Scene and herd: "I like to think I'm a downhome Denverite who only wants to treat people with dignity and respect each and every moment of every day," pronounces Anthony Aragon on his Facebook page. Aragon has a head for politics and a heart in public service; he worked for John Hickenlooper when he was mayor, moved over to the governor's office with Hickenlooper, then went back to City Hall as a special assistant to Mayor Michael Hancock for boards and commissions. And now he's making a run of his own — but not for Denver City Council or the Colorado Legislature. No, as Lushus La'Rell, his drag queen alter ego, he'll be running for the fortieth Empress of the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire, a mostly drag organization with a powerful record of fighting for GLBT causes over the past four decades. Aragon has only been doing drag for eleven of those years, but he has a major resource in husband David Westman, who's also the very colorful drag queen Nuclia Waste, and strong support from a cadre of supporters who showed up at a campaign kickoff on Sunday, where Lushus was looking luscious.
A quick tip on how to make the transition from pounding the pavement for politicians to getting ready to walk the runway: When learning how to handle size-twelve high heels, practice walking in them while vacuuming.
