By Mae Williams

When I lived in Nashville, Tennessee, there was one thing I wanted to do on my weekends: catch a drag show at the local LGBTQ+ bar, Play. At the time, I was attending a christian affiliated university. Unfortunately, I witnessed a lot of judgments against the LGBTQ+ community there. When I stepped into Play, the judgments disappeared. I felt I was in a normal society again. Instead of being greeted with hate, a sense of love and compassion filled the air. My seratonins exploded as my jaw dropped watching the queens performances of my favorite pop songs. How could this be harmful to my wellbeing? A drag show is serendipitous!

With the recent restrictions of drag shows from Tennessee lawmakers, I commend the southern queens that continue to speak up while being ridiculed in the public eye. The southern drag community is faced with scrutiny by their conservative region. In the height of adversity, our southern belles continue to provide a place for everyone to come together to celebrate gender fluidity. My friends and I were vacationing in Charleson, South Carolina, and our Monday night plans were non-existent. Since it was monday, not a lot was happening, and we were starving for something to do. We were about to give up and head home, but an angel appeared. We saw a sign glowing on the empty streets that said, “Drag Show 9-11 p.m.” The night that once was dragged in the mudd (no pun intended) turned into an unforgettable joyous show. Serendipity filled the air, and the southern drag community lifted my spirits up once again!

Drag is an entertainment that challenges gender roles, political issues, diversity, and cultural norms in a fun-exciting light. There have been many queens to arise from the South who have set a path for more acceptance in this conservative region. Ru Paul, the most famous drag queen, got her start in Atlanta, Georgia. One form of drag that exploded into popularity in the South was drag pageants. Pageant queens aloud the word “Southern” and “Drag” to meet in harmony, showing these two communities can thrive together. I learned about pageant queens through Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Sometimes you want to stay inside, and find a feeling of serendipity through the television screen. Ru Paul’s Drag Race has given a platform for southern queens to have a voice against hateful noise. They also offer great entertainment. I’m looking at you Alyssa Edwards with that lip sync battle against Tatianna in All Stars season two. You can gain so much knowledge from the entertainment of drag. Especially in the South!

I use one word to describe watching drag, and I have used it a lot in this blog, serendipitous. The serendipity radiates from the southern queens! Living in the South, we need to celebrate the southern queens. They have provided an atmosphere that allows southern LGBTQ+ members to escape hurtful judgements. They continue to stand up for human rights, while providing joyous smiles. My next item on my to-do-list is to check out the drag scene in Raleigh. I encourage you to go to your own backyard and stop by a show. Thank you southern queens for being a refreshing voice in the South. We bow before you in awe!

All Hail the Southern Queens

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