Latest news with #Beardmobile
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Philadelphia drag troupe offers ‘10,000lbs of glitter' for return of beloved Beardmobile
Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ community is rallying around an unusual cause: the search for the missing Beardmobile, described as a 'big, gay mobile performance unit, glitterfully outfitted for socially distanced performances and political actions'. The Beardmobile, a 14,000lb, custom-built performance truck famously decked out with a stage, sound system and pink eyelashes, was stolen from the parking lot of the Allens Lane Art Center in Mount Airy last month, Axios Philadelphia reported. The disappearance of the beloved vehicle, a centerpiece of Philly Pride parades and LGBTQ+ events, has left the city's drag troupe, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, devastated but determined to track it down. 'My hope is we do find her,' said John Jarboe, the troupe's artistic founder, in an interview with Axios. 'It's got a whole lot of love and a lot of history.' The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, described as a 'queer arts organization that sits on your lap and sings you a story' on its website, only discovered that the vehicle was stolen about a week after it happened, when members went to check on the Beardmobile ahead of upcoming performances. According to Jarboe, police believe the perpetrator or perpetrators disabled a motion-sensor camera before taking off with the truck. In response, the Bearded Ladies have plastered the city with missing posters describing the vehicle as a 'box truck in drag'. But while the loss might be devastating, the troupe is keeping its trademark humor intact. They're offering a reward of '10,000lbs of glitter' for the Beardmobile's return. Despite the heartbreak, the group has no plans to replace the truck. 'I'm still in the grieving process,' Jarboe told Axios. The Beardmobile, a 2009 Isuzu truck turned rolling stage, had become more than a vehicle. It served as a symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility, protest and joy in Philadelphia. Jarboe described it as an emblem of the community's 'loud and proud' resistance to intolerance and hate. The Bearded Ladies say they won't press charges against whoever stole the truck.
Axios
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Who stole the "box truck in drag," Philly's Beardmobile
Be on the lookout for the gayest, most glittery box truck you've ever seen. Why it matters: The Beardmobile, a souped-up performance vehicle that's been a staple at the Philly Pride Parade, was stolen in Mount Airy last month. Driving the news: The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, a popular drag troupe, is circulating missing posters for the "box truck in drag," which was taken from the parking lot of the Allens Lane Art Center on April 18, the group's artistic founder, John Jarboe, tells Axios. The group discovered the heist about a week ago, when members went to check on the Beardmobile ahead of upcoming events. Threat level: Making off with a 14,000-pound, mustachioed, heart-filled work of art on wheels was no small feat. Jarboe says the group was told by police the culprit(s) disabled a motion-sensor camera at the art center before lifting the box truck. Yes, but: The Bearded Ladies still have hope — and are offering "10,000 lbs of glitter" as a reward for the Beardmobile's safe return. Or, they joke, "We'll turn you gay! (If not already! Painless and fun!)" What they're saying: The group tells Axios it won't press charges against whoever stole the Beardmobile — a la A.J. Brown. "My hope is we do find her," Jarboe says. "It's got a whole lot of love and a lot of history." Zoom in: The Beardmobile — a 2009 Isuzu custom built with a stage, sound system and pink eyelashes painted over its headlights — was a regular at protests and events around the city. It symbolized the local LGBTQ community's "loud and proud" resistance to intolerance and hate, Jarboe says. The bottom line: There's been no talk of replacing the box truck in drag. The Bearded Ladies can't go there.
