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Cover: Dragged up

Drag has completely changed Shantel P. Mandalay’s life. Ms. Shantel, as she is known, especially at Drag Queen Story Hour, said drag helped her feel accepted. During the day, Ms. Shantel is an elementary school teacher named Shane, which he said was very tough when he first started. “I’m an educator, so when I first […]

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Untapped talent

YesLove OKC co-founder and executive director Albert Rios said he used to be “terrified of drag queens.” “I’m very introverted, and I was like, ‘Don’t pick on me,’” Rios said. “I’d go to The Boom, and they’d ask me questions, and I shut down immediately. I think that I didn’t understand drag.” Sponsored by YesLove, […]

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PRIDE King of drag

At age 17, Damian Matrix-Gritte became a king. But when he first began performing at drag shows in Oklahoma City, Matrix-Gritte, now 34, had very few people to pattern his monarchy after. “It was interesting,” Matrix-Gritte said. “There weren’t really drag kings, so I didn’t really have anything to go off of. I’m sure there […]

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Nice Guys Don’t Work in Hollywood: The Adventures of an Aesthete in the Movie Business — Curtis Harrington

Unlike so many Tinseltown true tales, Nice Guys Don’t Work in Hollywood doesn’t begin with a tumultuous childhood. Although the only child grew up in the throes of the Great Depression, Harrington’s upbringing was happy. He found escape (and influence) in the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the pages of Esquire magazine and the flicker […]

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Big ‘Bang’

It’s the greatest show on Earth! Bang Bang Variety Show brings the excitement of Vegas to Oklahoma in an event that promises to be full of nailbiting entertainment meant for the stages of Sin City. Bang Bang began in September 2010 as a small monthly function that gave performers the opportunity to showcase their talents. […]

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Luck be a lady

Ready, set, drag! The Queens of the Night break out their ball gowns, dance moves and nicely manicured claws as they prepare to lip-sync for their lives at this year’s Miss Gay Oklahoma USofA Newcomer. The pageant promises a night full of entertainment and fierce competition. “They’re looking for guys that look more like women,” […]

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