It’s tough to imagine anything weirder than seeing an Ernest Hemingway look-a-like at a drag show.
It’s even stranger to see this Hemingway, the embodiment of masculinity, sing along to Shania Twain’s, “I feel like a woman.”
Loud.
But this is Key West. And here, drag queens are as plentiful as Hemingway fakers. So all in all, I am told by locals, the image shouldn’t be that outlandish. Relax, they tell me. This is Key West.
Melanie Minyon, a drag queen from Tampa, performed a few songs at Aqua, which seemed like the place to be for the night. She was predictably dramatic, thrilling the crowd with our weeklong journey, through three time zones, (none of it true) from Tampa to Key West. She belted out a few good songs, made some friends and posed for every camera in the room.
Minyon mentioned Tampa frequently, drawing cheers and whoops from the crowd. She also criticized Hillsborough County commissioners, which drew boos and hissing.
Tampa Bay area gays and lesbians threw in a jab or two at local government officials, drawing easy applause.
One of the organizers of the Pride in Exile celebration asked me: So, how does it feel to be gay for a weekend?
I wasn’t completely sure what he meant. I’ve been to drag shows before, and I’ve certainly been to bars. Aqua didn’t feel much different. I should have asked him, what does it feel like to be heterosexual for a weekend?
It’s tough to know.
Sometimes Key West moves too fast for reflection. You just have to go with it.

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