[TV static drones]
[bright tone]
- Hey, y'all.
- Hi.
- Listen, you all
know who this is.
- Halleloo.
- Oh, my goodness,
y'all are going
to Tennessee, girl.
- Now y'all know
it might get a little crazy
because they're doing
everything they can out there
to try and ban drag, honey.
- But I think that's
why you're there to show them
that a real queen
cannot be stopped.
- Have fun, y'all.
- We love you.
- All right, Miss Thing,
you better work.
[ticking]
[dramatic music]
- This weekend,
what critics call
the nation's first drag ban
goes into effect.
- Tennessee was the first
state in the country
to pass a law of this kind,
prompting America's
largest g*y rights
organization
to declare
a state of emergency.
♪ ♪
[rock music playing]
♪ ♪
- [singing indistinctly]
♪ ♪
- I can't believe that
this is the only place
they'll let us perform.
♪ ♪
[cheers and applause]
- I have no idea
how this is gonna go.
I'm excited and scared.
Oh, it's packed.
- I'm not sure
about this, girl.
- Hit it.
[Yeah Yeah Yeahs'
"Heads Will Roll"]
♪ ♪
Here we go!
- ♪ Glitter
on the wet streets ♪
♪ Silver over everything ♪
♪ The river's all wet ♪
♪ You're all chrome ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Oh, the men cry out,
the girls cry out ♪
♪ The men cry out,
the girls cry out ♪
♪ The men cry out, oh, no ♪
♪ The men cry out,
the girls cry out ♪
♪ Off, off,
off with your head ♪
- Make some noise!
- ♪ Dance, dance,
dance till you're dead ♪
[cheers and applause]
♪ Heads will roll ♪
♪ Heads will roll,
heads will roll on the floor ♪
♪ ♪
[scattered applause]
[indistinct chatter]
[country music]
♪ ♪
- Oh, my God.
[electronic music]
♪ ♪
- Tennessee will restrict
drag performances
on public property or anywhere
a child could see them.
- ♪ Off with your head ♪
- We're in Tennessee
because of the drag bans
and because of all the hate.
- This is a blast from hell.
- You shouldn't be
simulating sex acts
in front of children.
- The work that Eureka,
Shangela, and Bob did--
incredible.
But I would have
never predicted
that four seasons later,
it's actually harder
to be out and proud.
People really, really,
really want to tell you
to go home and that
you don't belong here.
- Ooh, there's
an equality sticker
on the back of this truck.
Hello. Oh, he's from Michigan.
Never mind.
[laughter]
- Is this not
what Canada looks like?
- This is not what
Canada looks like.
That's for sure.
- Repeat offenders could be
charged with a felony.
- The act of living your life
could be considered criminal.
- Straight people?
- Oh, God, that's perverse.
- Ugh.
- They should keep that
away from children.
- Right now in the world,
unfortunately,
q*eer people,
people of color, trans people,
and people who are different
are being extremely targeted.
- Commemoration of the valor
of Confederate Soldiers,
dedicated in May 2011.
- What?
- They just did this.
- What does that tell you
about this place?
- It makes you feel
so unwelcome.
- Being a Black g*y man,
there are so many people
who are against what I'm doing.
Who in this town in 2011
knows any f*cking person
that was in this w*r
to be like,
you know what we need to just--
I really miss my cousin.
Let's make sure we honor him.
I feel very threatened.
- That is wild
and scary as f*ck.
- So crazy to see that
in person, like...
- In the middle of a square
for everyone to see.
- In order to make
a difference,
it feels like
we really have to stay,
so one drag show
is not enough.
- Do you like drag queens?
- No, not really.
- No.
Not your thing?
- Not my thing.
- That's totally fine.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Do you know--do you know
what drag queens are?
- Yes, I do.
- Yeah?
- Would you come to a drag show
if we did one in town?
- Oh.
- Yeah.
- [screaming]
- Yes! Back at you, gal.
- Oh.
- Did he just say f*g?
- He did say f*g.
Thank you.
I love that word.
The fact that within
we are called f*ggots,
it feels like a warning,
like a reminder
to stay in your place.
They don't want you there.
They don't want to see you.
- When you get called a slur
and a truck full of, like,
men who might have g*ns--
it's like--I'm, like,
stumbling over my words,
because it honestly
is so scary.
- There is
a threat of violence
that feels a little bit
more palpable
than maybe I'm used to.
- It makes me very,
very worried for the people
that actually live here.
When this is your
day-to-day reality,
it takes such a toll on you.
It just makes you feel
so alone.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
- So Shelbyville is just
a small country town.
Everyone knows everyone
type of town.
Very conservative.
But it just feels like home.
♪ ♪
Being a trans woman in
Shelbyville is a challenge.
I've received
a lot more pushback.
Because when
you're a trans girl,
a lot of people
don't respect you.
That's when it becomes
very dangerous.
[laughs]
Trevor, you can't--
For me, I mostly
hang out at home.
♪ ♪
[gasps] Ooh.
Almost set myself on fire.
- [laughs]
- Oh, my God.
- Cause y'all know,
honey, my hair ain't real,
and this is flammable.
b*tch, don't play with me.
- [laughs]
- Most of my other q*eer
friends here, typically,
we just meet up
at each other's house.
We don't really have
a public hangout spot.
The lake is definitely
my place.
That's my safe haven.
Just to get away
from just life in general.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
I've only been transitioning--
I would say about 10 months.
I've been transitioning.
Ooh, there's one.
So as far as my journey goes,
I'm still learning myself,
and I'm still learning
my body.
I'm at w*r with myself a lot.
I've spent so much time
hating myself,
and that stems from me
not understanding myself
because I was so different.
- OK.
- Glad you're going in first.
[laughter]
- I'm excited.
- Hey, how are you?
- I'm good. How are you?
- Good, how are you?
- I'm good. I'm good.
- You guys want menus?
- Yes, please.
- Yes, please.
- I want try the pie.
I want a pie.
- Did you make them yourself?
- We do all the desserts.
So they're actually--they're
recipes, but we all do it.
- How are you all doing?
- Wow.
- How are you doing?
- You look amazing.
- Hello.
- Thank you.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
- I'm good.
- Hi, gorgeous.
- How are you doing?
- Thank you.
- Hi.
- You must be
the famous Maleeka.
- Stop. Stop. Stop, stop.
- So you live in Shelbyville?
- Yes.
- OK, so how do you think
it is here?
- I'm gonna stay to myself,
mostly 'cause it's safer.
- What are you scared of?
- Mostly being harmed
for being who I am.
- Yeah, OK.
- That's why
I work so hard on me.
Because if you remain--
and no one knows,
you know that it's safer.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
[tense music]
- Are there, like, a lot
of other q*eer people?
- We're here,
but we're not vocal here.
Does that make sense?
We're all hiding.
- What did you think
about the backlash
that's been happening
against drag and, of course,
against trans people?
- I will say that
I'm very scared.
I'm not gonna run
from Tennessee, though,
because that's what
they want me to do.
- OK.
- Yeah.
- What do you hope will
come from us stopping by,
being here?
- So the thing about
with me and drag--
and that's what was
the hardest thing about me,
like stepping into this was
because whenever you transition
in a small town,
the first thing that they want
to label you as
is a drag queen
or a cross-dresser
or da-da-da-da.
So I was trying to like, I ran
from that stigma for so long.
And then now, it's like,
we're right back to it.
- Yeah, I think anybody,
no matter how you identify,
is able to participate in drag.
And like, as your drag mother,
I'm gonna show you that.
- Ooh.
[laughter]
- Drag is performative.
Drag is art.
But there's this weird idea
that being a drag artist
and trans, somehow,
are the exact same thing
when trans is who you are.
And for me, I think in my role
being a drag parent for Maleeka
is going to be about
showing Maleeka
that the two can work
hand-in-hand.
And her doing drag will give
her the opportunity to say,
like, hey, this is who I am.
You will be a great resource
for people here
in this community.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
We're just setting the stage
for you to be a star.
[cheers]
- Group hug.
- Hug you.
- ♪ Talk about
the old time religion ♪
♪ It's good enough for me ♪
[country music]
- My name is Bradford Loomis,
and I live in
Old Hickory, Tennessee.
And I'm a musician.
♪ Though the fires
of hell and damnation ♪
That is how I make my money
and how I make a living.
A decent portion
of my fan base
has been pretty conservative
and/or religious.
♪ Lord have mercy on me ♪
I've been a Christian.
In the Christian realm,
there is a school of thought
where the dad in particular
is responsible for his
children's spiritual stance.
I try to be consistent
with who I am
and have integrity
with my beliefs
and let them see those beliefs.
But we've also been
through the wringer.
My wife, Kimberly,
is the best.
We've been married
for 22 years.
We knew each other
in high school,
fell in love immediately.
My daughter, Paige,
who is q*eer, just turned 16.
And then we have my son,
James, is 17, almost 18.
He's trans.
- Hi, Dad.
- What you doing?
- I'm painting.
- Did you--
did you draw anything?
- Yeah, I did.
- Nice.
- He drew butts.
- I have a certain gesture
I'd like to share with you.
- Over time,
James has felt like
he/him fits him better.
It's been
a difficult transition.
It's probably exacerbated by
my background as a Christian.
I was a conservative,
both socially and religiously.
So how do I reconcile this?
What do I do with this?
There's an emotional heft
to your beautiful
little girl...
feeling like a little boy.
[soft music]
Almost a sense
of losing something.
There's a grief.
♪ ♪
It has become a little bit
more complicated
because many people don't know
that I have a trans son.
And so that is now
going to be something
that my supporters are
gonna be confronted with.
- Hello.
- Hello!
- I'm Jaida.
- Bradford.
- Nice to meet you, Bradford.
- Nice to meet you as well.
Come in and meet the family.
- How are you?
- Good. How are you?
- Great. Nice to meet you.
What's your name?
- Kimberly.
- Kimberly, I'm Jaida.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you,
James and Paige.
So, like, I'll just get
right into it.
What--what is it like out here
in good Old Hickory?
- It's a little bit
of mixed feelings.
Um, I've had some people
in the neighborhood
say I'm not allowed
to interact with their kids.
- It was really
difficult for me.
People making all kinds
of, like, really gross jokes
about trans and g*y people.
- What is the navigation
process been like for you,
like, coming to terms
with having
a q*eer and a trans child?
- Yeah.
Um...
it's been a gradual process.
- My husband, he has an
amazing heart for everybody,
but he doesn't--
he doesn't adapt quickly.
And I think that's been
frustrating for James.
[tense music]
- Parenting is a--
you're always grieving
the--the child
and all the things,
all the moments
that they had, that they won't
revisit, you know?
It took--it took me
a little bit
to kind of wrap my brain
around everything.
- My dad, he is religious.
Like, my transition
is difficult for him.
I feel like it's gonna take
a bit of time
for him to completely
see me as his son.
I really think that he would
do good from learning more
about q*eer people
from q*eer people.
I think the biggest challenge
for him would be to, like,
be loud about his support.
- It's not been--
it's an imperfect
fumbling forward.
- I think standing up for
your family and, like, loving--
loving your family
at the end of the day
is really what it's about,
you know what I mean?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Yeah.
- So do you think in the world
that there would be a way
in which we could get
your father on stage
and do some sort
of gender-flippery?
- If he wants to.
- Gender-flippery.
[laughter]
- We get to come watch, right?
- Yeah, of course.
- OK.
OK.
[laughter]
- OK, I'll go in drag too.
I'll support you.
- Moral support.
- I think Bradford
being in this show
is gonna leave a big impact
on this community,
because a lot of people
in this community
have been beat down
and ostracized
by people of faith.
So it is important
for us to know
that there are people of faith
who love us for who we are
and who we want to be.
So what do you think?
Would you be down
for something like that?
- I--I could be.
[laughter]
- You will be.
[laughter]
[lively music]
♪ ♪
- So this is the town where
they canceled Pride, right?
- Yeah.
- Uh-huh.
Let's go be nosy.
- We can't jump
to any judgments.
We're keeping an open mind.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- So we just got
to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
- Pride here was canceled.
- The city manager is
banning these events.
So we have to show
the local q*eer people
that we are standing with them.
- It seems so American here.
- Yes.
- Flags all over
down the street.
- People think
I'm this big city drag queen,
but the truth is,
I grew up in a small town
in Illinois that looks almost
exactly like Murfreesboro.
So I feel like
I've come back home.
I did leave that home,
because it wasn't necessarily
the most friendly place
for q*eer people to live.
- Register to vote here.
- Register to vote.
- Hi.
- Growing up in Milwaukee,
on the north side,
the streets are loud.
People--there's a lot of
people outside in the streets.
There's a lot of noise.
And in Murfreesboro,
there's this quiet energy.
And you know that
I am sticking out
like a sore thumb.
- OK, shall we go
keep exploring?
- Yeah, let's keep exploring.
- I think about what it
would be like to live
in a town like Murfreesboro.
It reminds me of growing up
in Whitby, Ontario.
No one ever spoke
about being g*y.
It just breaks my heart
because I always think about
who I was back then
and how I just
feel so bad for that person
who wasn't able
to be who they want to be.
Because I think about
how happy I am now,
and I'm feeling like
I just want to inspire
people to be that way.
- OK.
- Hey, how's it going?
- Hello.
Hey.
- How are y'all doing?
I just want to say hello.
- Yeah.
- I'm gonna steal a chair
from right here.
How do you all know each other?
- Through pageants.
I judged the Miss Tennessee--
or teen Tennessee pageant
two years ago.
So--and then you are the--
- I'm CFO of Miss Tennessee.
- Oh, my God.
- We go to Miss America
every year.
- OK, I have to ask you,
do you see similarities...
- I'd like to apply.
- Between pageantry and drag?
Because on the outside--
- Lots of sparkles and glitter.
- Yeah.
- Exactly.
We're all more similar
than people like to claim.
- Have you all ever been
to a drag show out here or--
- I haven't.
- No, I haven't.
- Have you ever been
to a drag show in general?
What do you think about drag?
People don't like drag here,
I think we heard.
- I don't see an
issue with it.
- Indecent. You don't care?
- Really?
- Oh, thank you.
- I love everybody.
- I love that.
- And I love
sparkles and glitter,
so why wouldn't I love that?
- You know what I mean?
- How about--how do you
feel about drag?
- I also have four daughters.
I would love to go to a drag
show with my girlfriends.
Personally, like,
around my children,
I wouldn't take
my children to it.
- Yeah.
- OK, tell us--OK,
I'm so curious
about the children thing
because we obviously always
talk about it all the time.
Can you tell us, like, your
worries and your concerns?
- I feel like
it's more just kind of
like an adult entertainment,
to be honest.
- Yeah.
- But--
- Now how about
kids in pageants?
- 'Cause--if they are--since
they are so similar.
- Y'all are coming
with the questions.
- Toddlers and tiaras.
- Toddlers and tiaras.
- When the child is old enough
to express the interest in it,
that's what they should do it.
- OK.
So if a four-year-old girl--
if a four-year-old girl's
like--
- That's why Jesus
didn't give me girls,
because I would have said,
you're two months old...
- I'm dead.
- You're gonna be
in a pageant.
[laughter]
- I love that.
♪ ♪
- Thank you for being,
like, honest
and sharing that with us,
seriously.
- Yeah. That meant a lot.
- Yes.
Thank you for letting us
sit at your table.
We have to go keep
exploring the town.
- It's such a contradiction
that people in this town
love beauty pageants,
but the whole root
of the whole
drag not being accepted is
that it's grooming children.
But we're putting kids
in pageants?
♪ ♪
[light music]
♪ ♪
- Oh, fun.
Thanks for putting those
together, y'all.
They're at a hotel,
but they're gonna
get kicked out tomorrow.
- Are here from--
relatively new,
from out of town.
- I have lived in
Murfreesboro for 45 years.
I was born here.
It's changed, for sure.
I don't know that
it's changing for the better.
I work for the largest
direct service
food bank in Middle Tennessee.
If we manage to get them
working by, say, Friday,
they would have a check
next Friday.
I've always been drawn
to making things better
for other people,
I think--trying to.
When I was younger,
we needed help,
and so seeing that
it was available, I guess,
put an impression on me.
Thanks, Eric.
So for me, I've always
wanted to be someone
that was able to give back.
And growing up, I didn't
have a role model.
I didn't have someone
that I could look at
and say, oh,
it's OK to be g*y.
I didn't see people trying
to speak out and be heard
and make it easier for others.
So for me,
drag is a chance to get out
and change the world
a little bit.
♪ ♪
I have been performing in
drag for well over 20 years.
Originally, when I
started doing drag,
I did it because I wanted
to be seen.
If you look at our city council
and our county council,
there are no LGBTQ+ people
on either of those.
So last year,
I ran for county mayor.
Running for Rutherford
County mayor gave me
an opportunity
to stand up and say,
there are people like me here.
g*y men, g*y women,
drag queens, trans people,
we are all in this community.
I want to see this city
be better.
Unfortunately,
now that they've seen
there's someone
with a voice out there,
our city government
canceled BoroPride
to silence
the LGBTQ+ community.
- Hi.
- Hello there.
- Come in.
- How are you, Miss Thing?
- I'm good. How are you?
- So happy to be here.
- Good.
Yeah, that's Bear.
Come on through.
- Your children.
- So this is my sweet
little living room.
- This is great.
I love the little rainbows
I see everywhere on your porch.
- Yeah. Gotta have 'em, right?
- That's right.
I want to hear about what
happened with Pride this year.
- So I can tell you
all about it.
It's fresh on my mind.
- Oh, God.
- It stays there all the time.
So this year, 2022,
we held our event
at Cannonsburgh Village,
which is a city park
here in Murfreesboro.
I was doing the show, and I had
gotten off of our stage
so I could interact
with the audience.
And as I was climbing back up,
my t*ts just drug
all the way down my body
and fell out
the bottom of my dress.
- Everything you're
about to see here
happened with kids
in the audience,
including some kids
who tipped the performers,
probably at the behest
of adults.
So I want you to watch this
and tell me
if you think this is
appropriate for kids.
- Don't--quit playing
with my t*ts!
Give 'em here.
Oh.
Oh, making me uncomfortable
talking about
the weight of my boobs.
They're not even mine.
That two seconds was blown up
to be this horrible
example of indecency
and inappropriateness.
So that basically
shut it down, right?
There's no Pride this year.
It's not gonna happen.
So it was horrifying.
At that point,
I was still running for
an elected position
in the county.
- That's right. Running for...
- County mayor.
- For county mayor.
- Right.
And I'd already had
someone sh**t a b*llet
through my house
for being a g*y drag queen
running for office.
[solemn music]
This is where it came in.
It came in over here
behind my lamp.
- Whoa.
- Right here.
And it hit here.
And it went through the lamp.
- Oh, my God.
- Across to that wall...
- Whoa.
- Where it ricocheted
again over here and then
rolled into the hallway.
We did call the police
and have them come out.
- Did they find out who did it?
- Oh, God, no. No. No.
They told me that
it was a misfire.
It was a random b*llet,
and that it wasn't intentional.
And if it had been intentional,
there would have been
a spray of b*ll*ts
across the front of my house.
- [inhales sharply]
That's an ominous thing to say.
- Isn't it?
- Do you feel safe here?
- [clears throat]
I feel safe here.
I have cameras.
There's one in my room.
There's one upstairs.
There's one in the living room.
- Wow.
- After that happened,
I would drive
different routes every day.
- Yeah.
Did you have any idea
something like that was a risk?
- I didn't.
I didn't think that that was
something that would happen,
but that's the naivete
of myself, I guess,
is I believe
the best in everyone.
- Has it wavered that at all?
- Yes.
I don't trust as easily
as I once did.
- I think Norm's experience
with the backlash against drag
is heartbreaking.
How can you navigate a life
where you're always on guard?
And that, I think, is part
of why he's so afraid.
And it should change.
- [laughs]
- Can I give you a hug?
- Yes, please.
- I'm so sorry.
- I know.
- My sense is that
the g*y community,
the q*eer community here
is surviving by hiding
and keeping their heads down.
I think Pride is especially
needed in this town,
because at its heart,
it is a call to action
to fight for the rights
and protections
for q*eer and trans people.
That is really needed here.
[lively music]
- ♪ Batter up, batter up ♪
♪ Batter up, batter up ♪
[electronic music]
- Wait. Who is that?
- Mother, is that--
- It's Dolly Parton.
- That's Dolly Parton.
- Oh, my gosh,
look at Dolly's legs.
- Girl.
- I'm really excited
about my drag daughter Brian.
That smells nice.
- ♪ And the home ♪
♪ Of the brave ♪
[cheers and applause]
- Go, Brian!
- Whoo!
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo-hoo!
- Great job out there.
- Hi.
How's it going?
- Jaida.
How are you doing?
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
- You were amazing.
- What do you think about
the idea of doing drag?
- I don't know.
I--I just don't know.
It's--I literally don't know
anything about it.
[twangy music]
Like, it's not
authentic for me.
♪ ♪
- I was so excited
to work with Brian.
He was the first active
pro baseball player
to come out as g*y.
And now he's an up-and-coming
country singer-songwriter.
Unfortunately, he just decided
it wasn't right for him.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.
- Great to meet you all.
- I'm a little heartbroken,
because I think that
doing drag here
poses a real risk for someone
in the public eye.
So I get it.
♪ ♪
But mama didn't raise
no quitter.
[electronic music]
And I'm on the quest of
finding a new drag daughter.
♪ ♪
- [singing indistinctly]
- Do you have
drag shows here ever?
Or do you know about
any of them?
- I have no idea.
- Are you scared
of drag queens?
- No.
- I am.
♪ ♪
- If you want to get into drag,
you let me know,
'cause I could be your mother.
- I want to see that.
- I want to see that too,
because God knows
it would never happen.
♪ ♪
- Does the P on your shirt
stand for Priyanka?
- [laughs]
- That's her name.
- Oh, OK, cool.
- Since you love costumes...
- Yeah.
- We're putting on
a drag show here in town,
and we're looking for some
people who'd like to try
drag for the first time.
Would any of you consider it?
- I'll go to the show.
I don't want to try drag.
- That's fine.
- You guys want to try
to put on some
baseball uniforms
and play baseball?
- It's funny how
you turned that around on us.
- Have you ever seen
a drag show?
- No.
- Would you have any interest?
- No.
- I would do it.
I just have a weird thing
about makeup.
- Everyone likes
the idea of drag.
No one really wants
to put the lashes on.
- You--beautiful cheekbones.
You could dance for sure.
You could lift me up
in the air.
- Being here
and being rejected
is a very
uncomfortable feeling,
because the rejection
that q*eer people face
is very hard, and we face it
every single day.
- I'm actually up to bat.
- Oh.
- Have fun.
- But the drag universe
has always had my back,
so I feel like somebody is
gonna come into my life soon.
I hope.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
- Today, I was asked
what my pronouns were giving,
which is in drag,
she/her, he/him.
Girl, give me they/them,
whatever, as long as
you run up to me, and you're
giving a lot of respect.
Do you ever have, like,
issues with people ever,
like, misgendering you or--
- A lot of my
misgendering comes from
people that know me versus
people who don't know me.
- Yeah.
- Because I've worked so hard.
And every trans person
knows this word--
passable.
I really feel like--like, they
can't really tell sometimes.
When I look in the mirror,
I can see everything
that I need to change.
And so people always tell me
like, oh, my God,
you look good.
And I'm just like, no.
Like, look at this.
Look at this.
Look at this. Look at this.
To where I critique
myself so hard,
where I don't know
when to stop.
And I would push myself
in, like,
a very mental downward
because of that,
because there is no break.
♪ ♪
- For a lot of people,
passability means survival.
- That word was created
out of fear.
So my very first time
ever wearing makeup
was to my mom's funeral.
And no one knew,
didn't think anything of it.
And then when I cried is
when everyone seen it run.
And then my family was like,
you're wearing makeup.
And I was like, yeah.
It's like I've just put my
family through so much shock,
and I feel like
I've disappointed them
from drugs to everything else--
prostitution--
just everything down the road.
When I came out as trans,
I was so scared,
because that's when
it hit so real.
Like, that's when
it's like, OK.
Like, this is it.
You know what I mean?
Like, there's no turning back.
And that's when
I just spiraled--
I spiraled completely
to work in truck stops
and traveling out of state
with other men.
It was to the point where
my friends had my location.
Just because they didn't know
if I was gonna be
in Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky.
They didn't know
where I was gonna be.
I was so dead
and hollow inside,
I didn't care if I got hurt,
k*lled, m*rder*d, or whatever.
I didn't care
if they dumped my body
on the side of the road,
because I was already so lost.
I was a lost soul.
- Yeah.
- And my family had to stick
through me through all that.
And they could have definitely
abandoned me, but they didn't.
They definitely stuck around.
I just live
with this huge fear,
because I didn't
want to lose that.
- I love the light
that you have,
that I see in you.
But then it feels like
it's less about you being happy
and still more about trying
to still serve other people
and make them happy,
when at the end of the day,
your happiness is
super important too.
- I just want
to know that it's OK,
and like, it's OK to be me.
♪ ♪
[twangy music]
- This is the school.
- Green Hill High.
- Green Hill High.
- Yeah.
- I figured I would circle it.
- Yeah. Let's do it.
- If that's all right with you.
- This is a huge school.
- Yeah, it's a pretty sizable
school, that's for sure.
When we moved here,
the pandemic was going.
- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- So we just kept the kids
at home for that.
And there was a dude running
for office here for the--
for one of
the school board members,
and he's pretty aggressive.
He just advocated that
if the teachers are told
by any of their students
anything about
their gender identity,
their sexual orientation,
they would be required
to inform the parents
within three days
or be fired.
- Wow.
- He said, we would do that
for any kind
of mental disability--
or "mental illness" was
the word he used.
♪ ♪
- There's a lot
of gender conformity
expected in the South.
When I was in public school,
my first year,
I had to live in the closet.
- It's struggles watching
my straight friends be able
to be so, like, free and happy
in those situations
when I can't.
♪ ♪
- That is--that is insane
to, like, even know that, like,
at a--at a--at a--
at a school,
you could not--you could be
a student and not feel safe.
You are on your own.
You never even know,
like, what those students
might be facing at home,
if they were to come out.
And a teacher
or a student ratted--
basically outs them
to their family.
- Right.
Have you ever heard
the two bases
from which all humans operate?
Either love or fear.
- Yeah.
- And there's a lot
of deeply fearful people.
- Yeah.
- And I'm one of them.
- I just know that, like,
with this experience,
you're gonna have, like,
an opportunity to, like,
walk in the footsteps
of your children a little bit.
- Yeah.
- It's very exciting.
- Yes, but I wish I was
more confident about that.
I am in for a widening
of the eyes, so to speak.
[country rock music]
♪ ♪
- We're here in Nashville.
- I think it's time to visit
the government here.
- We got an interesting call
from our security team
this morning,
concerned that you might
actually be under threat
of getting arrested
if we do this.
- Coming here,
I do feel like a rebel.
But at the same time,
I'm scared as hell.
- Oh, my God.
- Going into the state capitol
in full drag
is very, very, very risky.
I'm almost certain
that I would get
kicked out of the country
if I got arrested.
But to inspire one person
to live out and proud
is worth it for me.
And I definitely am relying
on the power of drag
to take me through this.
[militaristic music]
Whoa.
- Here we come, f*ck.
- ♪ 1, 2, 3, 4 ♪
♪ Let me hear you scream
if you want some more ♪
♪ Like, ahh,
push it, push it ♪
♪ Watch me work it ♪
♪ I'm perfect ♪
- We are in drag in
public, which I guess
is on the edge of being
ill*gal at every turn.
- Ooh, yeah.
Drag queens.
Hello.
- Today, we're here
to see someone
that's willing to face all
the demons that Tennessee has.
all: The people united.
- Three House Democrats
are facing expulsion.
- Protesting for stricter
g*n control on the floor
of the state legislature.
- So we just voted to not
have any type of regulation
around the Second Amendment.
But now we have a bill
to regulate drag shows.
Drag shows are not
a threat to our community.
Mass shootings are.
♪ ♪
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Come in.
- [gasps] Whoa.
- Hi.
- You look amazing.
- It's so good to see you.
Come on in.
- Wow, pull up a chair.
- Welcome to the people's
office of District 52.
Welcome to Nashville.
- Thank you.
- Thanks for having us.
- I'm so excited to be here.
- Thank you for coming.
- Oh, yes.
- So how are you?
I know you've been
through a lot.
- It's been a journey,
but doing good.
We're still pushing here,
fighting against
some of the extremism.
And you know,
John Lewis, he said that
when you see something
that is wrong, that is unjust,
that is unfair, you have
to find a way to get in the way
and get in good trouble.
- We heard that Pride
in Murfreesboro was canceled,
so we thought
that we would have
a drag show in Murfreesboro.
- Yes.
- Where we get some locals
to be our drag daughters.
- All ages, free to the public.
- Yes. Yes.
- We were warned
about safety before,
and they were kind of
just saying that, like,
we could...
- Probably get arrested
if people want to make noise
about what we're doing.
- I mean, it's--
it's courage.
I want us to go walk over
to the House chamber.
This is a space where they try
to use as a platform of hate,
but we're gonna reclaim it
and bring some light
and some love
and some wholeness, and--
- And some glamour?
- And some glamour, yeah.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Shall we, dolls?
- Yeah.
- Hello, Governor.
- Is there any way we could
come in and say hi?
- No. No.
- OK, it's closed.
Awesome.
Awesome.
Well, thank you.
- This is the House of
Representatives Chamber here.
- Hello, America,
it's me, Priyanka.
- Now, it's my turn, America.
- Jaida Essence Hall.
- Thank you so much for
that wonderful introduction.
- Justin Jones.
- I want to welcome
the special guests
to the People's House,
the queens.
Thank you all for being here.
- Should we sign the book?
- Why don't we sign the book?
- Yes.
- We're here to stay.
- Ooh.
- Perfect.
- Gorgeous.
- Perfect.
- What are your favorite
pieces in here?
- Oh, God.
What makes you feel
most Veronica?
So one of her favorite
looks, probably,
is this gold and black cape.
- I love a cape.
- And it comes from--
I love a cape.
My alter ego's name
is Veronica Paige.
She has a voice.
She's loud.
She's obnoxious.
She's trying to create
those safe spaces.
- This one's pretty.
- They all have
specific jobs, I guess.
- Yeah.
- BoroPride opened the door
for people to start saying,
I'm here, and I'm OK being me.
[solemn music]
- What do you think it's gonna
take to bring Pride back?
- Man, I don't--
I'm...
[sighs]
There's guilt from that.
- Do you feel responsible?
- Oh, yeah.
- No, it's not you.
- It is.
If I had not run for mayor
and been so loud,
if I had not screamed
about my t*tties
from stage
in front of children--
- It would have been
something else.
- Would it?
Because that's when
it all started.
♪ ♪
I felt completely responsible.
I hold that every day.
Maybe I'm paying my costs
for having that voice.
Speaking up and speaking out
as much as I do
may have brought
a target on our backs.
What--what could possibly
change the outcome?
I don't know.
- Norm feels
genuinely responsible
for setting things back
for the entire community,
and I--I hate that,
but I understand where
those feelings of guilt
are coming from.
Because he wants to be
responsible
for moving things forward,
and yet, he's being named as
the reason they're held back.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
- I have a little surprise.
- Oh, Lord.
- Are you ready to see it?
It is our poster.
- Yay!
- We got really excited
about this idea
to be able to use
all the attention
that we are starting to get
in this town for some good.
We need to hang these up
around town
because we decided
to make it open to anyone
who wants to come.
- We're gonna make an
open call with an open stage
and reach out to whoever
is willing to come.
- Getting people
to leave their houses
and come out and try to bring
them together is not a thing.
Lord, have mercy.
There's still
that underlying fear
that's always there, right?
Because it's just not
safe all the time.
So you just don't--
you don't take the chance.
- We could put it
in people's windshields.
- All the people
who, maybe, have wanted
to try drag, the drag queens,
the drag kings
have a safe place to come to.
- Do you think we could tape
things to the poles?
It'll just be a little--
what's the word?
- Torn down?
- I would--
[laughter]
- Yeah.
- We want to push
the boundaries a little
and test how many people
are willing to show up.
- There we go.
- They're gonna love it.
- Done it.
- Perfect.
- LGBTQ--live godly
through Bible quotes.
- "LGTBQ."
- Right, read it correctly.
- [laughs]
- So do you think this
is a good place to, like,
put a flyer?
- I think so.
- People who put this here
probably to lure us in
from afar.
- I see.
- And then you go
and you start reading.
And you go, huh, wait a minute,
I'm living wrong.
Every time we meet
somebody q*eer,
they always talk about
these bubbles of safety
that you can find.
Stunning.
Maybe it's time for all those
bubbles to merge together.
So bring down your best
moment and get on the stage,
and we'll have a party.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
- So in your mind,
how do you imagine,
like, femme-ing it up?
- I don't know that
I've thought about that.
[laughs]
- Gotcha.
Well, I think we maybe should
run, like, a cute little,
like, mock trial of, like--
OK, so this is
the back of the stage.
You can come out very sexy,
very slow, seductive,
and then you sit here.
And the first thing you do is--
- OK.
- Make some noise for Lady B.
- Oh, I am not very graceful.
- OK, breathe in.
Drop the shoulders,
saunter them.
OK, just drop them
a little bit more.
Imagine you're in
a $40,000 gown.
- Oh, man.
- Shoulders can swing,
the hands can swing
a little bit,
feeling really stunning,
stunning,
and then even if you go, ah.
Just something cute. Yes.
Step here.
It's less about the walk
and more about the attitude.
You know what I mean?
More about the feel of it, so.
- I need to channel
my Sasha Fierce.
- Sasha Fierce, yes.
OK, yes.
Somebody's getting fired.
OK.
I know that you're doing
a song of yours.
- Yeah.
- What--what is
the song about?
It's about
"who you are is enough"
is really kind of
the inspiration
and just encouragement of,
like, you've got
a light to shine.
- Yeah.
- And it's burning bright.
Why not let
other people see it?
And--and that
I'm proud of you.
Yeah.
- Yes.
Is this the guitar you use?
- Yes.
- OK.
OK.
Strum the chord and give a--
stunning.
[laughs] Ooh.
And then if you want to,
you can give us
a little bit of the song too.
[soft music]
- When you feel
something deeply,
like love for somebody else
or pride in them as a person
and who they're becoming,
it's like,
how do you communicate that?
♪ ♪
Like, how do you get them
to know completely
how you feel?
♪ ♪
Being able to sing that to
my kids and let them feel it,
making sure that they know
we're proud of you,
I think, is important.
♪ ♪
- OK. And then you can get up
and then give, like,
a cute, gorgeous bow moment,
thanking the room.
Oh, yes.
And then make a beautiful exit.
- OK.
- Hair flips. Mm-hmm.
Yes, stunning.
Even hearing that,
like, piece of the song.
Yeah.
Like, a lot of people
use religion in a way
that is so ugly
and a way to exclude
so many people.
[somber music]
And it's something
about knowing
how you're connected
to your faith.
And you use that
to write a song
to make not just your family,
but everybody out here
feel comfortable
and feel loved.
- Use what you have, right?
And try to communicate
some compassion
and some empathy and--
and just encouragement.
- For me, when I first
started drag,
I didn't really have
the most support
from everyone around me.
But when I did invite
my father to one of my shows,
and he showed up there
for me and he had my back,
I felt like there was
nothing that the world
could tell me about
what I was doing.
And so I know that
when his kids see him in drag,
not just preaching,
but practicing
what he preaches,
it's gonna change
the world for them.
Thank you.
- May I give you a hug?
- Yeah, of course.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
[hip-hop music]
- ♪ Yeah, here we go again,
another element ♪
♪ We'd be taking over
worlds like we settling ♪
♪ Yeah, we run it ♪
♪ We making money ♪
- Tonight, we are putting on
an open drag show.
- What is actually
going to happen?
I don't know.
- The police might show up
and shut the whole thing down.
- But maybe
what this town needs
is for us to come
and do this show
and give a little jumpstart
to living proud out loud.
- Hello?
- Hello.
- What's the tea?
- Hello.
- Oh, you've got
your daughter with the--
- Fabulous.
both: Mwah, mwah.
- How are you?
- Good. How are you?
- Good.
- Hey, love.
- How y'all doing?
Everybody here?
Oh, hey, Bradford.
- Hey, how are you?
- Oh, b*tch, you look good.
- Thank you.
So do you.
- Do you have, like,
any reservations,
or are you, like,
nervous at all?
- You know,
there may be some blowback,
but it pales in comparison
to what people are
actually experiencing.
So the consequences
or the ramifications
or people's reaction to it,
I can't really control that.
- The reality is,
is before there was
even a television show
for me to go
and compete and do drag,
there was somebody
sitting in a bar
being called a f*g or being--
being talked down to
just to survive
and make space for people
that they didn't even--
that they wouldn't even know
or wouldn't even see.
- I was that queen.
- I was that f*g.
- Like, we all get to--
- I was the f*g.
That was me.
- But truly,
the reason that
we get to do drag
is because it's not
something we invented.
It's something
that q*eer people
have been fighting for years
for the freedom to do.
- We've been fighting
for a long time,
and the queens have always
been on the front lines for us.
- My first time doing drag
was in my hometown.
As a teenager, I had, like,
walked back and forth
outside the one g*y bar that
I couldn't get into legally
and peeked in the windows.
And I knew that Sunday night
was the drag show.
And when I finally got
a fake ID, I went in.
And I, like,
bowed and curtseyed
to the drag queen host.
And she told me,
you just sign up
for the open stage night.
It was the most inclusive
and diverse place
I had ever been in the Midwest.
I was so nervous
when I stood up there.
But somehow, just the energy
of the audience,
people cheering for you.
Drag gave me this permission
to be big and bold and myself
and to see that people
could embrace that.
That night truly
changed my life,
made me a diva.
- To our safe rides to the bar.
- Yes.
- To a safe, fun night.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh, my God, that's all I got.
- I love that.
- Cheers.
- To the host.
all: Cheers.
♪ ♪
- ♪ Say what we do ♪
♪ We get higher every day ♪
♪ Nothing new ♪
- The message
I've been getting
from our drag daughters
is that they want us to push
the boundaries a little
and test what's possible
in this town
that canceled Pride.
- ♪ Nothing new ♪
♪ Starting fires day to day ♪
- Hello.
[cheers and applause]
Thank you so much for coming
to our open stage drag night.
[cheers and applause]
I'm so excited
and so happy to be here.
A little bit scared,
but that's OK.
That's OK.
Now, are you ready
to see some drag?
[cheers and applause]
- Drag, for me,
feels very liberating.
When I was young, I could
feel that I was different.
By just celebrating
the art of drag,
I just want people
to see that there are
people who are out
in the world like this,
and they're not alone.
- Make some noise
for Jaida Essence Hall!
[Brooke Valentine's
"Taste of Dis" playing]
♪ ♪
- ♪ I'm getting off
about six ♪
♪ I'm rollin' through
the hood all anxious ♪
♪ Hitting up a party
without a care ♪
♪ I told my girls
I'll meet ya there ♪
♪ Tell me what sitting at home
has done for you lately ♪
♪ Pick up your rump, shake
a leg, bounce to the beat ♪
♪ Don't know why you're
posted up on your feet ♪
♪ 'Cause it's so hot in here
I know you can feel the heat ♪
♪ My money, my hair,
my nails fixed, my walk ♪
♪ My clothes, my limp,
my girls, no man ♪
♪ Don't need sh*t and I can
tell you want a taste of dis ♪
♪ You wanna taste of dis,
you wanna taste of dis ♪
♪ I can tell you really
wanna taste of dis ♪
♪ Better get on up,
I'ma make you dance ♪
♪ Watch back,
I'ma make you dance ♪
♪ This junk in the trunk will
put a bump in ya pants ♪
♪ I know you wanna
taste of dis ♪
♪ I can read your mind,
I can read your lips ♪
♪ I can tell you want
a taste of dis ♪
♪ You wanna taste of dis,
you wanna taste of dis ♪
♪ My money, my hair,
my nails fixed, my walk ♪
♪ My clothes, my limp,
my girls, no man ♪
♪ Don't need sh*t ♪
♪ I'm not getting
off the floor ♪
♪ At least till
I can't take no more ♪
[cheers and applause]
♪ Dip, dip, baby, dip ♪
♪ Baby, dip ♪
- I want to send
a very clear message that
you're not going to silence
q*eer people.
There is a voice behind them,
and that that voice is
going to be getting louder.
It's gonna send ripples out
into this community.
♪ ♪
- Make some noise
for Jaida Essence Hall.
[cheers and applause]
- Murfreesboro, it's time
to start our open stage show.
[cheers and applause]
- I honestly had no idea
whether anyone
would come to perform,
but people showed up
in full force.
Beautiful, handmade
custom drag.
- And we are gonna treat
these local performers
like the stars they are.
- It was really encouraging.
- ♪ Pretty, pretty, pretty,
bang, bang, bang ♪
♪ They just wanna know
my name, name, name ♪
- Welcome to the stage...
Barb!
- ♪ Pretty, pretty, pretty,
bang, bang, bang ♪
- Tristabella!
- [singing indistinctly]
- Nicole Grey!
- ♪ That's our stuff ♪
- Give it up for
Mini Pearl Necklace!
[cheers and applause]
- It's not even like
Pride is coming back.
- Kya m*rda!
- It's always been here.
- November 5, 2005,
I kissed my first boy.
[cheers and applause]
I came over here
immediately after,
and I came out of the closet
to my three best
and oldest friends.
[cheers and applause]
- I'm Zodiac.
Tonight is my first night
doing drag.
[cheers and applause]
- There are so many
q*eer people in that room.
Now they're seeing that
there's space for them,
pride for them.
It's exciting.
It makes me really,
really happy.
[cheers and applause]
- The drag heroes that you need
aren't coming to this town.
They are here right now.
[cheers and applause]
You are all the--
the superstars that
you need to make change,
to bring pride
to this community
and to take pride
in all that you are
and all that you have.
[cheers and applause]
- This performer,
as you all may know--
right here, his family is right
here at this front table--
is not q*eer...
- No.
- But is an ally of ours.
And...
[cheers and applause]
So I'm very excited
to announce
my new drag baby
and, girl, my sister.
Make some noise
for Wynonna Dadd.
[cheers and applause]
[soft acoustic music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ Hey, my friend ♪
♪ You know I'm feeling low ♪
♪ And I don't want
to let it show ♪
♪ If you see me
on the defense ♪
♪ ♪
♪ You've got a light to shine ♪
♪ And it's burning bright ♪
♪ You've got a beauty like ♪
♪ The rainbow in your smile ♪
♪ ♪
♪ So come on now ♪
♪ Show the world
what you're all about ♪
♪ I'm not afraid to say ♪
♪ That I'm proud ♪
♪ Of who you are ♪
♪ Who you are ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Who you are ♪
[holding note]
♪ Who you are ♪
♪ Who you are ♪
♪ Who you are ♪
♪ Who you are ♪
[cheers and applause]
Thank you so much.
[cheers and applause]
- That's my f*cking dad!
- Make some noise for Wynonna!
- Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
[cheers and applause]
[soft music]
- Hi!
- Well, hello.
- Oh, my God.
- Deb went, that's your Dad?
And I was like, that's my dad.
- If every q*eer kid got to
have parents like you and Mom,
the world would be
a much better place.
- Oh, sweetie. Come here.
- To see you show up and, like,
not only, like, use
what you've learned
through your faith
in the most positive light,
but then show up and, like,
stand up for people like me,
stand up for your family,
stand up for, like,
so many people out there
in that audience,
it means the world.
I just--I love you all.
Oh, my God. Thank you.
- What our open stage
drag night at Boro Bar showed
is that this is just
the beginning.
Did seeing the shows tonight
change your mind
about Murfreesboro at all?
- No, because
there will always be
somebody in City Hall
that is gonna
have a problem with this.
They don't have to be
here tonight.
- Right. Exactly.
We're not forcing this on them.
They're forcing
their viewpoints on us.
- Agenda.
- Yeah, their agenda.
- Remember when it was
about that g*y agenda?
- Yeah we are not
that organized.
- [laughs]
- We're just trying to live.
- Let us live.
- We have to keep going.
One drag show is not enough.
We want to open
the floodgates for more drag.
- I'm still so nervous.
You have people in this town
that would rather just
stick to their morals
and hatred.
Like, are people gonna,
like, love you,
or are they gonna hate you?
You just don't know.
- We were in the closet
for a long time.
And so now,
it's back in your closet
where you belong,
stay where you're supposed to.
It's not fair
for anyone to be silenced.
I keep saying I want
to be a light for people,
and I'm hopeful that I'm able
to get that confidence
and that nerve back.
Quit being afraid.
- This open stage show
is a success,
but the drag show
that we want to put on
is gonna be bigger,
flashier, all ages,
in the middle of town
for everyone to see,
because we have a bigger
community to empower.
We're just getting started.
♪ ♪
- I think it's important
for us to test the waters
and see how the city
might actually feel
about this drag show.
- Here we go.
- Pro wrestling, Chattanooga.
[upbeat music]
- Work.
♪ ♪
- Does this look straight?
- Do you look straight?
- I think so.
- You're gonna be the diva
that you always want to be.
- So we got hips,
t*ts, corsets.
- Hey. Hey. Hey.
Hey. Hey.
- She is big, Mama.
- We need to do
more drag shows here.
- Is this your first drag show?
- God made us man and woman.
God doesn't make mistakes.
- Drag is amazing.
Drag is beautiful.
- What we have
always considered
adult entertainment
is now pushed
in front of our children.
- Drag is so
unapologetically q*eer.
- Do you believe
that people are g*y?
- No, I do not believe
that people are born g*y.
- We need to let
everybody in this city know
that we are fully here.
[bright tone]
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04x01 - Tennessee, Part 1
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Featuring former Drag Race contestants, documenting the drag queens as they travel across the United States to recruit small-town residents to participate in one-night-only drag shows.
Featuring former Drag Race contestants, documenting the drag queens as they travel across the United States to recruit small-town residents to participate in one-night-only drag shows.