Joe Gulla revisits his youth as a fish out of water in The Bronx Queen.
By Brandon Voss
Who you callin' a queen? As part of the Downtown Urban Arts Festival, actor-playwright and Bronx native Joe Gulla will perform his autobiographical monologue The Bronx Queen Tuesday, March 8, at Joe's Pub. He tells us about growing up very gay and super-stylish in his rough-and-tumble Italian ’hood.
Next: Growing up in the Bronx, when did you first realize that you liked boys?
Joe Gulla: Keep in mind, I grew up in Morris Park, a very Italian neighborhood. I was surrounded by gorgeous, muscular “Guidos” — not one of them owned a shirt! Sweaty pecs, chest hair, and gold chains informed my daily existence. However, my life was changed forever when the neighborhood disco diva, Doreen, gave me a copy of Village People’s Macho Man album. David Hodo, the construction worker, on that cover rocked this GGIT — Gay Guido in Training! — to his disco-loving core!
What was it like to grow up gay in that 'hood at that time?
My ’hood had a family vibe. People looked out for each other. If you were Dom’s son or Dante’s nephew, you didn’t have to worry about anything bad happening to you. But homophobia was rampant and it resulted in lots of shame and paranoia. There was a kid one block over from me that wore “rainbow jeans” and red “marshmallow shoes." Bold? Yes. But he was brutally harassed and ridiculed. By the way, I was incredibly jealous of that kid’s marshmallow shoes!
The show's title references the name of the boat on which your dad took you fishing in an effort to butch you up. What were the worst and best parts about being forced to fish with your father?
Worst: Baiting the hooks with live bloodworms and fiddler crabs. I would gag and wretch! Even more disgusting was when the blood dripped off and stained my new Jordache jeans and crushed velour, cranberry v-neck sweater! Best: Hey, there were three generations of Gullas hanging out on the high seas! When does this ever happen? Sure, I was hungover from being at Studio 54 the night before. But I’ll always have those sepia-toned snapshots of my dad, grandfather, and me to pull from the recesses of my mind. Misty, salt water-colored memories...
Tell me why you wanted to share this particular story with the world.
I think it’s important! My relationship with my father was a struggle. But I fought the good fight and we came to terms. The results empowered me. Not all boys are that lucky. I touch on gay teen suicide in this piece, and I hope my show inspires people to “stay the course." We all need to become comfortable with who we are. By doing so, we encourage authentic relationships with family and friends. Sounds heavy, huh? Pretty ironic when you consider that the The Bronx Queen is billed as a comedy! Ha!
What does your family think about you sharing intimate details about your upbringing to total strangers?
My dad died 20 years ago. I miss him. He would’ve said, “Joseph, are you outta your fuckin’ mind?! Get off that stage — now! Ya hear me?! NOW!” My mom’s attitude is a bit different. Recently, someone asked her if she supports PFLAG. She said, “I have no idea what that is, but I’m definitely a fag hag!” Ha! Like I said, The Bronx Queen is a comedy!
Next, March 2016.