Unholy Facts About Divine, The First Lady Of Trash Cinema
While the word “divine” evokes feelings of holiness, the name Divine, on the other hand, may bring up something rather unholy. Harris Glenn Milstead put on a wig and a dress and, to be honest, didn’t really look that good in them.
But that didn’t stop Milstead. In a world where female impersonators tried their hardest to pass as beautiful women, Milstead’s Divine seemed comfortable being what he was: a man in a dress who looked like a man in a dress.
These trashy facts about Divine offer a rare glimpse into the man behind the lipstick and mascara.
1. He Was Spoiled Rotten
Harris Glenn Milstead described his childhood self as a typical “spoiled American brat.” There’s a reason for that. Before his birth—on October 19, 1945—his mother had had two miscarriages. In addition to this, Mr. and Mrs.
Milstead had recently changed up their lifestyle: from working class to more affluent.
Let’s just say that the Milstead’s had a lot of pent-up parental feelings inside them, and by the time he was born, they were dying to spoil their little prince.
Which apparently meant giving him a lot to eat.
2. He Grew And Grew
Milstead’s parents were just over the moon with their baby boy, and they had trouble saying no to whatever he wanted—which included food. As you can imagine, it had devastating consequences. Young Milstead started to gain weight, leading to issues with this as an adult. Ironically, it was this extra weight that paved the way for Milstead’s future fame.
In the meantime, however, it wasn’t doing him any favors in school. The other children made fun of him for his weight—but that wasn’t the only thing.
3. They Teased Him
The kids at Towson High School, in the Baltimore suburb of Lutherville, liked to pick on Milstead. On the one hand, they didn’t like that he was overweight. The other thing was his masculinity—or the lack of it.
Simple teasing eventually led to full on beatings. Sadly, it got so bad that Milstead needed the local authorities to take him to and from school for his own protection.
But Milstead wasn’t about to change his behavior—not for a bunch of stupid school boys.
4. He Didn’t Care
The pediatrician had told his mother that Milstead was more feminine than masculine. But Milstead already knew why the kids at school didn’t like him. He knew he wasn’t “rough and tough” like the other boys.
His interests were also under suspicion: he liked flowers and art. But Milstead wasn’t afraid. At 15 years of age, he took a step that would put him even more in the firing line of the terrorizing kids. He took a job at a flower shop.
Milstead was somehow weathering the storm—but what was it doing to his mental health?
