Doris Fish, a trailblazing drag queen from the 1970s, is remembered as an audacious performer who challenged anti-drag attitudes and pioneered the drag style that is popular today. Born as Philip Mills in 1952 in northern Sydney, Doris Fish rose to become the most famous drag queen in San Francisco, performing in a group called Sluts-A-Go-Go, appearing on cable television, and participating in many AIDS benefits, even as his own health was deteriorating. While he is best known for his role in the cult camp movie Vegas in Space, his drag career spanned two decades from Sydney to San Francisco.
The drag scene in the early 1970s, when Doris Fish first took to the stage, was crude, crazy, and at times violent, and many in the gay community frowned upon it. As the gay community fought for their rights, there was fear that drag queens would not create the right image and were even banned by some pride parades. But Doris Fish unashamedly challenged anti-drag attitudes and became a fixture of the drag scene, a television and movie star, and a reluctant political voice.
Doris Fish’s makeup was the most important element of his drag look. He was a genius of cosmetics, able to paint anyone else’s face on top of a blank mask he created using white foundation. While his look changed from the rough and ready outfits of Sylvia and the Synthetics to a more feminine style, he still never wanted to look completely like a woman. In that way, he was a pioneer of what has become key to today’s drag style: it’s not about being women, it’s about being glam and the liberation of men to do something completely different.
A new book by Brooklyn-based journalist Craig Seligman, “Who Does That Bitch Think She Is?” remembers the life of this trailblazing artist, writer, and performer. Although he died from complications of HIV/AIDS in 1991 at the age of 38, his legacy lives on, and his impact on the drag scene is undeniable. The book will be launched at the State Library of NSW on February 26.
