March 20, 2019 :: All Drag is Valid

CO LO R A D O'S LG B TQ M AGA ZINE | F R E E

Dragutante Brings the All-Ages Realness Izzy Dead So You Think You Can Drag

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CONTENTS MARCH 20, 2019 VOL42 NO24

CHARLIE'S QUEEN SASHA

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YOLANTI PUSSY IS DENVER’S NAUGHTY CHARLIE’S GIRL

DRAGUTANTE IS THE YOUTH SISTERHOOD YOU WISH YOU HAD

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IZZYDEAD EMBRACES THE WEIRD, SHOCKING, AND EVOLVING NATURE OF DRAG

OPHELIA PEACHES BRINGS PINTSIZED REALNESS TO THE MILE HIGH

JESSICA L’WHOR IS ACTUALLY AN ANGEL (BUT DON’T TELL ANYONE)

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34 REPAIRING THE DAMAGE IN TWO ACTS: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DRAG

SERVING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS SINCE 1976 PHONE 303-477-4000 FAX 303-325-2642 WEB OutFrontMagazine.com FACEBOOK /OutFrontColorado TWITTER @OutFrontCO INSTAGRAM /OutFrontColorado FOUNDER PHIL PRICE 1954-1993 ADMINISTRATION info@outfrontmagazine.com JERRY CUNNINGHAM Publisher J.C. MCDONALD Vice President MAGGIE PHILLIPS Operations Manager JEFF JACKSON SWAIM Chief Strategist EDITORIAL editorial@outfrontmagazine.com ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER Interim Editor VERONICA L. HOLYFIELD Creative Director KEEGAN WILLIAMS Copy Editor BRENT HEINZE Senior Columnist INTERNS: Arianna Balderrama, Zach Blue

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FROM THE EDITOR

All Drag is Valid Not long ago, to the general public, queer people were gay men or lesbians, and drag queens were gay, cis men who dressed as women.

Now, in 2019, the general public is opening up to the idea that drag means whatever we want it to mean. Whether you are cis, trans, or gender-nonconforming, you can do drag as whatever gender—or lack of gender—you want. And it’s always been this way. Stonewall was orchestrated by trans women of color; trans people have always existed, and in the early days of drag balls, “realness” also referred to how well queer men could pass for straight in drag king-esque showdowns.

So, it shouldn’t have taken us until 2019 to adopt the slogan “all drag is valid.” But what better time than now to embrace true diversity within an underground scene? In a world where self-expression seems more important than ever and our very identities are policed, we should take every opportunity to be ourselves and to stand together.

In these pages, you’ll find “alt queens,” queens of color, “bio queens,” youth queens, and philanthropic queens. But these labels don’t really matter. What matters is that these folks are strong enough to step out, looking exactly how they want to, and make a statement. With Yvie Oddly on Drag Race, Denver is now in the spotlight as an inclusive, daring place for performers.

So, whether drag is your life or you just check out a show every now and then, read on to learn about how local drag stars are shaking up the Denver scene.

Addison Herron-Wheeler Editor

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Yolantiis Denver’s Pussy Naughty Charlie’s Girl

By Addison Herron-Wheeler Photos by Scotty Kirby

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he's been bringing the fierceness to Charlie’s for years, both as Tyler Todd and Yolanti Pussy. Whether it’s behind the scenes managing events or taking the stage with some tequila shots, Yolanti is running things. We caught up with her about diversity in Denver and her career so far.

What brought you to Charlie’s, and what made you want to work for the company?

I started coming to Charlie’s when I first moved to Denver in August of 2011. I would come do line dancing lessons with my sister’s girlfriend. It was actually the first gay bar I ever stepped foot in. I was 22 at the time and had just moved to Denver with my sister and her girlfriend who had been in Denver for a year. I came out to my sister the day after moving to Denver. After living in Denver for almost two years, I was ready to get more involved with the gay community. I only had a few gay friends at the time and had always been interested in bartending, being that I had been in the service industry for the past seven years. I thought bartending was the next step, and Charlie’s was my favorite, so why not?

Did you always have a passion for entertainment?

Being so new to the “gay scene” and still being fresh out of the closet, I was still pretty reserved at first. My first time performing in front of people, I was a back-up dancer for one of the Charlie’s Turnabout shows for my friend and now GM of Charlie’s, Brendan Sullivan.

I wasn’t working at Charlie’s yet but was trying to get my foot in the door any way possible.

A few months after that, I was cast in a male revue show at Charlie’s called Flesh. I think that is when I really turned up the volume and started taking performing seriously. I had the host of the show, Kirk Cummings, teaching me all the pole tricks and a few routines, and I think that's when I really started to get comfortable in front of people and developed the passion for entertaining.

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Drag was still a little scary for me at that time, but my first time in drag was a year later at Charlie’s. I had been working at Charlie’s almost a year, and that was my first Turnabout show. I recruited two of my best friends, one of them my boyfriend, and we came up with two sickening numbers (costumes, concepts, choreography), and that’s when I started to really get into drag, although it wasn’t until the following years’ Turnabout that I performed again and Yolanti Pussy was officially born.

How did your persona as Yolanti Pussy evolve, and what do you think you've learned about yourself from drag?

Yolanti Pussy has evolved in the way of not being too serious. I always try my best to practice and make every performance perfect, especially with group numbers that I choreograph, but you have to take a step back every once in a while and make sure you’re having fun, because that’s what it’s all about. I think what I’ve learned the most about myself through drag is just that.

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S AT UR DAY, JUNE 15, 2 019 Embrace your own brand of weirdness, and don’t be afraid to show people your vulnerable side. If you can’t laugh at yourself, how the hell are you going to make other people laugh?

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In Yolanti’s Kiki I aim to give the audience something new each week while also bringing back some classic, favorite numbers every once in a while. I like to promote drinking, Don Julio specifically.

She’s a tequila girl, and my audience is definitely well aware. And let’s be real, if the bar or establishment hosting a drag show isn’t making money, that show is probably not going to last long.

How do you feel about the Denver drag scene, and what do you think makes it so special?

One of my favorite quotes is “it takes all kinds,” and the Denver drag scene has all kinds and then some! I think that is special and important, especially for new queens in the scene. I feel like, even when I started going to drag shows, it wasn’t as diverse as it is now.

[Back then] I felt like, ‘Well, if I don’t look like this queen, or I don’t perform like that queen, there isn’t much room for me in the scene.’ That is definitely not the case now. Denver has comedy queens, fishy queens, campy queens, bearded queens, hairy queens, bio queens, bio kings, drag kings, you name it, and I think all the diversity gets more and more people involved and interested in drag, because different people relate to different forms of entertainment and art.

Where would you like to see your show and your drag career in five years?

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I realized the other day that, ever since I moved to Denver, I have “evolved” a little about every two years. I worked in the restaurant industry for two years, started at Charlie’s and bartended

for two years, became a manager for two years, was the Charlie’s office manager briefly, then, for the past two years, have doing drag and became the entertainment director.

I think in the next couple of years, I would like to focus more on the business side of things, creating and producing fun events and more production numbers besides just Yolanti’s Kiki. In the past at Charlie’s, I have produced, directed, and choreographed shows such as Grease, Aladdin, Mama Mia, and The Lion King, which were a lot of work but also so rewarding and so much fun. I’m also getting married this May to my boyfriend of almost five years, Heli Reyna/Meonya Pussy, so in the next five years I can see myself really focusing on starting a family.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

One of my biggest things with doing drag, and especially hosting, is realizing the power that you do have as an entertainer and personality on the mic.

That is why I try my hardest to never promote negativity; I never talk about other queens that I may or may not like, and I never use social media to bully.

That is something you definitely see too often and would be something that I would like to see change within the community. I think it’s easy for people to promote love and equality and all these good things; then you see those same people ranting and stirring sh*t up and just being plain mean via Facebook, Twitter, etc. I think this type of behavior is very two-faced, childish, and sad, and I have had to let girls go in the past who could not control or be responsible with their social media.

In the words of Alaska, 'If I have issues with you, I will bring it right to your face,' and if I or any of my Charlie’s Girl’s have been bullied, I can find a way to address the issue in a non-vindictive, funny way that gets my point across without putting someone on blast via social media. If they want to act like that, they don’t deserve to have their name in my mouth anyway.

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Ophelia Peaches Brings Pint-Sized Realness Pint-Sized Realness to the Mile High

By Addison Herron-Wheeler Photo by Robin Johnson

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iddle school can be a rough time of adjustment for anyone, especially a queer person. Many cower in corners, dress all in black, and generally try to blend in and not be noticed. Not Ophelia Peaches. Not only does she own her 14-year-old queerness, she’s an amazing, up-and-coming drag queen. We chatted with Ophelia about her killer lqqks and her inspiration.

Because I haven't really found my persona, I do know I like to tell a story with everything I do. I’m getting better at public speaking; I can put the mic in my hands and say anything and do anything, and I don’t have to worry. It’s because of the makeup and wig; I have a mask on; I’m not worried if people will judge me. I could be a pink alien one day and a pretty, suburban soccer mom the next.

Where did you get the inspiration for your persona?

What was it that made you want to drag at all?

How has your drag been accepted by friends and classmates?

I don’t really have a set persona yet. I’m 14; I’m busy with puberty and school! But right now I’m trying colored wigs, normal wigs, normal and weird makeup. But I still haven’t figured out the Ophelia Peaches.

It hasn’t been bad. I was a little worried about how people at my school would feel, and they were surprisingly supportive. All the popular girls want to talk to me now; I have a shield of popular girls.

Where does your name come from?

Ophelia is because I love theatre; it’s from Hamlet.

Peaches was my corgi. Ophelia Peaches can be regal, but it can also be, 'I'll feel your peaches.' We tried a lot of names, but Ophelia Peaches just stuck.

How has the event Dragutante helped you grow and change, and what do you want for your drag in the future?

For my 13th birthday, I did drag, and the next quarter, I got honor role. I was comfortable in my own skin, knowing I could be myself. I was like a superhero; one day I’m Bruce Wayne; the next day I put on a wig and nails, and I’m Batman. My grades have been great ever since; I’ve been more confident; it’s been easier for me to explore what I like to do because of drag. Dragutante taught me that there are more people who do what I do, and I’m not just this person who puts on a wig. I’m not a weirdo.

What does being Ophelia allow you to do that you can’t do as your daily self? How is she different, and how has she impacted your daily life?

I can curse without being reprimanded; I can make funny jokes without being like, 'Should I have said that?' I can say something that could be seen as offcolor and everyone cheers. I’ve got this power that I can do what I want to do, and people will accept it. Also, I can have some fierce brows, and I can wear heels wherever I want to go. Heels are great!

How do you express yourself visually and artistically? Are you a pageant queen, a singer, a dancer, etc?

I knew that I could do it if I put my mind to it, and I realize that I’m me; I will always be me; it doesn't matter what other people think. Before drag, I was worried people would judge me, and then I got that excuse to dress up and do what I love and have a support system and not have to worry. It was amazing.

If someone says something negative, they’re not going to affect my life, and they’re not an important person in my life.

What’s your favorite part of doing drag?

Just being able to dress up! We went to Joann Fabrics to look for stuff, and they have sequin-y fabric! I love being sparkly and the fact that I can dress up. I’ve always loved to dress up, whether it was my sister’s dresses playing tea party or a pirate going to the store. Being able to dress up and be a different character is great. I get to be someone else.

Can you give us a sneak peak of what you’re going to bring to this year’s Dragutante performance?

I’ve been brainstorming; it’s gonna be better than last year! I’m also MCing. I’m gonna junior MC for Dragutante, and that’s amazing. I think that’s one of my favorite parts, too, being able to hold the mic and introduce the queens. We created a sisterhood, and they will always be my friends and really close to me because if it wasn't for them, I also wouldn’t be here.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

It’s just amazing to do drag, to realize I can go out there, and if something isn’t exactly perfect, yes, I will be critiqued; I’ll get read, but I’ll learn from it, and that’s the best part. Also, that I can put glitter on, and everyone loves it.

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is the Youth Sisterhood You Wish You had

By Veronica L. Holyfield Photos by Robin Johnson

W

hen Robin Fulton’s son announced that, for his 13th birthday, he wanted to have a drag queenthemed party, she wasn’t all that surprised.

From the beginning, she immersed her three children in a world where gender and identity were free to be explored, intertwined, and even bent.

As a professional photographer, Fulton had clients that ranged all over the spectrum of human, and many were diverse creatives from the LGBTQ community. However, as her tween son was evolving, his curiosity in exploring the drag scene left her wondering if there was a place for him.

“It’s a unique situation,” Fulton said. “In soccer, you just sign up with a bunch of other kids who like soccer, and they are all buddies.

When you do drag, there’s hardly any other way to meet kids that do it.”

As Fulton reached out to friends and people in drag and queer communities, she kept coming up empty-handed. Was there no such thing as to a safe space for kids to dip a toe in drag and where he could make her public debut?

Stumped, she began to think of alternatives; perhaps she could create an event that would allow her child, the newly branded Ophelia Peaches, an opportunity to build community and explore the culture of gender crossover.

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Unsure if the community would even be receptive, she took a leap of faith in July of 2018, and the inaugural production of Dragutante hit the stage.

“It was an amazing event,” Fulton said. “Last year, we wound up with over 300 seats filled; it was family, extended family, neighbors, school friends... it was community.”

Surpassing even her own hopes and expectations, Fulton discovered that Denver was calling for, even craving, a space for youth drag artists to perform. Now, she can never see herself going back.

The full-day event brought out a diverse range of kids from ages 9-16 and professional drag artists to work with the youth. The seasoned queens acted as mentors to the next generation of drag performers, including Denver’s own Vivica Galactica, Ginger Douglas, and Gemini Skye.

They provided guidance with hair, makeup, and performance coaching, all while humanizing something that appeared to be but a far-off dream to the young kids. The queens answered questions, offered insight, and demonstrated a variety of aesthetics and attitudes. The youth could truly see there was no single mold to fit into; they were encouraged only to express their authentically true, inner diva.

“I have not seen maternal instincts like that,” Fulton said. “They just took these kids under their wing and loved them.” Affectionately referring to the first year’s event as 'Camp Dragutante,' she said it was as though the experienced queens channeled the role of counselors, ushering the youth through the day with protection and care.

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“I realized that drag is not a bad thing,” said Ophelia, Fulton’s child and Dragutante participant. “It’s not a thing where you have to worry you are different, or weird. I’m me; I’m more me in drag.”

As the young performers took to the stage that day, most for their first time ever, Fulton said there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The experience was affirmation, equally for the kids and for their families. Each participant received a crown that day, not only a reward for finding the courage to take the stage, but also a milestone marker for getting them one step closer to self-love and acceptance.

“It was emotional to watch our children be their true selves,” Fulton said. “It was like watching a flower blossom under the stage lights.”

Proceeds from that night went to Rainbow Alley, the youth program at The GLBT Center, but going forward, the funds will funnel back into the event's recent 501(c)(3) non-profit. Both Fulton and Ophelia acknowledged that the first year was just about getting their feet wet, and there are ways to be more inclusive for future years.

As Dragutante prepares for its sophomore year, the vision is expanding and opening the doorway for even more youth drag artists to dive in. In addition to inviting drag king Dustin Schlong to act as mentor for the up-and-coming king performers, they are looking to include a cis queen for the assigned-female-at-birth participants.

“Self-expression is the main message,” Fulton said. “Being able to have their families understand and watch that performance opens such a floodgate of communication for parents to identify with this, understand it, not be afraid. As far as their own journey with their gender, we are supportive, but Dragutante isn’t centered around defining that; that’s a personal choice.”

While eager to feature first-timers, Dragutante added an element for any returning performers: the chance to compete in areas like drag roulette and lip-sync battles. The exact date and location have yet to be announced, but Ophelia is excited to see her community, the sisterhood she has created within the growing niche of queer performance art.

“Dragutante is about loving and accepting people,” Ophelia said “No matter sexuality, performance, anything, it’s about realizing that it’s OK to be you.”

Ultimately, Dragutante is about providing a safe environment outside of the stereotypical club and bar scene for young people to explore gender, identity, and self. No judgment, no pressure, no definition required. Simply a place to be seen, practice, and push personas to the limit.

“It has done exactly what we wanted,” Fulton said. “It created a peer group for our kids to be able to lean on each other.”

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Jessica L ’Whor is Actually an Angel

(but don’t tell anyone)

By Addison Herron-Wheeler Photos by Jeremiah Corder

W

ith a name like Jessica L’Whor and one of the fiercest mugs in Denver, you’d expect Jessica to be a little rough and tumble.

Don’t tell anyone, but Jessica actually spends most of her time thinking about how to give back to the youth community and do awesome stuff, not how to bed down her next honey or pull a stunning look.

“Miss Jessica,” as she is known in youth spaces, made national news last year when she appeared at a school and unwittingly ended up as a gorgeous, wigged symbol of the current liberal/ conservative struggle with our country.

Far from discouraging her from working with young folks and fighting the good fight, however, this only drove Jessica to want to do more outreach. We chatted with her about her amazing impact on Denver drag, the DIVA Awards, and her plans for the future.

What were some of your takeaways from that literacy event at the school?

Did it make you even more motivated to get involved in working with children?

They had various professionals come in and talk about how education and literacy affected their career choice, and I talked about growing up and the different job options that I was looking at, and how I went to college, and drag kind of fell into my lap.

The biggest takeaway is that I’m now scheduled to visit a couple more high schools and middle schools to go to larger-scale assemblies about bullying, anti-bullying, self acceptance. I’ll be talking about my experiences, kind of just being a positive voice. I’ve always loved working with kids.

I've worked with a lot of kids prior to all of the blow-up from that event, but it kind of excelled this persona that I'm now marketing off of, Miss Jessica. I’m also going to host a bunch of university shows this year, so that’s really fun.

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Were you kind of surprised by the backlash from the event at the school?

Not really; I knew that there'd be upset parents and probably some sort of uproar. I didn't expect it to get as large as it was; it actually went international.

Rush Limbaugh talked about it.

But it was a conversation starter. The biggest thing is that the parents that complained and started everything weren't really involved. One didn't even have a child at the school, and the other one didn't have a child in any of the classes I talked to. So it was kind of like complaining for nothing. The parents whose kids actually were in the classrooms were way more supportive.

And you have a new event that has to do with kids, right?

Yes, it just started, and it’s every first Sunday of the month from 3-7 p.m. It's called Drag for All Ages and it's at Mile High Comics. Funds from the event go to the White Rose Foundation, which is a scholarship program for kids. And it's also a safe place and a platform for anybody to perform any style drag, of any age or any identity. It's familyfriendly. It’s gonna be low-key, but so fun.

If there’s one thing you could teach or impart to all these kids, what would it be?

This was something I didn't learn or grasp until a year-and-a-half ago, when I was actually trying to pursue it and trying to practice it regularly. I think a lot of my life could have been different if I would have had the opportunities and the conversations when I was younger, so I really just want to be there for them.

Tell us about the DIVA Awards. How did you come up with the idea, and how do you feel the event itself went?

I pitched the idea to different venues for probably about three-and-a-half years, and no one took me seriously or 2 6 \\ M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 9

felt that it was needed or necessary. If you look at some of the more thriving drag and queer communities around the country like New York and Chicago, they all have something very similar. Because nobody would get on board with me, I decided that I was going to do this on my own and started in August of last year, planning it, organizing it, and putting everything together.

The idea was to keep it neutral, unbiased, and inclusive to everybody, and to include every venue, every type of person, every queer artist, every corner of Colorado.

And then everything was public voting, so everybody knew about it; you can see all the polls; you can see how everything was tallied and organized so that everybody could tell how it was done.

It was a great way to highlight a lot of the amazing accomplishments of queer artists, queer people, allies, drag culture, and venues. It was a really huge success.

And I'm excited for the next few years; we've gotten a couple sponsors for the next few years already.

Where would you like to see your career in five years?

I would like to see myself still doing drag, and traveling a lot as well. I want to continue to experience drag all over the country and the world.

I’m also trying to bring new entertainers with me whenever I tour so they can kind of get that experience and get outside of Denver drag. Colorado drag is great, but there's so much more out there to be inspired by. They do things differently in every single city; in every different state there are different styles, business formats, and crowds. And it's really impactful. I think it's beneficial to anyone's career, or just performance as a whole.

I also want to dive into some other platforms, into the music industry a little bit and a little bit more into online blogging. Just figuring out different outlets for recognition and, in general, speaking out and trying to be more vocal in my community.

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IzzyDead Embraces the Weird, Shocking, and Evolving Nature of Drag

By Keegan Williams Photos by Mike Bomburger

I

zzyDead MotherF*cker commands the stage at Gladys: The Nosy Neighbor in front of a packed room of people about six months into her residency as the new host of Weirdo, a weekly drag competition that urges contestants to embrace the odd and unconventional while challenging the audience to do the same. The show exploded in Denver over its short and mighty lifespan so far, proving that folks are looking for more than just your run-of-the-mill drag show in the Mile High City.

“I do have to tell you, sh*t gets weird; sh*t gets crazy; sh*t gets loud,” the host and co-producer boasted, dressed in a huge wig and stoic cape, as she warmed up the crowd for the February 21 show.

Sh*t got weird about five minutes later, when IzzyDead kicked things off with a performer dressed as a submissive pup on a leash, seductively lipsyncing, peeling off the other performer’s dog costume to reveal another bodysuit littered with organs and guts. Finally, she got down on her knees to simulate doggy-style sex with the skinned pup.

Sh*t got crazy when Mani Queen came out, dressed like an undead corpse straight out of a horror film, slowly moving around the stage and lip-syncing to an ominous Billy Eilish song, before contorting on the floor like Linda Blair in The Exorcist to a creepy, electronic breakdown.

Sh*t got loud when Kitty Monroe riled up the crowd with a number dedicated to self-pleasure mixed with an audio clip from Broad City about getting off and embracing sexuality in spite of the oppression posed by our current administration, aggressively and joyfully thrashing under the covers to the Violent Femmes.

And that’s just the first act.

Coming in on a regular Thursday in 2019, it feels like you have gained special access to a precisely crafted, one-of-a-kind, communal celebration. That was the initial hope when things at Weirdo first got going. Chris Newell, the owner of Gladys, was eager to start up a new drag show for the bar on Thursday nights that embraced the avant-garde and challenged the Denver drag community to push the limits.

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“There is a lot of drag going on right now, so we wanted something that would stand out and that would be different,” Newell said. “I think, also, when we were originally deciding what to do, as far as putting a show together, the venue itself is a little bit more weird, a little bit more funky, a little bit more eclectic, so we wanted a show that would reflect that.”

IzzyDead was a queen on hiatus when she first met Vivica Galactica, the previous host who worked with Newell and J.T. Tafoya, Gladys' event coordinator and resident DJ known as DJT. She was toying with coming out of retirement following a bad breakup and Kesha’s release of “Praying,” which prompted her first performance in years on a Colorado Springs stage.

After talking to Vivica about her emerging idea for a weekly, competitive, alt drag show, IzzyDead’s curiosity was peaked. She missed the first show but attended the next two. IzzyDead said what specifically sparked her interest to pursue drag again with this show was an early performance she witnessed, which was unlike anything she’d seen before.

“In that show, we had seen Sexy Sadie, like, douche on stage during her performance, to the point where it was squirting out,” she chuckled. “And I was like, ‘This is art. This is shock value. This is my sh*t.’”

After being out of the scene and giving up performing for several years, the competitive, weekly mission to experiment with alternative concepts brought IzzyDead back to life. She lost the first monthly finale, but after coming back the next month, she won.

“Nobody necessarily got offended by anything, because you went in there with the previous notion that you’re about to see something weird,” IzzyDead said.

“I think just the show itself was a sign. It really helped me get back into drag and to tell me that it was, like, fine."

Vivica Galactica made the move to New York, and the next Mx. Weirdo was to take over the show as host. Of course, IzzyDead was crowned in August 2018.

“I was kind of shocked, but at the same time, I knew I was gonna win, because I was so confident in myself,” IzzyDead said. “Like, I knew my number wasn’t necessarily putting spaghetti through my nostril or anything, but it was still—it was so weird. It was mainstream weird, and it touched everybody.”

Newell sat down with IzzyDead right away to talk about next steps. In encouraging an ever-changing and evolving show with challenging concepts each week, Newell said that a crucial element to keeping an alternative and experimental drag show successful also included pushing honest feedback each week.

“Something that I really was pushing, and Izzy was very receptive to, is that the show is a competition,” Newell said. “I think, nowadays, people have a hard time giving criticism, so we were really focused on trying to find a way to provide critiques. The whole part of it is that I want this show to make the drag in Denver better."

DJT remained the co-producer of the show after IzzyDead took over and said that while watching the concepts develop over time has been thrilling, it’s ultimately important to focus on fundamentally entertaining the crowd.

“You don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” DJT said, “you just want to help it turn a little easier.”

Part of staying open to new possibilities means being inviting of outside perspectives, even if they come from close neighbors. Newell recalled one week when IzzyDead invited a slew of queens from Colorado Springs for a takeover.

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“She got all these queens to come up, and I think that’s great, not only for those girls, because they get a different audience, but then, also Denver gets to see something different. Then hopefully we’re making everybody’s drag a little bit better and moving things forward,” Newell said.

DJT works as a DJ and producer at a number of queer spots in the Denver area. Whether it’s paying attention to the concepts, performers themselves, or even getting inspiration from staff and audience members, DJT said that playing a role in a variety of venues helps him as a producer keep his eyes open for fresh ideas within the drag community and continue challenging the scene to grow.

“I think, with the addition of Izzy, the ideas I get from other places and working in broader environments, like going to Las Vegas and working with drag queens, just working at Tracks, and doing all this other stuff," DJT said. "That's the great thing about it, is that it keeps evolving.”

Of course, this partially refers to intentionally aiming for weirdness in performance and continuously pushing boundaries. IzzyDead recalled a memorable act, an ode to the ever-growing, sensory audio trend booming online.

“Amya Kunt did an ASMR Pickle performance,” IzzyDead said, “and there was no music. It was just her eating a pickle on a microphone. It was perfect. She won.”

IzzyDead, DJT, and Newell were not only happy to be part of a push for alternative drag in Denver; they all spoke with pride about promoting inclusivity, not only in drag performers, but for those in the audience who come and watched it all happen.

Pushing for an inclusive show also inherently encourages new perspectives and a variety of challenging, creative concepts week-by-week.

“We believe that all drag is valid,” IzzyDead said before introducing the lineup at the February finale. “We love every type of performance expression. Whether you’re a drag queen, drag king, live singer, whatever the f*ck it is, as long as you want to showcase some art, we have a stage for you.”

Seeing the eccentric and varied performer lineup and looking around Gladys on a Thursday evening makes this sentiment abundantly clear. Newell said that one of his initial aims was to ensure that the space was open and welcoming to everybody.

“It delights me that [inclusivity] has generally been our reputation, and that the reputation of the bar gets reflected in the show,” Newell said. “Izzy’s absolutely fantastic about how she handles herself on stage. She’s really great about doing shows that try to bring in different performers, so it’s not always the same six or seven queens competing day-in and day-out.”

IzzyDead said she hopes more drag shows in Denver embrace the push to be more inclusive with their performers and more open to non-traditional drag concepts as the community continues to evolve.

“I think that’d better happen!” she said. “To be honest, I’m not threatened by anything, because I don’t feel like you’re taking anything away from my show.”

She also said that, as time passes, the inherent, loyal audiences 3 2 \\ M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 9

who seek unconventional drag ensure any type of person could stumble across something they weren’t even planning to.

“There’s always some rando walking down the street, and they’re like, ‘This sh*t looks poppin'. What the f*ck’s going on in here?’” IzzyDead said. “And then, at the end of the night, they’re like, ‘I’ve never even seen a drag show, let alone a f*cking show like this.’ And if that even entices someone to go to someone else’s drag show, I did my job.”

The week after her puppy play pandemonium dressed as a sultry, Cruella de Vil-inspired temptress, IzzyDead slid onto the stage on roller skates before switching to gold platforms, jerking around a shiny, matching dildo by the end of her performance, dressed as a glammed-up Goldmember from the 2002 Austin Powers film.

“It’s definitely not ‘The IzzyDead Show,’” she said. “I’m just there to have fun, and I do, every week. We have so much fun, and I just don’t think that competitions are necessarily like that.

People put so much high stress on it... It'snot going to affect me, because I know the show’s gonna be bomb as f*ck. I think approaching it that way, very light-hearted, helps the show.”

It’s clear that the Denver LGBTQ community craves alternative, experimental drag and is already thriving upon it. At this point in Weirdo’s brief but massive weekly presence, most people in the room are just regulars who can’t help but coming back for more.

Newell said he is surprised that he can still be amazed by what performances he witnesses, and after almost two years, he still hasn’t seen it all. If his 2017 self could witness the innovative performances he sees today on a regular basis, Newell said he’d be pretty happy.

DJT agreed that he’d be shocked (in a good way) if his past self could witness the left-field nature of the shows and performers he regularly works with today. He also noted that drag in Denver, and in general, is changing. In the same way he would’ve never predicted today’s drag, there’s no anticipating what we can expect going forward, but that’s what makes it so exhilarating.

“I’m just excited to see where it goes, because I think, conceptually, it should move forward,” DJT said. “Maybe it’s not in the mainstream, but it’s something people are talking about, and it relates to what people are talking about. It relates to people and what’s happening in their lives at that moment, in the current.”

Hosting and co-producing is a big gig, and even though many assume performing each week would elevate a drag queen to the next level, IzzyDead said her acts are generally tailored to that week’s show and performers. If anything, hosting a show that goes out of its way to be a black sheep in town showed her that she could push her concepts and looks further, and that what she once thought was ‘weird’ now isn’t even close.

“I still love to do horror movies, pop culture, and stuff, and I don’t necessarily think that’s weird, though, because people have shown me, even, that’s not Weirdo, necessarily,” IzzyDead said. “I used to think I was goth, but now, I’m like, I’m very Disney Channel.”

Even with a themed night like the “Elements of Love” February finale, focusing on elements of the periodic table, IzzyDead insisted that expecting the unexpected is a must when attending one of her shows.

A performance by Styler Phoenix, dressed in Star Trek attire and admiring a poster of Captain Kirk and Sulu with the company of a silver dildo as a nod to his chosen element, was shortly followed by Markie Arendelle, who ended the night as Mx. Weirdo February and had the room paralyzed during her gut-wrenching, live performance dedicated to a loved one recently lost to addiction. Her chosen element was yttrium, or “Y” on the periodic table, alluding to her overarching question following her loss.

“Know, when you’re on the other side, when you’re a standard drag performer and you see something weird, it makes you go crazy, like, ‘Oh, I could never do that.’ I wish that everyone could experience what I experience with it, because it’s so magical. You’re not going to necessarily see splits and dance leotards, but you will see something else.”

By 1:30 a.m., the show is over. Quickly, the unpredictable atmosphere from an hour earlier shifts from otherworldly to everyday, just a nearly empty bar about to close up for the night. After commanding the microphone for over two hours with gusto, IzzyDead spends the last hour or two of the evening nearly silent, soaking in the evening and looking toward the next week. “I used all of it. It’s all gone out of my head, now,” she laughed. Arriving back home around 2:30, she throws her clothes from the evening wherever she can, washes her face, and crawls into bed.

“You’d think there’d be this crazy afterparty, but the real party is the show.”

Drag can ultimately be boiled down to cultivating a memorable performance and captivating the audience, and by embracing the weird, IzzyDead sets out to do just that for the Denver drag community. Beyond that? Well, it’s easily more fun if we don’t know what to expect and just gear up for the journey.

“The performers’ understanding of the audience and what’s weird is really what carries the show,” IzzyDead said. “I think drag is going to evolve, because we as performers right now are being liberated so much, because, you know, things that were once a big no-no, it’s like, ‘OK, maybe you could try it out.’”

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Repairing the Damage in Two Acts:

So You Think You Can Drag Story and photos by Veronica L. Holyfield

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O

ne of the newest faces of Colorado’s Drag scene is not simply one of beauty and elegance; it is one belonging to a provocateur, an elegant disruptor, and a gracious entrepreneur. Jeremy Haig, perhaps better known as Betty Swallows, has only resided in Denver a mere 12 months, but he has embarked on a journey that will undoubtedly leave a long-lasting impression on the city’s drag scene for years to come.

Haig swooped onto the scene, from what appeared to be out of nowhere, and made a splash that rippled over 17th Avenue and far beyond. Originally from Boston, he worked his way through the local scene and found a home within the Pride & Swagger family. Although he just launched the weekly competition series So You Think You Can Drag, life for this power-ballad queen was not always smooth sailing.

“I’ve experienced first-hand what it feels like to not be supported, to feel like there is no chance for growth; I know what that feels like,” Haig said. Draped in a January-appropriate knit sweater and finely pressed slacks, he sat upright and eager at the mahogany conference room table of OUT FRONT. Polite and reserved, he appeared contemplative and introspective; an intriguing contrast to the persona of the stereotypical drag queen.

Raised in a strict, religious household, Haig has seen the worst of the worst when it comes to oppression and suppression of personhood. He was subjected to various forms of conversion therapy as a youth over the span of several years, equally damaging and detrimental, which led him down a path of ex-communication and isolation.

“My parents and I parted ways not-so-amicably when I was 18 years old,” he said. “I have no hard feelings or bitterness, because they thought what they were doing was the best and most loving option, but I have hurt feelings.”

After having to drop out of the musical theatre program at Temple University due to financial strain, Haig found himself at his lowest of lows. Without theatre and performance, he was lost and longing for a community and any semblance of a creative outlet. Beaten down and discouraged, he felt like he didn’t have much to get up for in the morning anymore.

“I was working a serving job with a homophobic boss who was verbally abusing me on the daily and ended up firing me because I was gay,” he said. “It was a very dark time in my life; I didn’t feel like I was good at anything.”

In order to make ends meet, Haig picked up a job as a go-go dancer at iCandy, a popular gay club in Philadelphia. It was there that Haig befriended Philly drag queen royalty Aloe Vera-Stratton, who agreed to take him under her wing and show him the tricks of the trade.

“I would go over to her apartment and sit on the floor; she would paint one half of my face, and I would paint the other half,” Haig said. “If it wasn’t good enough to represent her as her daughter, she would have me wipe it off and start again, over, and over, and over again, until I had mastered her face.”

Haig found a look and character befit to carry the Stratton name and began performing under the monaker Betty Swallows. He found comfort in transforming into this new person, someone who carried the confidence that he wished he could find in himself. When he created her, at last he could see something beautiful.

“I would look in the mirror, and I didn’t see myself looking back; it was one of my favorite moments when I first started doing drag,” he said. “It’s a weird feeling, looking in the mirror and not knowing who is looking back at you, but who I saw was gorgeous and fierce. I saw someone who was so strong and self-assured, so confident and sexy, everything that I wanted to be in myself.”

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Often, people utilize the art of drag as a way to access a bigger, brighter, and authentically uncensored version of themselves. Haig, however, found solace in escaping into a character and an unbridled courage when Betty came to life. He found confidence in his voice and opinions, a start at repairing the damage from his tumultuous upbringing.

“Emotion is something that, as an actor, I can use in drag,” Haig said. “I put myself in an extremely vulnerable place on purpose. Generally, that keeps me safe, ironically. I dive down into myself; fear goes away once I’m on stage. I have a couple conversion therapy numbers that I do, and sometimes I don’t feel like they go over very well, especially for people who haven't experienced that; it's hard for people to fully appreciate that.”

Due to the lack of venues that appreciated anything other than Top 40 drag numbers in Philadelphia, the attitude, grind, and hustle of the East Coast eventually became too much for Haig. He grew weary and discouraged, thus beginning a hunt for a place where he could foster a fresh start. He arrived in Denver at the end of 2017 and happened to land in the thriving, alt drag scene at Gladys’ Weirdo. This was exactly the kind of art and community that he had been looking for; he was in the right place at the right time.

“I do think that is one of Denver’s strengths as a drag community,” he said.

“The fiercely gender-nonconforming, fiercely trans, fiercely nonbinary individuals who perform. I also think that Denver is unique in the sheer number of performance venues that are available that allow performers to find the venues and producers that best work for them.”

After performing in several editions of Weirdo, Haig rediscovered his love for the art of drag and found a power within himself; a thirst to fully explore Betty once again. He began as a barback at Pride & Swagger, nestled into his new home city and a new home bar, and made invaluable connections that allowed him to work his craft on stages all over town. In January of this year, Haig was granted the hosting position of his very own show, So You Think You Can Drag (SYTYCD), a venture born from his vision of a flourishing and thriving collaborative, queer mecca.

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“The most success that I’ve had here are things that I’ve made for myself,” he said. Haig took on the task of inventing a competition show unlike any other in town, a task that he felt he was not only born for, but obligated to make.

SYTYCD is a weekly competition which runs on a four-week cycle, providing a blend of experts, booking agents, and promoters, as well as Denver’s finest queens, who mentor new as well as upand-coming queens and kings of the city.

The show provides a space for exposure, critique, and performance growth for each of the four contestants.

“I really enjoyed that no one was sent home or eliminated,” said Shannelle Kartrashian, winner of the first cycle.

“I really liked that it was smaller, and that we got to be critiqued individually, week-by-week on things that we could improve on. We were able to put our abilities forth all month, to be helped and guided along the way.”

While Shannelle performed in drag throughout Pueblo and southern Colorado for the better part of five years, she came to Denver last year to pursue her career and take it to the next level. Like many new Denver queens, however, she discovered that the scene was an initial challenge to break into.

The bigger stages were reserved for the city’s well-known, working queens with a following.

Yet, after claiming the title of the firstever SYTYCD champion, Shannelle can’t impress enough how much the experience changed the trajectory of her career. It helped her grow, not only as a performer, but provided a channel to get in contact with those who would ultimately provide her performing opportunities in the community.

“It’s really important that we put the kings and queens that are booking actively, and active promoters, in chairs in front of the contestants,” Haig said.

“It’s great that they are going to get feedback, but I’m also providing the opportunity for them to perform for these people each week and get that exposure.”

That is one thing that SYTYCD did differently than any other drag competition around. Most competitions

fill the judging panel with seasoned queens who can provide critical feedback on the performance aspect, but the growth often stops there. Haig’s perspective is full-circle, not only providing a chance for the artists to fine-tune their craft, but to also connect them with the people who are in charge of booking shows and venues, truly providing a space for exposure, critique, and performance growth for each of the four contestants.

At last, Shannelle rose to the next level, and the competition gave her exactly that chance. She is now booked through the month of March and well beyond, all thanks to the network she created from competing. She was also granted the role of guest judge on the same panel she had been critiqued by, providing her a chance to give the feedback that was so imperative to her own development.

“I’ve met many queens in the five-anda-half years since I’ve been doing this,” Shannelle said. “Betty is one of the most down-to-Earth that I have met; she always wants to see the best in people; she gives great advice, and she’ll provide resources to make things possible.”

The show is designed as a platform to promote the brand new, underserved, and unknown performers. The only criteria to compete is a desire and a drive to perform drag, and Haig has opened up slots for every kind of artist who believes in the craft.

“If you’re putting on a wig and dress for the first time in my competition, if you’re ready to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, that’s enough criteria from me,” Haig said. “If you want a stage to grow on, I have a stage for you.”

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve had as far as my drag career, and I would definitely do it again,” Shannelle said. “I would highly suggest this to any entertainer, either new or one who has been in the game a couple years. Honestly, it helped me grow exponentially.”

While the responsibilities of producer, promoter, judge, and host of SYTYCD all rest on Haig’s shoulders, he carries them with a solidly formed confidence that comes only from someone who has become an expert in creating something from nothing.

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BOYZ ON BROADWAY Photos by Charles Broshous

THE COLD WEATHER OUTSIDE DIDN’T STOP THINGS FROM HEATING UP IN BOYZTOWN LAST WEEKEND.

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1027 N. Broadway St. Denver (720) 608-8923 vybe303.com

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LIPSTICK DISCOTHEQUE

5/7/18 7:33 PM

SANTA FE DR. KALAMATH ST.

VYBE

5660 W. Colfax Ave. Denver (720) 669-3470

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X BAR

HAMBURGER MARY’S

255 S. Broadway St. Denver (303) 733-1156 lildevilslounge.com

www.StoneysUptown.com

TRADE

475 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (720) 627-5905 THU: Skivvy Stripdown SAT: Beer Bust 3 - 7 p.m.

SUN: Beer Bust 3 - 7 p.m.

500 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (303) 893-6112

LIL’ DEVILS

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2036 N. Broadway St. , Denver (303) 658-0913 triangledenver.com

629 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 832-2687 xbardenver.com

1336 E. 17th Ave. Denver (303) 993-5812 hamburgermarys.com/denver

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COLORADO BLVD.

GLADYS: THE NOSY NEIGHBOR

THE TRIANGLE BAR

YORK ST.

4501 E. Virginia Ave. Glendale (303) 388-8889 Facebook - Elpotrero.180

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BROADWAY

EL POTRERO

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CLUB Q

TRACKS

3500 Walnut St. Denver (303) 863-7326 tracksdenver.com

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CHARLIE'S® NIGHTCLUB

900 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 839-8890 charliesdenver.com MON - SAT: Happy Hour 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

FRI: Neon Fridays SUN: $7 Beer Bust 4-8 p.m.

R&R LOUNGE

DOWNING ST.

BLUSH & BLU

1526 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 484-8548 blushbludenver.com

OUTBACK CLASSIFIEDS ENVISIONED BY BOBERTO

Playmates and soul mates...

REAL CHAT WITH REAL MEN 1-303-563-4828

Denver:

1-303-433-6789 18+ MegaMates.com

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ONE HOUR FREE

MORE NUMBERS:1-800-777-8000 GUYSPYVOICE.COM

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AWARD T S O M E

HIGH LEVEL H HE EA AL LT TH H

52 AWARDS & COUNTING HIGHLEVELHEALTH.COM

Denver Locations 970 Lincoln St. 10th St. & Lincoln St. (303)-839-9333

2028 E. Colfax Ave. Race St. & Colfax Ave. (303)-355-9333

Mountain Location 1221 County Rd 308 In The I-70 Corridor Dumont, CO (720)-242-8692

1620 Market St. 16th St. & Market St. (303)-953-0884