All hail the queens

Only moving to Durango five years ago, the drag scene was not in the limelight but definitely existed, Aria PettyOne, Alien Queen of Durango said. Four Corners Alliance for Diversity was hosting quarterly events like Winter Pride and Drag Durango, she said. “I didn't expect there to be that many people who are interested in drag here in a small town like Durango, so that was really exciting for me to see,” she said.

Drag Bingo is a monthly event at FLC that includes Planned Parenthood offering free HIV testing for students as well as sexual health answers and information. Using a grant through the state of Colorado, Planned Parenthood can provide this service throughout the community, Brian Garcia, HIV Program Specialist at Planned Parenthood said. The goal is to provide public health resources in an easy-to-understand way, Bailey Carlson,HIV Program Specialist said. “Instead of sitting in a class or seminar, or something like that, we do things that are fun,” he said.

Since childhood, drag was always a way of life and the pandemic brought time to focus and shape a drag persona, Vivica Validation, Durango Drag Queen, said. Out of drag, life is getting through college at Fort Lewis as a theatre major, she said. “I’m the only current collegiate diva,” she said.

Drag events are more in-town rather than on campus, Validation said. Events that feature drag queens at FLC opens a community for students that are unable to attend such events at bars downtown due to cover charges and being underage, Carrasco said.

Validation said there’s a new confidence while performing drag as well as an attitude that you are in a position to achieve whatever you want.Drag may not be for everyone but it’s an art, and art is subjective, PettyOne said. Seeing the joy that drag brings to the audience is what makes the hard work worth it, she said.

Drag is a journey from the name and persona a queen takes on to the massive wardrobe, PettyOne said. “I have about 30 or 40 wigs in the house just chilling,” she said. Unlike bigger cities, Durango does not hold an expectation to spend excessive amounts of money on outfits, she said.

Musical Theatre Scenes, hosted by the Fort Lewis College Theater Department in 2020 was an opportunity to highlight inclusion and diversity within theatre, Validation said. The plan was to appear in drag, but it was a decision and moment that helped get a drag career in motion, she said. Photos were taken at the event and Vivica Validation can now be seen on the banner posted at the theater hall.

The drag events offered thus far have been one of the most attended within the Diversity Collaborative, Carrasco said. El Centro’s goal is to feature more queens of color from around the four corners, Carrasco said. Right now, El Centro encourages other RSOs to reach out for a collaboration involving drag queens, Carrasco said. PettyOne sees the future of drag at campus involving drag courses that she herself could lead, she said. “More drag queens on campus! A drag queen for everyone!” Validation said.