John Waters

#JohnWaters (April 22, 1946 – ): Born in a suburb of #Baltimore, #Maryland, Waters was raised #Catholic, but strayed from the strictures of the Church as he got older. His boyhood friend #GlennMilstead (later known as #Divine) also grew up in the neighborhood. Inspired by movies and film, Waters grew up doing versions of #PunchAndJudy for children’s parties and as a teenager would sneak to local beatnik hangouts where the patrons would slip him drinks. Doing short films in college at #NYU, he was later kicked out for smoking marijuana. He returned home from New York and continued making short films and eventually feature-length films. He would shoot scenes in Baltimore that featured his friends like Divine, as well as a company of local actors called the #Dreamlanders, which included #MinkStole, #CookieMueller, and #EdithMassey to name a few. He refers to his early films (#PinkFlamingos, #FemaleTrouble, and #DesperateLiving) as his #TrashTrilogy, and they pushed the boundaries for what society deemed acceptable, especially in film. His big break came in the 1980s when he released #Hairspray, which has been adapted to the Broadway stage and re-released with a different cast. Other films he’s known for in this period are #Polyester, #CryBaby, #SerialMom, #Pecker, and #CecilBDemented. A bibliophile with over 8,000 books, Waters serves a board member of the #MarylandFilmFestival as well as on the advisory board for the #ProvincetownInternationalFilmFestival. In 2012, Waters completed a hitchhiking journey across the United States which he turned into the film #Carsick. Though openly gay, Waters keeps his relationships private, saying “If you don’t keep some things private, you don’t have a personal life.” #PrideMonth #LGBTQIA #LGBTQIAPride #Pride #LegendsOfPride #YouCannotEraseUs