FL's Oldest VFW Saved By Drag Queens And St. Pete Community

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Drag queens and members of the LGBTQ community came out to support Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 39 in St. Petersburg for its fundraiser, "Save the VFW Post 39," on Saturday night.

VFW Post 39 is the oldest VFW in Florida and the third-oldest in the world, according to its records and commander Janice Pettit, retired Army sergeant major.

The establishment's doors were shut in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. It gets most of its money from liquor sales and from renting one of its big rooms for weddings and other events.

Without the cash flow coming in, the organization had to take money out of its savings that was reserved to help military veterans during hard times, said assistant commander and Army veteran Wanda Negron.

Post 39 was established in January 1919, and it has a library that holds memorabilia from the Spanish Civil War, World War I, World War II, Vietnam War and other wars in which U.S. soldiers fought. A lot of military history is on display upstairs in the building, including women's military history and war reports from the early 1900s to the 21st century.

In addition to its deep history, what sets this VFW apart from many of the others is that it is a welcoming place of camaraderie for all veterans, especially for minority veterans such as women and members of the LGBTQ community.

"Our quartermaster, which is our money guy in charge of finances, told us at last month's meeting that come Sept. 1, that's it," Negron said. "We don't have any money, and I dipped into all of our savings to pay for utilities and rent here."

Pettit and Negron knew it would be a safe place for all when they planned its creative fundraiser/slow grand reopening, which included drag queens donating their time and talent, to help save VFW 39.

"What it meant for me was more than just being a pretty face sweating off our makeup," drag performer Brad Rice told Patch. "We are talking about supporting a specific community who have given the utmost to ensure our success and survival. It's important for our community to support and embrace them and be a part of a collective and shared experience."

Military veterans hold a special place in Rice's heart because his grandmother served in the women's auxiliary during World War II. His grandfather wanted to serve but couldn't due to medical conditions.

Several drag queens performed different songs from the musical "Chicago," John Lennon's "Imagine," and "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood. The tips they collected were given to the VFW's fundraiser.

"Supporting the LGBTQ community and our allies is what I'm all about," said Robert Rigsby, who also performed as a drag queen at the event. "The VFW having another space for us to entertain is a great investment in our future and a huge thank-you to our past. I am thankful for their service and sacrifice, so entertainment is my salute to all of them."

In addition to the drag show, local bands performed on top of the roof. A stage was donated by Cheers Events.

"It was great seeing all the people come out on Saturday to support us," Negron said. "All the young people, Department of the State of Florida showed up, and it was really overwhelming to see the community of St. Pete come out to save the oldest VFW Post in Florida."

The tally of how much money was raised to keep the doors open isn't known yet, but Pettit had a feeling they raised enough. She said there will have to be more events like this in the future to keep the doors open and to replace the money taken from the veterans' funds.

Liquor sales resumed at the VFW on Saturday. Every person who entered the bar had to have their temperature taken and wear a mask. This practice will continue during the slow reopening.

"We are officially allowed to open up," Pettit said. "We are not considered a bar; we're separate from a bar. We are following all the CDC guidelines."

Pettit said plans for the venue include extending the stage upstairs in the theater space so two separate performances can take place simultaneously. Punk bands are known to perform on the first floor. Pettit wasn't specific about what kind of performances the staff would like to provide on the second floor since everything is still in the planning stages.

In August, a GoFundMe fundraiser was opened with a $5,000 goal, and so far has raised $4,545.

Tuesday night, the VFW had its first karaoke night since March. It was held outside to create a safer atmosphere.

The hours of operation at the VFW are from 3 p.m. to generally 8 p.m. during the pandemic.