Like many drag queens, Chicago’s Tori Sass has been through it this year. It started with some bang-up success: When the South Michigan Avenue drag palace Lips Chicago made its grand opening in August 2019, Sass landed a coveted showgirl gig at the venue, whose opulent interior is a cross between upscale Victorian bordello and Mad Men-era steakhouse. In addition to Chicago, Lips owner Mark Zschiesche installed Lips in New York City, San Diego, Fort Lauderdale, and Atlanta. Chicago’s is the third to reopen post-COVID, after Florida and Georgia.
That survival is predicated on whether patrons will return, assured of their safety by Zschiesche’s assurance that the club is “in total compliance” with Illinois’s list of mandatory health precautions for Phase IV reopening of indoor restaurants.
Then, of course, there’s the flying saliva involved with lip-synching, when self-styled Britneys and Pinks and Chers subvert the gender binary by making it abundantly clear that gender is as performative as it is determinative.
COVID-19 is also, obviously, a financial issue. In February, Zschiesche began tracking the virus’s spread. “I could see this coming. I told all the queens—stop spending money if you can. Save. This is going to be difficult.”
“The important thing to do is find things that give you joy. That’s my survival mechanism right now. There is so much uncertainty and fear—you just have to find something you love or that brings you joy and do it,” Sass said.
“We’re doing what the state requires for reopening an indoor dining facility, and I feel safe with the way Lips is handling it. I also understand that everyone needs to make decisions that are right for them. I hope we’re able to bring some joy to people, if just for an hour. In 2020, I think most of us could use that.” v
