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Home , Drag queen, Drag Queen Story Hour

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Alonya Chest (David Borges), at left, and Ashlyn the (Kollen Walters). stereotypesL ess-Explored Cavers find adventure, spectacular scenery – and some interesting creatures – in the area’s natural cavities By Stephanie Koons The State bring LGBTQ awareness to theBy community Rebekka through Coakley performances and events 4026 T&G AprilSeptemberPHOTOGRAPHY 2020 2019 BY DARREN ANDREW WEIMERT such as Story Hour20192020 September April T&G 4127 Mandy Mango (Sigfried Aragona)

It’s a Thursday night at Arena Bar & Grill in State College, and 18 performers from across Pennsylvania with various talents have gathered for a competition. With strobe lights flashing and a medley of pop hits throbbing out of the speakers, Hexxa, a statuesque performer, takes center stage as the final act of the evening. Wearing a red- and-white bikini set, thigh- Venus Doom (Kara Gillespie) high patent red stiletto boots and a red bolero with fringe sleeves, she literally and figuratively sets the stage on Hexxa, whose legal name “Drag helped me come fire. She sashays, shakes her is Chris Castro, closed out of my shell,” she says. long blonde mane, performs out the State Queens “Sometimes I’m feminine, splits and dips, and well … competition in late sometimes I’m masculine.” does a couple things that January in which contestants Hexxa, 23, has been would probably make your lip-synced, danced, and one of the breakout stars grandmother blush. showcased various aspects of of the State Queens – a their personalities. Believe it local troupe or not, Hexxa says she’s an that started in 2017 and introvert at heart – and that now performs regularly in performing drag has helped venues throughout central her get in touch with all her Pennsylvania. State Queens different sides. has extended its reach 42 T&G April 2020 2020 April T&G 43 eventually take their acts & Grill. Also added to held in large, liberal-leaning While Borges says the to larger cities. Hexxa, a the group’s agenda were a cities such as City State Queens were totally recent Penn State graduate recurring “drag brunch” at and Los Angeles, as well as in on board for the story hour, who is based in Reading, Doggie’s Pub and “drag bingo” red-state towns such as Juneau, they did receive some is one of those success events at Webster’s Bookstore Alaska, and Lincoln, Nebraska. negative feedback, such stories. She now performs Café. The group now Fatemi-Badi says she was taking as hostile Facebook posts, regularly in cities such as performs up to six shows per a World Campus course that during the planning phase , Boston, month, which includes gigs at dealt with human sexuality for the event. To be on the and Chicago, but routinely other colleges such as Juniata when she decided that it was safe side, they requested that makes appearances at State College, Penn State Altoona, time that State College joined the State College Police Queens shows. and Lock Haven University. in on this phenomenon. Department monitor the “It’s great to see when you Bringing the Drag Queen “We were required to do a event. Fortunately, there were have performers who grew Story Hour to State College, final project and Drag Queen no incidents at the event and up in the drag scene here Borges says, was not exactly a Story Hours were happening there was an “overwhelming and they move somewhere small feat. According to a June all around the country, but I amount of support during the else and they’re a big fish 2019 article in The New York realized we didn’t have one .” there,” says Borges. Times, the event originated here,” she says. “I booked The first Drag Queen Since his arrival in State in 2015 in San Francisco, a room at Schlow Centre Story Hour at Schlow College in 2017, Borges says, when a drag queen arrived Region Library as a private was extremely touching, he has seen the State College at a library and read to the citizen and contacted Alonya Borges says, as it inspired drag scene gradually grow children she met there. The and the State Queens to see dialogue among parents who its presence. A graduate of idea quickly caught on and if they would like to be the wanted to know how they Shippensburg University, story hours are now regularly queens for our story hour.” could support the LGBTQ he was working in human resources at Penn State when he started performing with the State Queens. After the former director stepped down in 2018, Borges took over the reins and promptly started calling local businesses to Centre County United Way book shows. One of those beyond the local nightlife “We’ve held two very places was Café 210 West, ccunitedway.org scene by promoting , successful Drag Queen Story and the group now performs , bisexual, , Hours at Schlow and plan a few shows a semester there. and (LGBTQ) to hold one each semester “Every single time we awareness through events going forward,” says Tamra do these [Café 210] shows, such as Drag Queen Story Fatemi-Badi, who has helped they’re always packed, Hour (DQSH) at Schlow with the organization and there’s always a line, and Centre Region Library. Drag promotion of the event. they’re always talked Centre County United Way Queen Story Hour, according In addition, according about,” says Borges. to the organization’s website to State Queens Director Borges then proceeded to ccunitedway.org (dragqueenstoryhour.org), “is David Borges (whose drag book a once-a-semester show Centre County United Way just what it sounds like – drag name is Alonya Chest), at Primanti Brothers in queens reading stories to the group now serves as addition to regular ccunitedway.org children in libraries, schools, a springboard for drag performances and bookstores.” queens who would like to at Arena Bar

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Centre County United Way ccunitedway.org community as well as help many semesters to come.” also generating some critical Another State Queens Arena wearing a long blonde “The main misconception their children come to terms Catherine Alloway, comments from individuals. performer, Charlotte Royale wig, fitted red top, cutoff shorts, (about drag queens) is that every with their identities. He director of Schlow Library, The Library Board and staff (a.k.a. Lloyd Shope), 23, of and black thigh-high stiletto single drag queen wants to be added that he almost cried says that “Schlow Centre value the U.S. Constitution Lock Haven, who has been boots, says that her normal a woman,” says Ariana, a.k.a. when he saw “little boys Region Library’s meeting and the right to free speech with the group for about “uniform” while working Ethan Tyson, who traveled from in dresses and little girls in rooms are used annually by and assembly, and govern its six months, says that doing her day job at a coffee shop Carlisle to perform in the state hiking boots” – which they over 70 different groups that meeting rooms accordingly.” drag has freed her from the is a flannel shirt and glasses. competition in January. “It’s fun were usually not allowed to offer a wide range of meetings Self-acceptance and constraints of living up to She adds that she enjoys the to play dress-up. It’s fun to dance wear outside of their homes. and programs that enrich and self-expression are primary society’s expectations of what anonymity that a dual identity and make money. I never went “After our first story hour enlighten our community. motivators for many drag it means to be a man. sometimes allows her. through any gender crisis.” was such a success, I decided to Women Anglers, Girls’ Bible performers, according to several “I’ve spent most of my life, “That separation is like, Borges also disputes the apply for a Penn State Student Study, political and medical drag queens interviewed. A like, ‘I’m a man, I have to do everything,” she says. “Having common belief that drag Engagement Grant so that support groups, and Drag couple of them cited the late manly things,’” she says. people here not recognize me, queens are struggling with I could continue to pay for Queen Story Hour are just a David Bowie, who was known Her outlook changed, she idolize me as Charlotte rather their identity, adding that the craft supplies that we use few of the diverse gatherings for his gender-bending ways, says, when she discovered than Lloyd, that’s why I do men dressing as women goes during the events and to pay a held in our spaces. The Drag as a personal influence. Borges RuPaul’s , a reality this. It’s just the illusion of back much farther in history small donation to Schlow for Queen Story Hours presented says that his drag alter-ego, competition series that being a real woman.” than many people realize. the use of the room,” Fatemi- in 2019 were presented by Alonya, is “who I’m normally documents legendary drag And indeed, it is the illusion “We are not confused,” Badi says. “I was fortunate an outside group, and the not but I want to be. Alonya queen RuPaul’s search for of being a woman that many he says. “Makeup is for that I did receive the grant events filled the meeting Chest is hilarious, obnoxious at “America’s next drag superstar.” drag queens aspire to – not everyone. [Women’s] clothes and will be able to continue rooms with delighted times … that’s what I wanted Charlotte, who performed necessarily to change the gender are for everyone.” to hold the story hours for children and families, while to be for myself.” at the state competition at the they were assigned at birth. Men have worn dresses,

46 T&G April 2020 2020 April T&G 47 makeup, and wigs for centuries, ground, one leg extended. On and feminine attire. While he he adds. For example, there the other hand, drag encompasses says he has “changed personas were no women in Greek many different fashion styles and several times,” he now leans theater as all the personas. At the state competition toward an “androgynous, non- roles were played by men. at the Arena, there were 16 binary, gender-bending” identity. Also, high-heeled shoes were different acts that included a “By doing this persona, I originally worn by men – one , feel like I’m a voice for the of the most famous examples an African-American queen who voiceless,” says Oates. “You’ve being Louis XIV of France, who did a spoken-word lip-synch with got to live your life for yourself, wore heels up to 4 inches to a black female empowerment and not for anybody else.” boost his 5-foot-4-inch frame. message, and a – a Since arriving in State College “The biggest thing is not female performer who dresses in in 2017, Borges says, he’s seen associating a look with a masculine drag. the community make significant stereotype,” Borges says. John Oates, 43, of Carlisle, strides toward diversity and Another common who goes by the stage name inclusion. Rainbow flags (symbols misconception, several of the Andronica and is engaged of LGBTQ pride) are now flown performers say, is that drag mainly to Ariana, is an example of downtown and on campus. consists of men adopting hyper- someone who doesn’t fit the In addition, the State Queens feminine characteristics and typical mold of a drag queen. participated in The Penn State doing gymnastic stunts such as He sports facial hair, speaks Altoona’s in October splits and “death drops” – the in a deep voice, and wears a 2019 and will also play a role in move of lowering oneself to the combination of masculine State College’s first-ever LGBTQ Pride parade on June 13. While RuPaul’s Drag Race has undoubtedly been “one of biggest catalysts for interest in drag,” says Borges, he hopes it doesn’t discourage people from embracing the State Queens’ grassroots style of drag. “If that’s how you heard about drag, I’m glad,” he says. “Let me know what our local scene is like.” A major difference between the State Queens and drag scenes in larger cities, Borges says, is that no particular skills or experience are required to join their community. “Just [Facebook] message State Queens and say you want to be in a show. It’s family. I want it to feel that way.”

Stephanie Koons is a freelance writer in State College.

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