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About Otaymah Bonds

The Irresistible O is a burlesque and pinup historian, known as the Sepia Queen of Burlesque, the Black Prima Ballerina of Burlesque and the Pin Up Queen. She is the 2015 Burlypicks Michigan Master of Voice, 2015 Miss Pin Up Perfection, 2016 Miss Phobia Pin Up, the Inaugural Miss HotWheels Pinup, and the 2017 Burlypicks Master of Improv. She has been featured by Ohio Burlesque, the blog I Gave My Body, Moxie Dolls Pinups and Burlesque Magazine. She is also a writer for Burlesque Bitch and guest blog writer for Burlycon. Her literary work has also appeared in Burlesque Bible Magazine. O also instructs the world-renowned History of Performers of Color in Burlesque course, and actively teaches and discusses the absence and history of women of color in the pinup, rockabilly and burlesque genres. She also teaches all genres of dance, theater, and vocal arts.

A Look at LGBTQ Artists in Burlesque

By |2019-02-06T15:54:35-05:00February 6th, 2019|Opinions, Viewpoints|

One would think that in the field of burlesque, sex and the discussion of it would be welcome, but this may not always be the case. In 2019 there is open discussion about all things LGBTQ as well as openly gay celebrities, but in the burlesque world, sex and sexual orientation are still considered dirty words by some. Why is this the case? Perhaps the answer to this and many other questions lies in pondering why humans readily embrace some things and people and not others. Normally, that which is deemed different is looked at with suspicion and approached with caution — as is the case with the LGBTQ or queer burlesque performers.