Philadelphia drag troupe offers ‘10,000lb of glitter’ for return of beloved Beardmobile

Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ assemblage is rallying astir an antithetic cause: the hunt for the missing Beardmobile, described arsenic a “big, cheery mobile show unit, glitterfully outfitted for socially distanced performances and governmental actions”.

The Beardmobile, a 14,000lb, custom-built show motortruck decked retired with a stage, dependable strategy and pinkish eyelashes, was stolen from the parking batch of the Allens Lane Art Center successful Mount Airy past month, Axios Philadelphia reported.

The disappearance of the beloved vehicle, a centerpiece of Philly Pride parades and LGBTQ+ events, has near the city’s drag troupe, the Bearded Ladies Cabaret, devastated but determined to way it down.

A flyer for the missing Beardmobile. Photograph: Elena Faverio/Courtesy of Elena Faverio

“My anticipation is we bash find her,” said John Jarboe, the troupe’s creator founder, successful an interview with Axios. “It’s got a full batch of emotion and a batch of history.”

The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, described arsenic a “queer arts enactment that sits connected your thigh and sings you a story” connected its website, lone discovered that the conveyance was stolen astir a week aft it happened, erstwhile members went to cheque connected the Beardmobile up of upcoming performances.

According to Jarboe, constabulary judge the perpetrator oregon perpetrators disabled a motion-sensor camera earlier taking disconnected with the truck.

In response, the Bearded Ladies person plastered the metropolis with missing posters describing the conveyance arsenic a “box motortruck successful drag”. But portion the nonaccomplishment mightiness beryllium devastating, the troupe is keeping its trademark wit intact. They are offering a reward of “10,000lb of glitter” for the Beardmobile’s return.

Despite the heartbreak, the radical has nary plans to regenerate the truck.

“I’m inactive successful the grieving process,” Jarboe told Axios.

The Beardmobile, a 2009 Isuzu motortruck turned rolling stage, had go much than a vehicle. It served arsenic a awesome of LGBTQ+ visibility, protestation and joyousness successful Philadelphia. Jarboe described it arsenic an emblem of the community’s “loud and proud” absorption to intolerance and hate.

The Bearded Ladies accidental they volition not property charges against whoever stole the truck.