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…
Tag: Izzy Ahee
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…
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.
Quirky Drag at Harrisburg’s Midtown Arts Center
This particular show was last minute due to some cancellations and an open opportunity. Jade DeVere, my drag mom, arranged for a “Quirky Drag Show” with 3 Queens and a King.
Ryder Nightly
So we talked about our emotional experiences related to the song and we brought that to the stage here, at the Foundation for Hope fundraiser show.
Drag Roots
New Years Eve I performed at a venue, as a favor for my “Drag Grandmother”, that was new to me. I am not familiar with the area, much less the bar itself. This is my Grandmother’s, Whitley, sort of home bar – she’s a regular there. Because she is a regular she knows the bar tender, owner, and so forth. This experience lead me to a completely unexpected New Year’s Eve, but frankly it was enlightening and exhilarating.
Gender is only Garb Deep
Gender is only garb deep. This leads me to separate gender from sex (n). Your sex is indicated by your genitalia, I will not argue with you nor deny that I have a vagina and I am female. But as far as my gender goes….well its flexible. Gender Flexible!
It’s more than just Drag….
There is a portion of the book in which she talks about drag. She talks about how a lot of trans people end up in drag at some point…she was saying that it makes it okay for us to crossdress, it publicly removes the gender roles for all to see and be entertained by. Doing Drag is not just about entertaining an audience, its about being a Gender outlaw. She was saying that Drag is like the jester that made fun of the king, and he didn’t know it. Drag is mostly entertaining because it pushes the boundaries of gender for all of us….its different for all of us, just like gender is.
Halloween Lebanon Drag Show
By Hollis Taylor This Halloween I was thrilled to check out the Halloween show for the Lebanon Drag Show! It was held in the bar portion of the Days Inn in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. What a fantastic show! I heard about the event through a friend that was performing that evening, Jade DeVere. It was a great way…
Izzy Ahee 