Written by George ScottNever have so many “bearded ladies” gathered in a single location in Southern Utah to parade around in high fashion and compete for the title of ‘Drag Queen.’ Stunning dresses, high heels, long lashes, and heavy makeup were worn with pride on Saturday night at Jazzy’s Rock ‘n Roll Grill. Over 300 people showed up throughout the evening; some had to wait outside for long periods of time in order to gain access to the event in a packed house.
Brit’s Drag Show, this past Friday, at Jazzy’s included live performances by Narcissister, Whiskey Tooth, and Autumn Waits. While the alcohol was required to be contained inside the premises, this did not prevent the fun from spilling out into the parking lot. Comparisons and encouragement on dressing and makeup techniques were shared as were the acrobatic skills of those in attendance. The high energy, copious laughter, standing room only, and overwhelming response has created whispered rumors of this becoming an annual event.
The proceeds from the event were donated to Equality Utah. According to Linda Stay, Equality Celebration Event Coordinator, nearly $1100 was raised from the event. With all of the fun and excitement of the evening, there was a bigger message presented, even if subtly. Utah has an extremely high teen suicide rate. Many of these teenagers quietly self-identify as LGBT. Events like this offer awareness to those struggling with feeling alone. It can be a relief to learn there are others to identify with and that organizations such as Equality Utah exist. Empowering kids with the knowledge that they are okay and can be accepted for who they are, brings hope and helps save lives.
Brit Isheim, a LGBT ally, identified a myriad of reasons for creating and organizing the event. Through her experience working at Jazzy’s, she has gotten to know many within the LGBT community and found there is not a lot of opportunity within the community to gather. When she had a friend of a friend take her own life after coming out to her family and being disowned, during Thanksgiving 2014, she felt compelled to make a difference in helping others have hope.
Making a difference is an understatement if the success of the event is an indicator. Brit wanted to make the event comfortable for everyone. Considering the range in age, gender, and sexual orientation, she succeeded at every level. She leaves for Chicago to pursue studies in film in just a few days. Not interested in having a going away party, she did something BIG TIME in saying good-bye. Fortunately, the whispered rumors are growing louder and Brit states there is a strong possibility of returning for a visit to continue the event on an annual basis.
The crown for Drag Queen went to Christopher Loveless dressed as Blanche Devereaux and the Drag King crown went to Carmen Fitzgarrald dressed as Justin Bieber.
More information about Equality Utah can be found at www.equalityutah.org
