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Salon
Salon
Lifestyle
Rona Cran

A brief LGBT+ history of camp

Lil Nas X poses in the press room with the awards for Best Music Video and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance during the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Rachel Luna/FilmMagic

Although camp is difficult to define, it probably doesn't need much description.

Ever since 1956 — when former teenage drag queen Little Richard began performing his tribute to anal sex, "Tutti Frutti," while wearing a six-inch pompadour, plucked eyebrows, and eyeliner — camp has increasingly been accommodated into social acceptance and understanding. It has been adopted and adapted by celebrities including Dolly Parton, Prince, Elton John, Ru Paul, Lady Gaga, and Lil Nas X. It was the theme of the 2019 Met Gala, prompting widespread commentary about what camp is.

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