Divine

#Divine (October 19, 1945 – March 7, 1988): Born Harris Glenn Milstead in #Baltimore, he was an only child raised #Baptist. Of his upbringing, he said, “I was an only child in, I guess, your upper middle-class American family. I was probably your American spoiled brat.” At 17, his parents sent him to a psychiatrist because he expressed interest in other men, though this did not stop him from pursuing his desires. In 1963, he attended #MarinellaBeautySchool to learn hair styling. Though he worked at a few salons after beauty school, he eventually quit though was still financially supported by his parents. His tastes were expensive, and he would host lavish parties where he dressed in drag as #ElizabethTaylor. In the mid-1960s he became friends with John Waters, as they grew up in the same area and embraced its countercultural elements. It was Waters who gave him his nickname that he would become known for – “Divine,” after a character in Jean Genet’s novel #OurLadyOfTheFlowers. Divine began performing in many of John Waters’ films, though his parents were kept in the dark about his involvement in the films. His parents bought him his own beauty shop in #Towson, thinking it would give him financial responsibility, but though he agreed to work there, he refused to manage and own the place (which his mother took care of). Continuing to act in Waters’ films at the time, he opened up a thrift store in #Provincetown in 1970 using his parents’ money. However, to make ends meet he began selling furniture of his rented and furnished apartment, leading to a warrant. He fled to San Francisco to evade law enforcement, but continued acting in John Waters’ films by returning to Baltimore. He became infamously known for the film #PinkFlamingos, where Divine consumed dog feces (which Waters said was the only time Divine ever did that – because it was in the script). He went on to star in Waters’ famous films #FemaleTrouble, #Polyester, and #Hairspray (where he played both a male and female role). In 1988, only three weeks after Hairspray was released, Divine died in his sleep of heart failure at the age of 42. The following year, Disney released the animated film #TheLittleMermaid – the character of #Ursula was inspired by Divine.  #PrideMonth #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIAPride #Pride #LegendsOfPride #YouCannotEraseUs