Layne by day, Amethyst by night.

Mary Parrett

This artifact is one that can tell us much about the life of drag. Recently I interviewed Layne, who told me all about his life in drag.  He hasn’t been doing drag for long, but it is definitely something he is very passionate about. He has created a wonderful character named Amethyst that lets him have fun and show what he can do creatively. [Written interview with Layne can be found in Appendix 4]

Within the interview I found what drag really was. He told me how he got into it, all the work that it takes to really be in drag, and just how much he loves it. What is drag you may ask? Well the drag I am talking about is the dramatic expression of feminine aspects. This usually includes a tremendous performance to entertain people as well as to let the person express themselves creatively. Something that came up in the interview was that just because you do drag does not mean that you are aspiring to transgender, many use it as an outlet to have fun, be creative, and really express their inner feminine qualities.

The story he can tell is one I hope will educate and spark interest in the people around the area. Here at IU East there is a drag show that take place in October, with this interview I want to show people how fun drag can be and why we should support it more locally. Not only was there a show here, but one also took place at Earlham College just a few miles from our campus. Not only do I want this to promote drag for this area, I want this interview to educate people on what drag really is and how people are using it as an outlet to show their creativity. Layne in this interview does an amazing job at giving us insight into the life of a true drag queen. Not only is this artifact an interview, but there are also visuals he has made available to convey his story better, and really show people what he is all about.

I believe that by educating people about drag we can create a better atmosphere for drag to really take off in the area. I think that awareness will spread interest, and also spread positivity for the LGBTQ+ community. This gives those individuals a larger platform to express themselves as a queer individual, and a creative individual. This interview could evoke pathos for some, because by hearing someone’s story of drag and love for it they might be inspired and moved emotionally to let their inner selves shine in this way as well.