and sexuality, and gives those who do it an opportunity to think beyond predetermined social categories." Del Negro contended that "by immersing [themselves] in a world of this tender blossom with the brassy voice, queers of all kinds—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or, more broadly, anyone with a non-normative gender performance—can bask in the loving glow of the material goddess and joyously perform their difference without fear of reprisal or judgment." Audience interaction Tenuta's performances were renowned for a high level of audience interaction and participation. She was known for picking on audience members, making them targets of her jokes and roping them in on-stage antics. One 1996 show review by The Chicago Tribune detailed a performance Tenuta gave in her home town in which she performed especially unconventional comic routines, including: ordering a pizza directly to herself on stage and having the local pizza delivery man feed it to her; performing a "fertility dance" over the "prostrate" figure of the club's booker; and having her own mother "forced to feed pickled weiners to 'stud puppets [scantily clad men].'" She even convinced 'two large and seemingly conservative suburban gentlemen to engage in a peculiar and obscene dance with clown wigs, a set of fake breasts, and large inflatable phallus." Tenuta was especially known for bringing male audience members onto stage, and shoving her used gum into their mouths. Gay rights Tenuta was an outspoken advocate for gay rights and amassed a faithful following in the LGBT community. During the early years of her career, Tenuta frequently performed at gay bars and clubs around Chicago, and continued to perform at Gay Pride festivals and events across the country until her death. Tenuta publicly stated that she always felt welcomed and supported by the gay community, and even offered on her official website to officiate same-sex marriages. Death Tenuta died in Studio City, California on October 6, 2022, at the age of 72, from stage 4 ovarian cancer, with which she had been diagnosed in 2020. At the time of her death she had been in a long-term relationship with Vern Pang. She was survived by Pang, six siblings, and extended family. She is interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Discography 1987: Buy This, Pigs! (Elektra Records) 1994: Attention, Butt Pirates and Lesbetarians - Live at the C.S.W. Gay Pride Festival (Goddess Records) 1995: In Goddess We Trust (Gag MEdia) 1997: The Power of