Cassie brings drag to the boonies
Hello, my lovelies. Over the many years I have done drag, I have been a bunch of peoples’ “first.” The first drag queen they saw. The first drag queen to grab Katy Perry’s boob. Last week, I got to be a first for an entire college.
Every year, Jenna Skyy, myself and a few other performers go to SMU for their annual drag bingo. It is a lot of fun and there is always a great turnout. What’s not to love? Drag numbers, bingo and prizes. So when we were contacted by another university, we jumped at the chance to take our fun little show on the road.
To be honest, I had never heard of Tarleton State University in Stephenville. But then, I haven’t heard of a lot of things. I only recently learned that crating a human baby is frowned upon — who knew?
Tarleton is a two-hour drive south of Dallas down I-67. Road trip! I hadn’t done one of those in years, so I was excited. I am lucky enough to get to perform in the Rose Room every weekend so I really don’t need to travel, but I remember those days fondly when us drag queens would load up someone’s crappy car and drive to Austin or Oklahoma for a $50 booking. The struggle was real back then. So props to the girls that still do that.
Anyway, Jenna and I were chauffeured to Stephenville by my husband. We gabbed like teenage girls (or just a normal gay guy) the entire way, talking trash and shooting the shit — you know, normal stuff. When we exited off the highway and were about half a mile from the school, we noticed a big cemetery beside the road. I love cemeteries, they are like morbid museums with their statues and history. But then we noticed many, many Confederate flags on the graves and I was like, “Oh, shit! Where are we? Did we go back in time?”
In my experience, people fond of the Confederate flag are not usually fond of the everyday fag. I know I shouldn’t use that word but it works well near the word flag, so shut up. I got a little tense, not sure what to expect. We parked and went inside the student center and the first thing I see is a Chick-fil-A. I was like FUUUCCCCKKKK!
I live in my own little bubble. I work in the gayborhood and live in a little town that doesn’t force or flaunt their beliefs on me. I know I am the oddball in Midlothian but rarely, if ever, do I feel like it.
So I went into the school ready to strike down any homo haters or Trumpeters. But I never had to. Every person we met was so nice. We were informed that our drag bingo was going to be the first event of its kind. They weren’t even sure what to expect. They had posters with our faces on them everywhere and so I started to get excitedly nervous.
I asked how many people they were expecting. The adorable bisexual girl who hired us, Emily, was like, “Not sure.” Hopefully at least 50, she said. She showed us to the dressing area and we got in drag. The performance room was right next door to us so we could hear the crowd growing.
I think at last count they had 212 people show up, all with great attitudes and open minds. We truly felt like rock stars. There was one guy that seemed a little uncomfortable but I applauded him for being there in the first place before I told him to chill out — he wasn’t cute enough for any of the gays to be after him. He didn’t stay much longer. I think I hurt his feelings.
The whole experience was a very positive one. The students we met were awesome. It was a surprisingly diverse group of young people. When it was over we hung around for another 30 to 45 minutes just taking pictures. Like I said, we felt like rock stars. I hope it becomes an annual event like at SMU.
Jenna and I were a part of the very first drag anything at Tarleton State and I am proud of that. Hopefully we showed them that, not just drag queens but gays in general are just people. Fear us not! Well, a little fear is okay! We are like scary, over confident clowns in heels.
Now let’s help some folks!
Hey Cassie, I’m a super fortunate millennial with an excellent job/income, house, partner and children (doggies). Lately I’ve been thinking about how to get engaged with the community — not just the gay community but also the community in general. I don’t have the bandwidth to run for public office (which I totally would love to do), and I’m not religious (though I LOVE what Cathedral of Hope does for the community). What’s your advice on how a successful gay millennial dude should plug in and get involved with social and civil rights in the community (part-time)? Thanks! Young and eager.
Dearest Y & E, Mutherfucker, ain’t you eva heard of Google?
Just kidding. Kinda. What interests you for real? Volunteer to help get someone who aligns with your political views elected. Many of our political figures would love your help, even part time. Is there someone you think needs a little boost? Like, let’s say… Beto. Go help him get elected.
Do you like kids (humans)? They have a volunteer program at the Dallas Public Library. Dog kids? SPCA. Get a team together and do LifeWalk. It’s a wonderful event that raises money for Prism Health North Texas and other AIDS service organizations.
The list goes on and on. You are talking the talk but will you walk the walk? Go volunteer, anywhere! Just do it. Thanks, Cassie
Dear Cassie, Will you be my drag mother? Signed, (insert name here)
Dear whoever, Please choose one of the following answers. 1. No. 2. Who dis? New phone. 3. No No Mizz Nova no home. (as said by Consuela from Family Guy)
Remember to always love more, bitch less and be fabulous. XOXO! Cassie Nova