Dear twelve-year-old Kit,

Meet Ingenue. She’ll be the first drag queen you ever befriend. 

Oh, what’s a drag queen? Well, drag queens are folks who dress up in feminized outfits and makeup, exude a confident, female-driven persona, and are a cornerstone presence in the LGBTQ community. I’m sure Ingenue’s fierce stare has you feeling timid, lord knows I was when I first met her. 

You’ll first meet while working together at one of Jason’s gay clubs. She’s been the long-standing hostess of the evening, and a household name in the drag community. Those long nights working side by side will become, unknowingly at the time, a transformative experience. Ingenue will humanize drag for you. 

It’s hard to describe, but you’ll soon develop this feeling when you come home from a long block of racing bikes overseas. You walk in the front door, dive into the couch, Mom’s whipping you up something to eat, and all seems right. Well, Ingenue is that – she glows with that feeling of home. Not just for you, but the countless closeted queer kids she’s shown affection for, sometimes at the most vulnerable stages in their lives. 
She’s fully aware of the responsibility that comes with being a drag queen. While on duty, not only does she have to be the bedrock of poise, glamour, and a fierce, yet tender attitude – but she also does it in high heels. And I think that’s one of the things you love most about her – she’s pro. When the time comes, she knows exactly how to turn it on.

The weeks following the Orlando shooting, gay clubs will unsurprisingly have modest turnouts. It will take time for things to get back feeling somewhat normal, but in the rubble left by terror, Ingenue will be there picking up the pieces. She’ll act as a lighthouse in the dark for all of us. Guiding those paralyzed with fear back onto the dance floor. If it’s one thing she’s taught you, it’s that nothing good will come if you don’t show up.

More to come,
Twenty-seven-year-old Kit