Arts & Entertainment
Drag families support new queens, but D.C. needs more space for young performers
With steep competition, young talent turns to social media for exposure
In a sparkling gold dress with a high-cut bodysuit and fringe draped over her hipline, D.C. drag queen Anamosity rang in the new year with a high-energy performance that carried her off stage and closer to the audience.
Hollers and cheers from the crowd punctuated her fierce hair flips and striking hand gestures as the rookie queen aimed to impress venue hosts, audiences, and other queens to book more gigs in an increasingly competitive D.C. drag scene.
“One of my biggest challenges in drag is just definitely booking gigs,” Anamosity said. “[When I started,] it was difficult not knowing anyone [and] trying to make a name for yourself in the city.”
After a slew of anti-drag legislation was introduced in more than a dozen states, effectively banning performances in public spaces to prohibit minors from watching, anti-drag sentiment has scared some aspiring and veteran queens from participating in the art form. However, as the District experiences its “drag renaissance,” increased competition is challenging new queens trying to book shows.
Until 2018, the popular D.C. drag venue, Town Danceboutique, was the place to get booked for queens trying to make a name for themselves in downtown, LGBTQ nightlife, according to Venus Valhalla, a host at the gay bar Pitcher’s weekly drag show. But when the club closed, queens scrambled to any bar that would let them start new shows.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, entertainers held onto any shows they started and venues they secured. Then, as restaurants and bars reopened, the surge of opportunities led to heightened competition between veteran queens with networks ripe for booking and new queens vying for a chance to prove themselves, Anamosity added.
“The drag queens that want to do drag or are doing drag full time just end up getting more priority,” Animosity said. “It’s definitely a battle trying to get your name out there and develop connections in order to become part of the other [half of the entertainers] that can’t afford to do drag full time, but still want to be out and performing.”
For some queens, having a drag family is the connection that gets them on stage, according to Hennessey, whose drag family consists of a drag mother, drag sisters – including Anamosity – and a drag grandmother. These connections with veteran queens help newer entertainers book shows at venues that require a certain level of professionalism and performance quality.
These beyond-blood family networks also provide emotional and financial support to queens outside of drag, Hennessey noted. Sometimes this comes in the form of housing, but oftentimes, it’s seen through sharing costumes, wigs, and heels.
But between Drag Queen Story Hours and 21-plus night shows, there’s a gap in opportunities for young adults wanting to start in drag. While some family or 18-plus drag brunches offer more chances for young aspiring queens to perform, the digital drag sphere is presenting new ways for youth to find their drag community.
“Bedroom queens” performing from home are building their brand, portfolio, and following on social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok. Since younger and newer queens aren’t usually booking multiple shows a week because of high competition, they’re spending time shooting and editing content that advertises their talent.
Social media also supports the exposure and representation of queens who either aren’t ready to perform in front of an audience yet or struggle to find shows.
“There are a lot of Black drag queens in the city, I think that I don’t see them getting as many bookings as queens of other races,” Anamosity said. “I’m grateful for every booking that comes my way. But with the number of people of color in D.C., I just don’t think I see them much on flyers, so their online presence is great.”
These virtual networks also mean younger queens can build digital drag families from around the world, Hennessey added. However, there are still opportunities for D.C.’s drag scene to create spaces for young entertainers.
Last summer, the LGBTQ bar As You Are turned its venue into a cafe to host a day drag show open to all ages, specifically targeted to people under 24 years old. During the show, young folks filled the audience while others took the stage for the first time.
The drag house Casa Sin Miedo is also creating a safe space for young and emerging artists to grow their network. The house supports transgender and Latinx artists through mentorship that is vital to queer youth, who often don’t find similar role models at home, school, and even in the media.
But there’s no formal process to starting or finding a drag family.
“That’s what is the most beautiful part about it,” Hennessey said. “If you want to start your own family, you can really just do it. You just need one other person, and then you suddenly have a drag family.”
The Miss Gay Western Maryland pageant was held at The Lodge in Boonsboro, Md. on Friday, May 1. Maria R. Posa was crowned the winner with Aura Fixation named first alternate. Both winners are qualified to compete in the 2026 Miss Gay Maryland America pageant.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
A reign defined by commitment and human impact
Nicole Murray Ramirez defined era in International Imperial Court System
Writing about the reign of Nicole Murray Ramirez and the close leadership of King Father Terry Sidie requires far more than listing achievements, because what has been built over these years cannot be reduced to titles, ceremonies, or public recognition. It must be understood as the result of a sustained vision rooted in service, memory, solidarity, and the real ability to build bridges within and beyond the LGBTQ community.
At this point, looking back and assessing this period means acknowledging that this was not just another chapter in the history of the International Imperial Court System. It was a time shaped by far-reaching initiatives, a clear commitment to concrete causes, and a style of leadership that moved confidently between symbolic representation and public action. In that context, Nicole Murray Ramirez’s announcement that her reign will conclude in February 2027, along with the coronation of the person who will assume the throne as the new Queen Mother of the Americas, should not be read simply as the end of an era, but as a moment to fully recognize what has been built while also understanding that a new chapter is about to begin.
One of the most defining aspects of this reign has been its understanding that visibility alone is not enough. Visibility matters, but it only becomes meaningful when it leads to action, support, and measurable change. That has been a consistent strength of the work led by Nicole Murray Ramirez alongside key figures such as Terry Sidie.
The Jose Nicole Terry Scholarship and Educational Fund reflects that commitment. Reaching $400,000 is significant, but what matters most is what that represents in terms of opportunity and access.
This leadership also prioritized historical memory through initiatives like the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at the Stonewall Inn and the recognition of Jose Julio Sarria.
Efforts such as the Harvey Milk postage stamp, the USNS Harvey Milk, and multiple recognitions for Sarria reflect a sustained commitment to public recognition and justice.
International outreach, financial support to global causes, advocacy for transgender communities, and engagement with organizations beyond national borders further define this period.
The expansion into Canada and the opening of a new chapter that includes Puerto Rico highlight the evolving nature of this leadership. The upcoming June coronation marks an important step in that direction.
Acknowledging that the reign was not perfect does not weaken its legacy. It reinforces its authenticity.
This was not an individual effort. It was collective work supported by a broad network.
As the transition toward Feb. 5, 2027, continues, what remains is a legacy built on action, commitment, and responsibility.
Theater
Diverse cast tackles ‘Aguardiente’ at GALA Hispanic Theatre
Best friends rediscover their Caribbean heritage in new musical
‘Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders’
Through May 24
GALA Hispanic Theatre
3333 14th St., N.W.
$25–$65
Galatheatre.org
(surtitles in English and Spanish)
With its latest musical offering “Aguardiente: Where Magic Transcends Borders,” GALA Hispanic Theatre has cast its net wide in gathering a blend of talent including the production’s diverse 18-person cast.
Commissioned by GALA, the spanking new musical is about best friends Alberto and Alejandro (two New York writers from Puerto Rico and Colombia respectively). Together, within a short timeline under unrelenting pressure, they struggle to write the project musical of their dreams.
Along the way, the friends rediscover their Caribbean heritage through cumbia, bomba, currulao, and the magical realism of García Márquez.
Offstage, the work has been created by Luis Salgado (book), and Daniel Alejandro Gutiérrez (music), also respectively from Puerto Rico and Colombia. Multiple Helen Hayes Award-winning Salgado is directing and choreographing the GALA production.
In the role of Alejandro, out actor Sebastián Treviño is making his GALA debut opposite Samuel Garnica who plays librettist Alberto. Alejandro is the music composer who doesn’t come from a musical background. He’s simply a lover of Latin music.
Is Alejandro recognizably similar to Gutiérrez?
“Oh yeah,” says Treviño, 36. “Like Gutiérrez, Alejandro doesn’t necessarily follow musical theater rules and etiquette, and it’s his uniqueness that brings a spark to their partnership.
“I got to know him and Luis [Salgado] while touring with ‘On Your Feet!’ in 2022. You really get to know people by spending endless hours together on a bus.”
Language and voice are intertwined for Treviño, and fortunately for the amiable New York-based actor, he enjoys the challenge of a new way of speaking. To play Alejandro, it helps to sound Colombian.
As a native of Monterrey, Mexico, Spanish and Mexican dialects are Treviño’s first languages. He attended American school starting in kindergarten, consequently acquiring flawless English; and because his mother is Colombian, he is familiar with that accent too.
GALA Spanish speaking patrons can be a tough crowd. For instance, when a Mexican actor is playing a Cuban character, they know at once. And while they may embrace the performance and the production, there sometimes remains a niggling dislike for what feels a vocal inaccuracy.
“Since I’ve arrived in D.C., I’ve been practicing my Colombian accent at restaurants and other places. When a Spanish speaking server asks if I’m from Colombia, I know I’m doing something right.”
“Aguardiente” (translates as “Firewater”) is composed of several layers of reality. He explains: “First it’s us creating the show, the work, and all of those pressures and limitations that the industry places on Latino centered projects; and then there’s the fantasy layer.”
A talented tenor, his lengthy bio includes Mexico City (“Wicked,” “Rent”), Off Broadway (“Kowalski”) and North American national tours (“On Your Feet!”).
He says his “Aguardiente” solo specifically feels like ‘80s Latin rock. Also, he enjoys a fun medley number where they’re playing around with “Tropipop” (Colombian pop), classic Broadway sounds, and there’s even a Beatles moment.
In this show, we meet two determined friends, one is holding an American passport because he’s Puerto Rican, while the other, a Colombian, struggles to secure a visa.
“It’s not a stretch for me to relate to that. I’m here on a working visa, so I know all about the stress and costs that comes with that,” says Treviño.
“So much reflects their own story. That includes the setbacks and obstacles faced when trying to build something from very little, and writing about themes that aren’t considered mainstream to white American audiences.”
At just eight years old, Treviño saw “A Chorus Line” at Mont Tecnológico de Monterrey, the same college that he’d later attend. He remembers, “Seated in the second row, the young actors were rock stars to me. When I asked my father who loved the arts if one day I could perform onstage, he said yes, instantly his son’s new dream.”
Looking forward, is there a role he yearns to play? Treviño ponders the trite query with some seriousness before answering “I think it’s yet to be written.”
PHOTOS: Miss Gay Western Maryland
Barney Frank on trans rights, 2028, and the need to ‘reform the left’
Key West Pride’s state funding pulled
DOE investigates Smith College’s trans-inclusive policy
A reign defined by commitment and human impact
Republicans attach five anti-LGBTQ riders to State Department funding bill
Tennessee’s trans data bill a frightening omen
Lesbifriends Travel to host queer night out
The queer appeal of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
