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Chanticleer P. Holes is Filling Us with Drag King Pride

Chanticleer P. Holes is Filling Us with Drag King Pride

Drag has been entwined in popular culture since the days of Shakespearean soliloquies. As with any art form, it has molded to fit progressing societies and created a niche that is all its own. While drag queens were formally introduced into theatre because women were not allowed to perform on stage, they are now performance artists who engage in a vehement style of expressionism. Drag queens and kings now grace stages all over the world, embodying alter egos with elaborate clothing, makeup, and raging personalities.

Denver’s drag scene has become an unlikely beacon among other cities like New York as a hub for drag culture. We have a strong community of foreword thinkers creating spaces for people to discover their talents and personas. Denver is especially uplifting to drag kings who are often under-appreciated in some circles or not given as many chances as their queen cohorts.

Places like Pride & Swagger give new performers a chance to come out of their shell and develop a stage presence. We spoke to local drag king Chanticleer P. Holes about inclusion and what it means to be an example for others struggling to find where they fit in.

What makes Denver a unique place for anyone who wants to get into drag?
Denver is particularly interesting, and I’m really excited about what’s happening here because there is a strong community gathered around the kings trying to protect them and lift them up. It’s really easy to be bitchy at new kings or queens and point out their flaws when someone’s trying something new for the first time, but without a safe community to tell someone, ‘Hey it’s okay to be figuring stuff out,’ I don’t think there would have been space for the kind of glow up we’re seeing happen.

Some major catalysts have been Rise of The Kings, Denver’s only weekly drag king show at Pride & Swagger, and Drag King Bootcamp, a seven-week course hosted by Blush & Blu. These kinds of events specifically reach out to newcomers and people who have never done drag before, sending a message that says, ‘come learn; we want you here.’

Related article: Dustin Schlong- From Prince to King 

In what specific ways did these venues help you to mold your persona and give you confidence?
They brought in mentors who would talk about aspects of drag such as makeup, costuming, professionalism, how to choose a name, and how to network with other kings. With the boot camp in particular, there has been this really great crop of new kings that came out of the course, and I’ve been seeing them all around town. Part of the boot camp was reaching out to people who produce shows or have helpful resources which has really helped new kings get their name out there.

What, if any, animosity have you experienced from queens in the scene? Alternatively, how do you all support one another towards a common goal?
From what I’ve seen, there are queens who are actively reaching out to try and support the kings, and we couldn’t do it without them. There’s so much more in my experience of those kinds of queens who are trying to build us up rather than tear us down. I don’t necessarily see anyone actively saying that kings don’t belong in the same spaces as queens, but you do see some comments like, ‘Why don’t they try as hard as queens?” or, “Why don’t we hold them to the same standards?” and what that says to me is that they probably don’t even know any kings.

If you were to go to a lot of shows where kings are performing, you would see that we don’t have as many tips or tricks for our illusory aspects as queens have been able to build up over the years, but it’s not that the effort isn’t there. I think that the priorities are often somewhat different.

Where are you on your journey to creating an identity for yourself through drag?
I grew up in Aurora and started getting into drag back in 2018. I’m still on that journey to finding my persona as a drag king, but I definitely have a lot of masculine energy in my performances. I have been a theatre kid from a very early age; however, I never found a good role to portray my female energy and rarely got roles that would work for me.

When I finally found drag, it just made sense. The struggle I’m in is how to work within my silhouette because it’s female-coded, and I don’t necessarily try to look like a man. I like to keep my contour; people like my boobs, and so do I. It would be great if we had more broadcast representations from kings, but that’s one area where we still have room for improvement.

Since you mentioned representations, how did it make you feel when Landon Cider won Dragula last season?
His win was very exciting for all the kings. Cider was initially rejected a lot during auditions, but with perseverance, he came out on top. He is very good at what he does and has honed in his look. We don’t have the drag elders that queens do, but Denver is working hard to build up the king community. Landon Cider and that representation gives new perspectives to the art form.

While we’re on the subject of mainstream drag seen in the media, what was your take on the controversy of RuPaul and his comments on not allowing cis women or trans individuals to perform drag on his show?
What makes it sad for me is that I was identifying as a straight woman for all intents and  purposes, and RuPaul’s Drag Race was my intro into queerness. His show set up a platform and was the reason I sought out local scenes, but I found that there’s so much more than what the show represents.

The name of the show tells people it’s all-inclusive, so why would you constrict it? Why can’t you lift us all up? It’s not ok for him to judge drag queens or kings. He could be providing an outlet, but it feels like a willful drawing of a boundary. In the beginning, most of what he said made sense and inspired me. Now, it just really bums me out that his agenda does not seem to be to showcase the full spectrum of the drag community and support all of us.

Related article: Iron Man- Onyx Steele is the Rebel King of Denver

If you could give any words of inspiration to those individuals who are struggling to find their identity, what would you tell them?
Recognizing that the desire is there is key! People just don’t know that they have the strengths to be pioneers and express themselves how they want or need. If you build a platform, people will come. Stick with it; find the people living for what you do, and make it for them. Make it for yourself as well.

A lot of people might have advice, but you don’t have to take it; someone else might not always know what’s best for your drag. Let people help, but don’t listen to people trying to mold you to their own standard. Find your own community because it is out there. Plant a seed in an oyster, and the pearl will grow.

The History of Denver Drag Kings

Kings haven’t gone quietly in this town. We once ruled the night in our own bar at 60 South broadway. We’ve held national titles from Colorado. The scene had it’s first rise of the kings in 1997, again in 2006 and now, 2018 to present.- Onyx Steele

 

 

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