*The following interview has been edited for clarity.
Tell me a little about your experience as a drag performer?
My type of drag is a lot of body positivity and inspiration about resilience paired with things that will make people laugh and feel celebrated. In my art, I help people through music and lip-synching to bring people up. Making others feel better brings me joy; knowing that my performances bring happiness to people is incredibly rewarding for me.
To me, that’s what drag is about: making people feel happy, sending a message to people that it's okay to love themselves the way they are and it's okay to laugh about stuff and it's okay to be strong and fight and be resilient. I’m a plus size queen and I'm also disabled too, so that's what a lot of my drag is to me--letting people know that even though you have shortcomings that you can continue to succeed and grow.
Tell us the backstory of how you got involved or interested in doing drag?
As a singer with experience in theater and dance, performing has always been a part of who I am. I would go and see drag shows because some of my friends were performing. I thought to myself “hey, this looks like fun...” So, I just started performing. It was a segue from all the other things that I already do. It felt like another form of art, and I loved the glitz and glam of it because I love things that are big, shiny, and over the top. That's my personality. The drag makeup, the costumes, the glam. It was something that fit in with my personality and things that I enjoy doing.
What does drag mean to you?
Drag to me is about inspiring people and making people understand that it's okay to be different. Everybody should embrace their differences-- love is all that matters. Drag to me is about building each other up in unity, helping each other, and having a community.
What would you want to say to a family member who isn’t supportive of someone’s choice to do drag?
Different types of drag exist and educating someone about these varieties might be necessary.
Comparing drag shows to movies or plays, there are different ratings – just like we have 21+ shows and PG-13 movies. If someone prefers family-friendly content, there are PG-13 equivalent drag shows with campy performances and not risqué material. The spectrum ranges from G-rated, where performances might involve reading to kids, to more mature-themed shows that are 21+ shows. Just because it's not your preference doesn't mean others shouldn't enjoy it.
Drag encompasses various skill levels and styles: stand-up comedy, dancing, diverse costumes, and more. You know, if it's not your cup of tea, that's fine.
Have you had any negative experiences in the drag world?
I mean, there's always internal politics. It's drag.
That kind of thing aside, I know people who have been attacked verbally about being a drag performer and there have been individuals who have done [negative] things to the drag community like [for example] record us, put us on Facebook, and tried to make up negative stuff about us. This was a religious group that attacked the drag group because they are bigoted, but that's the most (negative experience) that I've really had.
Why is it important that we protect drag in public and private spaces in Idaho?
Well, I think that it's important, especially for the queer community, because it's a safe space for queers and it gives a place where you can have freedom of expression and people can perform that expression without judgment.
I know a lot of performers. Drag is their livelihood. This is what fuels them. This keeps their mental health going, they live off giving people joy and happiness from performing. It's how they thrive, knowing that they are accepted by the community and that they have the freedom of expression to be who they are.
People will say things like drag saved their life. It's true.
Drag has saved many people's lives because it helps them express themselves in a safe place without judgment from the outside community; it's a different type of world.
I think that it’s important for protection of the LGBT community. It’s a safe space. When you go [to a drag show], you will see all different types of queer people dressed up because they know that they can be themselves at a drag performance. Someone could see that and know, hey, it’s safe for me here. They are my tribe. These are my people.
I think it's an important part of LGBT culture. If they take it away it's like they're taking away a part of people.
It would be no different if they took away the festival for the Chinese New Year, you know, that is a part of their culture and their experience.
Drag is part of the queer experience.
Were you involved in the “Protect Drag In Idaho” postcard collection effort last year to get the word out about protecting drag in Idaho? Tell me about your experiences with that.
My friends and I had people sign the postcards and I filled one out myself. In Twin Falls, we actually had a new drag group born out of this effort called Queer Collective Productions. They created a drag troupe that would raise money and awareness to fight the anti-drag bill. The response [to anti-drag legislation] from Twin Falls was that a group of people unified to protest and to perform.
Is there anything else you’d like to share or would like people to know about drag in Idaho?
It's just another form of visual performance art, and there are various levels of that art. If they're going to get rid of a certain type of performance art, they're going to have to get rid of all performance art because it's not fair to just attack one type of art on stage.
[Drag is] queer art and when it comes down to it [they want to ban it] just because it's queer and it's not straight art.
About the Center Stage drag story project
We center the stories of drag performers across Idaho to celebrate queer joy and advocate for the protection of drag performances as legal art form and first amendment right in Idaho. We believe in the value of visibility and the understanding of being seen is a crucial factor in preserving lives. Our intention is for performers to redefine the narrative of drag and expand the public perception of its true essence through their stories and lived experiences. Drag is a form of creative expression like any other and has always been about joy and acceptance. The stories shared on this page are here to celebrate and advocate to protect the constitutionally guaranteed right to dance, fashion, music, and DRAG!
SHARE YOUR DRAG STORY WITH THE ACLU OF IDAHO Reach out to ACLU of Idaho Advocacy Fellow Jenna Damron to learn how you can participate.
Learn how you can help protect drag in Idaho with the North Idaho Pride Alliance