Drag has changed my life! It is part of my gender expression. Being a Drag King is part of who I am.Not only has it introduced me to some pretty dam amazing people but it has also given me an outlet. A real honest to god outlet that feels good in a way that leads me to more balanced places. Izzy keeps me sane! For now as I try to get involved in my new city I know that I will be lead to good places. Maybe this whole experience will help me understand myself on a deeper level. Either way it could support my journey in some way that I don’t see yet.
Category: GLBT
Pronouns
Pronouns are interesting because we only really have binary pronouns. Without pronouns people have to repeat your name over and over again. Its awkward speech without pronouns and its awkward with pronouns. I started noticing that I was bothered by strangers using female pronouns all the time. I was refreshed when people have to look at me a couple of times to determine if I am female or if I am male. I found myself hurt that almost no one uses male pronouns with me. I almost never hear male pronouns. With my lovers I ask that they try to mix up my pronouns, although that’s hard for them. Even as Izzy they both struggle with using male pronouns. They don’t impose gender roles but for sure they struggle with using male pronouns. Maybe its their own struggle with understanding sexuality and gender….what lesbian loves men? I know that they try to balance the two with me but I realize our culture doesn’t support people like me.
Drag is Powerful
Drag takes boldness, bravery, and strength. My respect for the art has increased in the past year to a point that I find myself more and more passionate about it. Even as I look to my future, after I move to Colorado at the end of October, I realize that Izzy will need to be brought to a new community in Colorado. I cannot abandon this amazing art. When I brainstorm what I would like to do I must ask myself what message I am carrying. As a title holding drag king it is my responsibility to carry certain messages. I often like to carry songs that encourage sex positivity, discouraging the shaming of sex. Sometimes I carry the everyone is beautiful message other times I challenge gender roles, my personal pet pieve. Another message I like to bring to the stage is to spread the love.
Amateur Drag Race 2014
I was honored to be asked to be a coach for the Amateur Drag Race 2014. First of all, the drag race was where I started a year ago. I was excited to see the newest amateur drag queens and kings and also to have a small piece in helping them develop their personal drag persona. My love for drag has a long history into my early adulthood even before I was out of the closet as a lesbian, butch, gender variant, and now drag king. Drag’s gender bending nature combined with music, creativity, and strong heart has kept me passionate about drag for many years.
Pride Festival – Lancaster, PA – 2014
By Hollis Taylor This was not my first Pride festival by any means but was certainly the first time I had experienced a Pride Festival from the point of view of Drag King. For many many years though my favorite part of any Pride Festival has been the Drag Queens. I went out of my…
Mr. Lancaster, PA Pride 2014
By Hollis Taylor This was my third and final pageant for 2014 and I hesitated to take it on. After State Street Contest and The Hope Pageant plus my summer adventures I wasn’t sure I could squeeze it in. But I really wanted to be part of the Pride drag scene, last year it was…
Noticing the Balance
By Hollis Taylor Recently I am having a short break from drag meanwhile I dive into my other interests in life such as alternative spiritual practices, intentional fires, drum & dance circles, nature, organic sustainable gardening, and festivals of all sorts. Everything is completely different for me than last spring and early summer. One of the biggest…
Foundation for Hope Pageant 2014
The reason I chose to participate in this competition was for one simple reason, I personally suffer from depression and suicidal tendencies. I have a life-time of stories of being bullied from being kicked almost to death on a city street at 8 years old to being bullied at work. I insist that not only can we be healed from depression and suicidal tendencies but we can also stop bullying. I don’t like to say “never” but it will be awfully hard to change my mind about these subjects as far as them being permanent and an acceptable part of human nature. Human’s can be kind to each other and the abuse CAN stop among us. I am not the only one that thinks so and many expressions of this idea have emerged. The Foundation for Hope is an example of that idea. Hence the drive to compete, even though I am so new at this whole Drag King thing. Also I don’t really enjoy competition as much as I love cooperation. I know many lesbians like this, its not unusual in the lesbian culture.
State Street 2014
There were many reasons I chose to enter the State Street contest . First of all it was for a good cause, Black & White Party, which helps people with AIDS with living expenses. Second of all the rules were loose and sometimes I think rules are created in order to control people. I’m not always behind control. Also, it seems to be a place that drag queens and kings could express some of their deepest darkest ideas without being shunned or punished for them.
Queer History
By Hollis Taylor Sometimes when I think about queer history I realize how old I am, what I have seen and witnessed unfold. As a young child I remember my mother’s best friend got a divorce. I was close friends with her son and we were very close while his parents divorced. I remember him…
Its Just a Drag Show?!
Drag Queens and Kings bend gender all over the place. Many of us in the drag community disregard gender roles of all sorts. We lack the vocabulary but its really always been there. On my journey I have encountered many veterans in the drag community and again you find the same theme. Gender is pushed, its bent…. on purpose. Most of us in drag are behind the idea that gender is fluid, not binary.
Lebanon Drag Night – Feb. 2014
This song brought a message I can stand behind. Giving love to everyone around you will bring emotional healing to the human race. Many of us talk about how we get sick of hearing all these negative things but very few of us consistently spread positiveness. Compliment people, tell people you care, and spread basic politeness. Try to find love and compassion in your heart for everyone – and consider that all of us just want love, happiness, and peace. Think about it this way, in a dark place if one candle is lit it lightens the room. If others light their candle from that one, no flame is lost from the first one but simply the room is brightened more. My performance of it was of a hippy dude, one of my favorite types of men. I find so called “hippy men” to be more in touch with their emotions and often more authentic. At my core I am peaceful, loving, and happy – but I wasn’t always this way. I want to spread love everywhere I go! That’s exactly what I do in this number with my very long dreads, yoga dub step moves, and yogi outfit. We all want love – so lets start the trend of “Giving Love” Here’s the song in case you haven’t heard of it.
Izzy Ahee 