(USD) and comes with six 5″ x 7″ gift cards and envelopes printed with The Drag Supper artwork and a matte finish.
THE POSTER – Price is $25(USD) and comes with one 18″ x 24″ matte finished and digitally printed poster with The Drag Supper artwork.
AGAIN, the store links:
🇺🇸U.S.A./INTERNATIONAL STORE LNK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!
🇬🇧U.K. ONLY STORE LINK FOR DRAG SUPPER POSTERS & GREETING CARDS!
The prints are currently on PRE-ORDER, order by around December 9th to arrive by Christmas…but your order form will help you out with deadlines.
I LOVE YOU.
Get ordering.
If you have questions, hit us in comments or email management@amandapalmer.net
LOVE, RAINBOWS, ART, AND DRAN QUEENS…..
xxxx
Amanda and everyone here at Team AFP.
P.S.
Things are ripping along on the PATREON CHATS, so if you’re just getting thris email in realtime and wanna chat with friends, head over to the app and chat. I also want to remind you all to follow me on BLUESKY, I’m there now, and pretty much leaving twitter. May not be on Facebook and IG much longer if the world continues (yay) to migrate over to Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amandapalmer.bsky.social