This project started in 2019 when I became fascinated with finding pockets of queer subculture in areas of Mississippi that were predominantly conservative, as I was curious to see how small rural communities were shaping queer culture--and more importantly, how queer life was shaping conservative communities in Mississippi.

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One main reason I wanted to examine drag culture in Mississippi is because queer communities in the South tend to be understudied, and there are biases in sociological research when it comes to geographical spaces. 26% of sociological research that focuses on LGBTQ life is in the Northeast, 30% is in the West Coast, and only 15% of LGBTQ studies examine the South. In particular, California, New York, Texas, and Florida acquire the most attention in regards to the study of queer culture, even though 35% of LGBTQ people reside in the South, thus under-representing southern queer stories in the United States. It simply seemed negligent to study LGBTQ life while omitting such a large portion of queer population due to most people's ideas of metronormativity, or the idea that queer life cannot thrive in Southern spaces. This idea was particularly highlighted in my research when I noticed that articles and journals on the subject of drag culture in the South were scarce, and further solidified my reason to do this work.

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For this project, I’ve created a multi-modal project of films, audio documentaries, and photographs where I bring the voices of five performers to life. These are primary sources that otherwise would never have been documented, and more importantly, become more invaluable pieces to the puzzle for historians who are studying the South.

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