African-American drag queens are forced to walk a fine line or get labeled 'angry and confrontational'

For the drag community, you would have had to be living under a rock to not be up-to-date on the extremely controversial topic spreading across the nation about the drama that has been unfolding as a result of a heated conversation on a recent episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race".
If you aren't aware of this particular conversation, it centered around two African-American competitors, Monet X Change and The Vixen, and one of their Caucasian counterparts, Aquaria. On the episode of "Untucked", a discussion centered around the way African-American drag queens are viewed if they express their opinions in a boisterous manner to a drag queen who is not a minority.
Aquaria made a statement that was a bit shady to The Vixen, and when The Vixen responded and defended herself, Aquaria began to cry. This particular exchange, and the subsequent tearshed, sparked much debate. The Vixen, after Aquaria began to cry, made a statement that many African-American queens quietly (and some not-so-quietly) have voiced over the years.
The Vixen shared that although a non-minority person (in this case a drag queen) may begin an altercation with an African-American drag queen, and then when the African-American person responds in kind, and if the non-minority breaks down as a result, no one will remember that the non-minority started the altercation; all anyone will focus on will be how the African-American individual verbally attacked the other person.
On "Untucked", The Vixen accused Aquaria of setting up a scenario where no matter what the outcome, and no matter how their altercation began, The Vixen (the African-American drag queen) will be vilified by the viewers and seen as an "angry black drag queen".
(If you are unfamiliar with the episode, here is a breakdown.)
This particular issue has caused a tidal wave of heated arguments and discussions within not only the drag community, but in all communities across the board. It resonates on so many levels, and as an Old School glamour drag queen diva, I wanted to take a few steps back from the issue and look at it from all sides before offering up my two cents.
Never one to back down from any heated discussion, I will serve it up true to form ...
I must agree wholeheartedly with The Vixen's assessment of the situation, and not totally for the reasons you might assume. I do see The Vixen as a sort of a rebel who likes to bring uncomfortable issues to light, and at times she does go slightly overboard.
In my opinion and putting this in terms of the drag community ...
Being a vocal African-American drag queen, our race has endured this reputation for longer than I've been on this Earth. We must always try to walk a tightrope when we need to respond to any issue that we are targeted with in the scene. As President Theodore Roosevelt said, and the words hold true for the African-American community ... "We must speak softly and carry a big stick!"
Not sure if you know it or not, it was actually originated from a West African proverb. And the African-American community, and in this particular case the drag community, have to do just that so our voices will be heard. If we scream it at the top of our lungs, we are viewed as angry and confrontational.
I'm sorry, but I'm done with the shackles being placed on me.
I'm going to share with you exactly why this is all so restraining for me, and perhaps you will understand why The Vixen's words resonate so deeply with me.
When I'm onstage performing my drag, especially when I'm being judged in a competition, I found myself morphing into someone deemed "cute and sweet". One recent competition in Philly, Cycle 9 of Philly Drag Wars, I felt like I had no choice but to go overboard and be so far removed from any semblance of being angry or confrontational that I started to see myself as a shell of my former self.
I just needed to be liked and seen as a sweet, non-confrontational ingenue during the judging process - or I'd be discounted. And during the judging process, I know that if I'm viewed as an angry black queen, I might never get booked or find work in the drag arena. All of that thinking pushed me into a downward spiral, one that I was afraid would be detrimental to my drag career.
One of the judges during the competition said something so very disrespectful to me and treated me with such disregard that I was so very close to the brink of showing my Bernadine. For those who truly know me, they understand that there have been times in my past that I came across like I was a reincarnation of Angela Bassett's character Bernadine from the hit movie "Waiting to Exhale". So ever since then, some affectionately refer to me with the nickname Bernadine.
So when I felt like this particular judge was going to fall victim to the Bernadine treatment, I made the difficult decision to back away from the competition.
Was it a difficult decision? Yes.
Do I regret my choice? No.
See, I made a promise to myself that I would never allow anyone to see Bernadine again. And it was a promise I kept. So when this judge was so vicious to Miss Savannah Georgia, I didn't want me to be labeled "The Vixen" to the judge's "Aquaria".
We as African-American drag queens are forced to walk a fine line. And before you read me the riot act, I know that all races in the drag community can be labeled as "angry and confrontational". That's the way of the world we live in. But I wholeheartedly agree that African-American drag queens of all ages face this burden on a much higher level, and until we continue this dialogue that The Vixen has shoved to the forefront of the discussion, we will never rise above the chaos and begin to make serious changes.
So I want others to reach out to me, and further the discussion. I seek out your input and opinions, whether you agree with me or not. Because until we feel comfortable discussing uncomfortable topics, there will never be progress.
Hugs and kisses,
Miss Savannah Georgia

Never sell out your drag aesthetic just to please others or get bookings; it's not worth it in the end

I will admit it ... busting through the door to some of the drag scenes can be difficult. And it's going to be inevitable that some drag queens who have been in the scene a lot longer may not make it easy for the newer ones to share the spotlight.
That's just the way things go in any industry. So sometimes it may seem like the newer queens are being pushy or overly-anxious. That's not always the case.
So I'm going to preface this blog entry by saying that this is my opinion, and not what I've heard from other newer queens. These are the thoughts and feelings courtesy of Miss Savannah Georgia.
I spent the first year of my drag career by strictly focusing on performing at drag queen competition shows, benefits/fundraisers, and shows open to strictly amateur queens. I made that decision when I first started this journey because I was well aware that I would have to pay my dues. And I don't regret that decision one bit. I've learned so much and it cultivated me into who I wanted to be.
This is why I decided to compete in the Philly Drag Wars weekly competition last year. I had so much fun, and it also helped me to realize that I might be more suited to work in the Philly drag scene, in addition to NJ's drag circuit. Philly seemed to afford me more of an opportunity to showcase my Old School glamour drag, and there are so many fierce queens in the Philly area who opened their hearts to me.
I also felt a bit out of place doing my drag in NJ sometimes because ~ and don't kill me when I write this ~ I felt as though NJ was very much more interested in the pageant queens, their sister pageant queens, and their performances. I wasn't sure if the drag queen pageant scenes were for Miss Savannah, so I wanted to analyze my feelings and desires for competing in drag pageants before I dipped my toe in that pool.
Not sure yet how I feel about Miss Savannah competing in pageants, so time will tell.
But I must open up about something that has been on my mind for a while about the drag scene and being inviting to newer queens. And I know that this opinion might not be popular because there's always been two sides to this issue.
It has bothered me that despite doing any and all shows ~ whether it be competition shows or benefits, not many seasoned queens will open the door and let us in. It's always a fight, and sometimes I feel as if I will forever need to bulldoze my way into the drag scene. It can be disheartening at times.
Now don't get me wrong ~ I know that it is a process and we all have to struggle, claw and scratch our way through the doors of the drag shows. It just feels as if some queens have to struggle harder.
And I'm not saying that I'm the ultimate drag queen performer; not saying that in any way, shape or form because I know that I'm not at the top of my game just yet (so don't tackle or read me if you think I'm saying that; you'd be mistaken). But when do the more seasoned queens allow the newer queens into the doors? A year? Five years? Longer?
Now the reason why I ask this question is because these things get into my mindset and it causes me to fall into thoughts of slight insecurity. When this happens, I tend to get into my head and think that I may have to alter Savannah Georgia to suit others' needs.
For instance, this happened recently when I was competing in another cycle of the Philly Drag Wars competition and I felt like I had to "pop-tart" my performance for one of its judges just to win her over. I went overboard, and my performance suffered; in fact, I hated my performance as well because I felt like I was giving something up in Savannah to do something I'd sworn I'd never do ~ PLEASE ANOTHER PERSON WHILE ON STAGE!
The last few weeks I've beat myself up so bad, that when it came to the next challenge, I literally went broke trying to cultivate a five-star performance by renting things for the show and spending big bucks just to, once again, prove something to one of the judges who I felt hasn't ever given me a chance because (rumor has it) she isn't too hyped on older drag queens performing. I had no idea or proof that was true, but it got into my head very deeply.
Ultimately, that week's performance was postponed due to a heavy snowstorm and I had to go through rental costs for a second time (which I had no funds to do so). Then, I got into my head that if I can't pay for a stellar performance, I'm not going to get ripped apart for doing something less-than, so I'd better bow out.
Then one morning I took a long look in the mirror and realized something ... Why am I putting my ultimate love of drag at risk just to please others??? Why am I selling my Savannah out just to make someone happy??? I'm Miss Savannah Georgia, and as long as I am happy with my Old School drag style, the hell with any naysayers!
Those things that had laid doormat in the back of my mind:
"Some people need Savannah to perform the pop-tart artists who inundate the airwaves these days. Some people need Savannah to be much more current. Some people need Savannah to dive into the pageant circuit to be appreciated. Some people need Savannah to sell out a little to appear on my stage."
Well ... this is bunch of bulls&*t!! And now I know it and I'm no longer getting in my head about this issue ~ thank heavens!
Miss Savannah Georgia is an Old School glamour drag diva performer, and she performs to Old School divas like Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Minnie Riperton, Natalie Cole, Dinah Washington, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, early Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox, Anita Baker, Donna Summer, Alicia Bridges, Cheryl Lynn, Teena Marie, Taylor Dayne, Deborah Harry, Irene Cara, Patty Smythe, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, etc. ~ the list goes on. And it's Savannah's job to teach the audiences about those divas, the old school divas who paved the way for the divas who are in the forefront these days.
I entered the drag scene with that purpose in mind, and I've been content with doing exactly that.
But then people got it into my head that to actually get bookings, that I may have to sell out a little to make it happen. And then a few times that I've done this, especially in competitions, it has turned out somewhat disastrous. And then I look at myself in the mirror and want to throw a brick at the person looking back.
Well NO MORE of that thinking, because when all is said and done, I need to stay true to Miss Savannah Georgia and her Old School drag! And if some people in charge of booking shows won't or can't enjoy the ride with her and see the need to not open up their shows to the Old School glamour drag diva, I'll just have to bust through the doors any way that I can. Even if I have to travel the country with all my stuff in the trunk and appear in every bar in every state!
I'll continue to prove myself, and as long as there is a stage for her to step on, Savannah will keep it stepping.
And no more being in my head, thinking I've got to change to get gigs. It's a waste of my time, energy and spirit.
So my plea (of sorts) in respect of my fellow newer queens to the more seasoned queens and show producers ~~ open the door a bit wider, because there are more drag queens who are patiently trying to bust through those doors.
Editor's note: A special thanks to a few who have sought out and booked this little 'ole queen, such as The Lady Marisa (drag host of Georgies' Glitter & Glam show in Asbury Park, NJ), Paradise's Bitchy Bingo drag host Holly Girlington, and Sugar Babylon/House of Trash/singer for Tight Lipped and fabulous friend, stylist and show producer Joy Vay (who has me perform at her shows at Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ).
Hugs and kisses, Miss Savannah Georgia!