Wearing a green ribbon can mean a lot of things, or nothing at all. That’s part of the mystery at the heart of Louise Page’s new music video, where the core message is “I want to see you dance the way you dance in your kitchen,” and the stylish art direction assures us that, in that part of the house, green pairs well with pink.
For many, the green ribbon signifies mental health awareness, and there’s a primal call for sanity in the way Page calls out the kitchen boogie as an integral part of mental hygiene. But maybe that’s reading too much into a song that just wants to make you dance.
To that end, Page musters the full power of her band, complete with violin and horns, to make the most danceable track she can. And the video captures that energy perfectly, tacking back and forth between that kitchen and a sweaty, stomping club scene, where drag queens Moth Moth Moth and Baby Mas, plus dancer Felicity Fox, match the singer’s moves strut for strut, and even producer/engineer Boo Mitchell gets down on the dance floor.
As Page says in her artist’s statement, she was “trying to write a song that was both a dance and a celebration, but also acknowledging how absolutely bat shit insanely difficult it has felt to be a functioning human being in a dysfunctional, often dangerous world. Joy can be a revolution. You can dance for the dead. That’s what this song celebrates to me.”
It’s a perfect way to bring out the power of Page’s crack combo. “Huge shoutout to my band — Annalisabeth Craig, Jawaun Crawford, Gunter Gaupp, and Michael Todd — for playing the hell out of this song and for riding with me. Huge shoutout to my friend Calvin Lauber for mastering the song, and Boo Mitchell for recording, producing, and believing in it!”
Director Laura Jean Hocking also hails the group effort that made such a wild party of a video possible. “I am credited as director on this video,” she says, “but so many people were vital in making these visual worlds come to life — the fabulous art direction team of Sallie Sabbatini/Erica Qualy/Annalisabeth Craig, Robbie Eubanks’ beautiful hair & makeup, Chad Barton’s excellent lighting and color timing, Sarah Fleming’s stellar camerawork — the list goes on. Being able to showcase Moth Moth Moth and Baby Mas was important to me, with the government trying to enact laws to ban drag performances. I wanted them to convey the message, ‘You cannot make our art form a crime. We’re not going away.’ And any time Louise calls me to do a music video, the answer is yes. She’s a great collaborator and a joy to work with.”
Governor. Bill Lee signed Senate Bill 3, which prohibits drag performances in public spaces on Thursday, March 3. This law will go into effect on July 1, 2023.
According to the Tennessee General Assembly, the law defines “adult cabaret performances,” as “a performance in a location other than an adult cabaret that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration.”
The law also describes an “entertainer” as someone who provides “Entertainment within an adult-oriented establishment, regardless of whether a fee is charged or accepted for entertainment and regardless of whether entertainment is provided as an employee, escort, or an independent contractor.”
Earlier this week, Governor Bill Lee said that he had planned on signing the bill into law, saying that that this bill is targeted towards protecting children that are “potentially exposed to sexualized entertainment,to obscenity,” and “we need to make sure that they’re not.”
Opponents of the law have argued that drag is not about anything sexual. Drag performer Kelly McDaniel, also known as Keleigh Klarke, told the Flyerin 2022 that for him, drag is not about anything of a sexual nature.
“Drag for me is all about my expression of that character that I play. It is an expression of my feminine side, but there’s nothing of a sexual nature attached to it.”
Many activists ,performers, and organizations have been vocal about why they oppose this law.
In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) said that the law prohibits performances that are “harmful to minors,” and explained the legal definition of this phrase in Tennessee.
“While some lawmakers have expressed their intent to ban all drag shows in Tennessee, the legal definition for ‘harmful to minors’ in Tennessee is very narrow and only covers extreme sexual or violent content with no artistic value. Drag performances do not inherently fall into this category and are protected by the First Amendment,” said the statement.
Stella Yarborough, legal director of ACLU-TN said that they are “concerned that government officials could easily abuse this law to censor people based on their own subjective viewpoints of what they deem appropriate, chilling protected free speech and sending a message to LGBTQ Tennesseans that they are not welcome in our state.”
The ACLU-TN also said that they plan to challenge the law if it “punishes a drag performer or shuts down a family-friendly event.”
Local activist and drag performer, Moth, Moth, Moth (Mothie for short,) has been vocal about their opposition of the bill for months. On March 1, Mothie posted on their Instagram page that they were waiting for Governor Bill Lee at the unveiling of the new Georgette & Cato Johnson YMCA in Whitehaven.
“In the room waiting for the fascist governor @billleetn to speak here in memphis. Bill wants your daughters barefoot and pregnant. Your sons to be soldiers. For gay people to simply not exist,” the post said.
In another Instagram post, Mothie explained that they were removed from the room after saying “Bill Lee is a fascist,” and “drag is not a crime.” “As drag artists, queers, trans people, and the greater lgbtqia community -Our reputations and livelihoods have been attacked again and again. Our cultural contribution belittled and fetishized by fascist leaders who are only invested in lobbyists and special interests,” Mothie said. “I will not stand by as my community and artform are used for political war games precipitated on pure lies and false narratives and far right propaganda.”
Whether you know it or not, your first introduction into drag probably occurred in your childhood living room. You may have found yourself watching a segment of Some Like It Hot on TCM or the iconic Divine receiving a formal introduction to the ’60s as Edna Turnblad in the John Waters’ hit Hairspray.
But for Skyler Bell, that entry point to the world of drag came while watching the 1995 film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo. That movie stoked their budding passion for drag, and years later, Bell would come to be known as Thee Native Supreme: India Taco, gracing the stages of The Bluff, Dru’s Bar, and Hi Tone.
Bell began doing drag when they were in college at Mississippi State University and has been performing for the past four years. Having grown up on a reservation in Choctaw, Mississippi, they even hold the honor of being the first drag queen from their tribe. And while Bell will always hold their humble beginnings and origins close to them, they realized they wanted more and moved to Memphis to pursue drag full-time.
The path Bell took is one that many aspiring Mid-South drag performers have walked. But what is it that draws people toward Memphis drag? There’s no doubt that the Bluff City is bursting with talent, and many of the performers who call Memphis home have worked hard to build up those talents.
Bella DuBalle (Photo: Drew Parker)
“When I first started doing drag in this city, it was very old-school, pageant drag. It was all about female impersonation, and this certain level of polish. There was almost like this unspoken rule of how things had to be done,” says Slade Kyle. They are a full-time drag entertainer, also known as Bella DuBalle, and serve as the show director at Atomic Rose on Beale Street.
However, as drag navigated into the mainstream, more styles began to appear. According to Kyle, if you’re lucky enough to get a front row seat to see the fifth season of Atomic Rose’s “War of The Roses” competition, you’ll see a diverse showcase of drag ranging from horror and camp drag to drag kings and pageant drag. Kyle says this is so audience members can get an idea of “all the crayons in the coloring box of drag.”
Moth Moth Moth (Photo: Vickie Quick)
Local activist, drag queen, newly crowned Miss Mid-South Pride, and Memphis Flyer 20 < 30 honoree Moth Moth Moth (Mothie for short) remembers when they started doing drag at Dru’s in 2016 in a “little orange dressing room,” with goth makeup and “really weird, obscure songs.” They recall performing with seasoned veterans like Beverly Hills, who began to appreciate this new, artistic way of drag.
“That type of perception was really early in Memphis,” says Mothie. “That eventually became much more of what everybody’s taste is now. Now people really appreciate, and identify, and love the gender fluidity of Memphis drag, and the way that so many different spaces are open.”
Keleigh Klarke (Photo: Gingersnap Photography)
Memphis drag is not only characterized by diversity and its ability to push the envelope, but it also holds true to the infamous grit-and-grind nature of the city. Kelly McDaniel, famously known as Keleigh Klarke on stage, has been doing drag in Memphis since 2001 and recalls a mantra that’s held true through it all. “If you can do drag in Memphis,” he says, “you can do drag anywhere.” McDaniel explains that it’s tough to do drag in Memphis, but you’ll find that masked under slayed lace fronts, Kryolan Paint Stick foundation, and MAC eyeshadow is a performer with thick skin.
“Our audiences here, they’re tough. This city by nature is a rough, hard city, and it takes a lot to impress people,” says McDaniel.
“It can be rough here, and it can be a rough industry for new entertainers to get into, but I think one of those things that sets us apart is that for the ones who do make it in the city, and do make a name for themselves and do make a legacy and a reputation and image, it makes you tough, it makes you grateful, and it makes you work a little bit harder because you want to keep that spot and keep proving yourself.”
Aubrey Ombre (Photo: Courtesy Aubrey Ombre)
Performers like Bell recognize this, and they also say the drag community in Memphis wouldn’t be what it is now without the legends that came before them and the legacy they cemented. Bell thanks not only veterans like McDaniel but also Kiera Mason, DuBalle, and Aubrey “Boom Boom” Ombre.
“If you go to a show, then you know Aubrey Boom Boom,” explains Bell. “Inside and outside of drag, that woman is everything. She’s helped me out, and the community, on and off the stage.” The legend Bell speaks of is Memphis native Aubrey Wallace, known not only by her stage name but also as the title-holder of Miss Gay Memphis 2019.
Miss Gay Memphis, formerly known as Miss Memphis Review, was one of the first crowns made in Memphis following the Stonewall riots. “Back then, it was illegal to do drag, so they had to wait until around Halloween to actually throw a party and dress up,” explains Wallace. “The Gay Memphis crown was created from that aspect of life. It has so much meaning to it and so much history that if someone competes for it, it’s a big honor to do so because you’re being a part of history and carrying on a legacy that has been passed on from generation to generation.”
As a queen with 12 years under her belt, Wallace possesses a wealth of knowledge that she’s always ready to share with newcomers. And her story starts at Backstreet Memphis, a place that many veterans say served not only as a launchpad for their career but also as a safe haven for their community. Performers like Wallace received their first glimpse into the gay club scene in 2010 at Backstreet, where their performance on the dance floor would capture the eyes of the club’s resident queens.
“They ended up putting me in my first drag show,” Wallace says.
McDaniel also remembers networking with the entertainers at Backstreet Memphis, who in turn taught him the basics of drag such as makeup. The club closed its doors in 2010, but its impact and legacy have been kept alive by those who experienced the magic firsthand. While many find it can be hard to pinpoint what exactly did it for Backstreet, McDaniel explains that it paid homage to the “hedonistic excess of those mid-to-late-’90s, early 2000s.”
“On a Saturday night, by 12, 12:30 at night, you could stand on the upper level and it would be a sea of people all in that space.” Clubs like Spectrum have tried to recreate this magic and succeeded in doing so for a new generation, but nothing has seemed to have the vibe that Backstreet possessed.
“Nothing recaptures the energy that was there, but that was a different time, too,” says McDaniel. “There was a lot less equality and inclusivity at that point for the gay community, so that was our place to go. It was also open to anyone else who wanted to be a part of that environment.”
A lot has changed since the glory days of Backstreet. Wallace has noticed a change in her confidence, which enables her to help prepare new performers take to the stage. “We’re open to taking people under our wing and getting them started and a stage to start on,” she says. “With me, when someone comes to me, I teach them the way of life first and teach them what you’ll go through and some of the obstacles you’ll have to overcome. Then I’ll teach them the aspect of drag.”
Those lucky enough to be one of Wallace’s “drag children” are privy to family dinners and family outings, where they’re taught the values of life, humbleness, and things they need to succeed in the drag world.
“You have to be respectful and mindful of who has helped you, and who came before you,” Wallace says. “As I grew up, I learned from so many legends. Some that are not here, some that are still here, like Alexis [Marie Grayer-von] Furstenburg, Beverly Hills, Kiera Mason. A whole bunch of them. They’ve groomed me into who I am today, and since then I’ve stayed humble, I’ve stayed respectful, and I’ve always fought for everyone’s fairness and rights.”
Wallace’s dream for the “next generation of drag” stems from a hope that they will be able to show their talents on stage and come in “shining bright as a star.” She sees the potential in them, yet there has been a number of obstacles recently that may change the way a newer and younger generation interacts with drag.
Still, it’s almost impossible to have a conversation about drag without mentioning the influence of RuPaul’s Drag Race. The show first aired on February 2, 2009, and is hosted by drag superstar RuPaul. The competition-style reality show follows a group of drag queens who compete for the title of America’s Drag Superstar.
Many credit the show as being a pivotal part of bringing more acceptance and awareness to the drag community. This, coupled with social media platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, has allowed the public to interact with the drag community without leaving their homes.
“By pushing it into the mainstream, more people are aware of drag,” Kyle explains. “They’re more aware that it is an art form. There’s a lot of easy misconceptions if you don’t know what drag is.”
In turn, making drag more mainstream through this kind of exposure encourages more nuanced discussions. These discussions can lead to more education and understanding of the art form.
In an October 2022 interview, Mothie told the Flyer that the demographic for drag is changing, and it now includes 14- to 22-year-olds. Mothie also said that younger people “deserve a piece of this culture.”
However, there are opponents of drag, including many lawmakers in Tennessee, who have been working to make sure that younger audiences don’t have access to it.
On September 23, 2022, a family-friendly drag show at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH) was scheduled as the ending celebration of the museum’s Summer Pride programming. However, the event was canceled by event organizers after a group of armed Proud Boys arrived.
Jackson Sun writer Angele Latham reported in October 2022 that a Jackson Pride drag show, which was also initially advertised as “family-friendly” and slated to be held at a local park, was limited to participants 18 and older after weeks of meeting with lawmakers.
This began to amplify the conversation of whether drag shows were appropriate for kids, or “family-friendly.”
In November 2022, the Flyer also reported that legislation was filed by Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson that could potentially make public drag shows in Tennessee a crime.
Johnson proposed that new language be added to Section 7-51-1401 that defines “adult cabaret performance” as “a performance in a location other than an adult cabaret that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, or similar entertainers, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration.”
This proposed new amendment would prohibit drag performances on public property and other public spaces. If passed, this law would apply to drag shows in the state of Tennessee.
The bill also goes on to make performing in “adult cabaret performance” on public property or “in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult” a Class A misdemeanor. Repeat offenders face a Class E felony.
Performers agree there are forms of drag that are family-friendly and some that are not. However, Kyle notes that this holds true for every medium. Wallace also explains that performers know that what they perform in front of children will be different than what they perform at a nightclub.
For many, the answer to whether kids should be exposed to drag performances is simple: If you don’t want your kids to see it, then don’t bring them to a drag show. But the truth is that they’ll have access to it in other ways, whether it’s through HBO Max’s Trixie Motel, Allison William’s performance of Peter Pan, or the childhood rite of passage of playing dress-up.
“We’re all born doing drag. Every kid knows what it’s like to put on a costume and pretend to be something else,” says Kyle. “I think it’s incredibly important for kids to have access to [drag.] Not just for the kids that will be queer. It’s important for every kid to understand that their differences make them special.”
Many performers agree that drag serves not only as an outlet to express emotions but also as way to find yourself. Drag is an art form, Mothie reiterates, and when you start to limit people’s ability to express themselves, the aftermath can be harmful.
“I know personally for me growing up, I was always in my parents’ shadow because everyone says I had the same talent as my mom and dad,” adds Wallace. “That was something I had to get away from because I wanted to be me and who I am, and find who I really am. Drag helped me do that. Kids in general will never know who they are or who they want to be if you can’t let them express it. Whether it’s dressing up in their mom’s clothes, watching a play or something like that, [drag] has saved a lot of people’s lives. It definitely saved my life.”
With the complexity of drag and its positive influences on culture and the economy, many are baffled that lawmakers are working to criminalize it. Activists like Mothie have been fighting tirelessly against proposed “pointless” legislation and believe there’s a lot more for lawmakers to worry about than drag performances.
“Tennesseans should take pride in how strong our drag is in Tennessee, how much Tennessee is an incubator for what’s next in drag for the rest of the country,” says Mothie. “Everybody knows, just don’t nobody tell the truth: Memphis is where it’s at. Memphis will always be where it’s at. Drag will only get stronger here, despite the BS legislation that’s coming down on everybody.”
A Senate hearing on Tennessee’s anti-drag bill (SB 003) was scheduled for Tuesday, January 31st, after our press deadline. Follow memphisflyer.com for updates.
Every year, the Memphis Flyer asks our readers to tell us all about the outstanding young people who are doing their best to make the Bluff City a better place. This time, we had a record number of nominees, and narrowing it down to just 20 was more difficult than ever. Speaking to an immensely talented 20 never fails to fill us with hope, and allows us to introduce Memphis to the leaders who will be shaping our future.
Here they are: Your 20<30 Class of 2023.
Brenda Lucero Amador President, Voices United
“I was born in Mexico and moved to the U.S. when I was 3 years old,” says Amador. “My parents came here to give [us] a better future, something that couldn’t be offered in Mexico.” Amador grew up in Atlanta and came to Christian Brothers University on an Opportunity Scholarship. Under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), she and thousands like her must reapply every two years to stay in the country. “I didn’t really get into advocacy until I got to college.”
Now, she fights for immigration reform with Voices United. “DACA has been around a long time and we haven’t seen any progression, but if we keep advocating, sharing our stories, and organizing, something can happen in the future.”
The education major is now a student teacher at Idlewild Elementary. “I want to be not only an activist, but also a leader, because education is the root of everything. If we can fix the system or make it better, then everything else will fall into place. Because that’s the future generation.”
Dr. Adam Chan Chief Resident Physician, UTHSC Adult Psychiatry Residency Program
“Growing up, mental health was always a taboo topic in my community,” says Dr. Chan. But during his medical education, he saw a need to destigmatize the topic. “I felt the absence of treatment options in low-resource settings during rural Tennessee rotations and international medical mission trips.”
Now, he’s a leader in researching innovative techniques to treat disorders like depression. “Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive procedure that involves using electrical currents generated from magnetic fields to stimulate different structures and connections in the brain. If your brain was a ‘muscle,’ I like to think of it as helping it train!”
But improved treatment is no substitute for building a healthier society, he says. “Prevention is power! Health and mental health are intimately tied to their sociocontextual components.”
“Dataworks is the first time since FedEx started that we started a brand-new operating company,” says Chasteen.
“The goal of Dataworks is to make supply chains smarter for everyone, and really optimize and make our networks more efficient, and offer our customers more products faster. For instance, Dataworks was behind the vaccine distribution. I really knew that Dataworks had that startup environment, and it was new territory for us. So being able to come over and start building something from scratch, and especially in the talent acquisition world, was a great opportunity.
“My passion is bringing people in. I always say, someone took a chance on me, and I was able to build my career.”
“I’m the oldest of four, and my mom raised us all by herself,” says Desiderio. “She’s a single mother, so a lot of my drive and determination, I always credit back to her.”
Desiderio works full-time as a marketing coordinator for a commercial real estate company, while also pursuing a master’s degree in integrated strategic media at University of Memphis. “It kind of encompasses journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising — all of the things that I like in one very long name.” She also serves as vice president of communications for the U of M Graduate Student Association.
She’s a mentor in the STREETS Ministries Pathways program. “It is in the Berclair/Nutbush area. That’s actually where I grew up with my mom and all my siblings. It resonated a lot. They talk about first-generation college students, and how these kids really don’t have a strong support system, and how having a mentor in their life can really help.”
Lily K. Donaldson Miss United States 2022
“I’ve only been Miss United States for two months now and I’ve gotten to go to almost every region of the U.S. so far,” says Donaldson. “It’s been really fun to meet people from all walks of life and all the places across the U. S. and get even more new perspectives than I had before.”
For Donaldson, competing in pageants is a way to flex her communications skills. She holds a computer science degree from American University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in agriculture, focusing on the development of urban vertical farming. With nonprofit Art Technically, she promotes STEM and arts education. “I took a computer science class my first semester and ended up loving it. It wasn’t something that I had ever really had an opportunity to pursue or interact with. … Art Technically is all about trying to present those opportunities to underserved students, so they can see for themselves if it’s something they would like to pursue.”
Shanice D’Shara Dowdy New Ventures Strategist, ALSAC/St. Jude
“I come up with social media-heavy activations to make St. Jude and Memphis relevant all over the world,” says Dowdy. “We’ve been successful, and because social media is not going anywhere, I bring that sophistication to help us stay cool to young people. I bring innovative solutions to advance philanthropy. I study industries that we haven’t tapped into before.”
Dowdy remains active in Memphis’ Beta Epsilon Omega chapter of AKA sorority, recently organizing a benefit for struggling Black-owned food trucks. She’s the mother of two children and, on New Year’s Eve, married Darry Dowdy Jr. at her grandfather’s church in Greenwood, Mississippi.
“I’m a Baptist who went to a Catholic school, and have traveled around the world to do missionary work,” she says. “It’s being able to embrace differences that allows others to embrace your differences.”
Gunter Gaupp Musician, Composer
Crosstown Arts’ 2022 Composer in Residence has a degree in jazz guitar performance from Rhodes College, but you’ve probably seen him playing bass around town with folks like Louise Page. “It’s such a cool place that it’s hard to leave,” says Gaupp. “Immediately, the music community was so much more inviting than it was for me during 18 years in Baton Rouge. … Every culture I can imagine has a music space here.”
Recently, Gaupp has made the leap to teaching music at the Memphis Rise Academy High School. “I’ve been teaching guitar lessons since I graduated high school, but full-time in the classroom is definitely a different beast. It’s as rewarding as it is challenging. … I think with any of the arts, we’re trying to teach people how to be people.”
Fred Griffin Fashion Designer, Founder of Swish
Have you seen those pink U of M Tigers shorts? Those were Griffin’s idea. “I started making apparel in middle school,” he says. “Anything that I do, I always try to have meaning behind. My mother and my father are really both big into community work. We’ve always done things with breast cancer awareness.”
Griffin designed and made a limited edition of the now-iconic streetwear in 2020 through his brand Swish. “I shot a commercial and put it on Instagram, and I couldn’t turn my phone off because the reaction was crazy. And that was in the middle of a pandemic! I love the fact that the people of Memphis appreciated it enough to where they still talk about it. People still love them, people still wear them.”
Griffin has parlayed his success with Swish into jobs with Nike and the Memphis Grizzlies. “Fashion is really tough because there’s so many people doing it,” he says. “I still keep at it because I’ve been doing it for so long, and I have such a passion for it. The ideas that pop in my brain and the concepts I come up with are able to stand alone by themselves.”
Sarah Jemison Director of Strategy and Services, Alco Management Inc.
Finding affordable housing is an increasingly difficult problem for low-income Memphians. “HUD [United States Department of Housing and Urban Development] has defined affordability as 30 percent of your income or less going to housing — but plenty of people are spending 50 to 60 percent,” says Jemison. “We have the added issue in Memphis of out-of-state and out-of-country investors who are buying up rental properties to make a profit on them. These are people’s homes, and they can’t live there because their rent goes up or the property’s not well-maintained.”
Alco Management is committed to providing quality, low-cost housing to those who need it the most, with rents based on percentage of income. “We have a Memphis that works really well for people like me who went to private school and are white and privileged,” says Jemison. “I think we need to deeply examine the ways in which that system makes the rest of the city not work for so many people.”
Dante Lizza Lawyer, Bass, Berry & Sims
Originally from rural Pennsylvania, Lizza came to Memphis during his first year of law school in 2019. “I fell in love with the city instantly,” he says. “I think the thing I like the most is just the culture of the city, the spirit of perseverance, grit and grind. People are very proud of the city and want to make it a better place. I’m from a small town, and I went to law school in Washington, so I’ve had the big city experience, and I’ve have the small town experience. For me, Memphis is the perfect balance.”
He currently practices healthcare law, helping pharmacies and clinics comply with regulation, while also providing free legal services for elders in Orange Mound. “I really enjoy getting involved in the local community in Memphis and helping people have access to resources and advice that they otherwise may not be able to get. I know I’m in an incredibly privileged position, and I feel it as my duty to pay it forward.”
Meghan Meadows-Taylor Pre-Award Coordinator, University of Memphis School of Public Health
It was coincidence that Meadows-Taylor earned her Ph.D. in epidemiology just as the coronavirus pandemic was exploding in March 2020. She quickly found herself in charge of a $13 million CDC grant to the Shelby County Health Department to serve under-resourced populations. “It’s been extremely rewarding, seeing the impact of what we do in the community,” she says. “There’s some challenging aspects for sure, dealing with the political aspect. There’s a lot of resistance to change, but I think Memphis is open to making sure we have a healthier community.”
An author of 20 published research papers, she’s only getting started. “Violence prevention is another aspect of public health. We’re trying to build a violence prevention center within the school. … I want to make sure that we can all come together. I think diversity is important, everyone has their place, but we all need to take care of each other.”
Moth Moth Moth Drag Performer
Two weeks after graduating from Memphis College of Art, “I put on a wig and dress and started performing at nightclubs. I’ve had part-time to full-time work doing that ever since my very first gig. I’ve been very lucky.”
That first pro drag show was a benefit for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. “Drag for me is much less about being fierce or whatever. Plenty of people are really good at that. Drag for me is like being a nun or something. It has a huge community service component. The most important people I serve as an entertainer are the lonely people and the people who need connection.”
Moth Moth Moth has become the most recognizable drag figure in the Mid-South, doing events for the Focus Center Foundation and hosting a podcast, Musing with Mothie. But that visibility has come with an increase in harassment and threats from conservatives, and now the Tennessee Legislature is considering legislation that would ban drag performances in public. “Y’all should be focused on making sure that mamas and babies are not starving across the state. They’re mad at me for reading stories to children in a yarn wig? Please.”
Kayla Myers Programmer & Black Creators’ Forum Manager, Indie Memphis
Myers had always loved film, but it wasn’t until she was studying digital storytelling at the University of Missouri that she wanted to make a career out of it. Now, she’s preparing to program short films for her fourth Indie Memphis Film Festival. “I’ve learned so much in my time with Indie Memphis, not just as a person, but thinking a lot about what it means to be a programmer and to advocate for independent filmmakers and especially filmmakers from marginalized backgrounds,” she says. “I’m constantly thinking about ways to expand my own taste, or recognizing that this [film] may not be for me, but I think there’s someone in Memphis who may really enjoy this experience and get something out of it.”
Working on the Black Creators’ Forum has been an especially meaningful experience. “I think it’s really important for Black filmmakers to have a space where they don’t feel like they need to be representing all Black artists, all Black people. … We’re always trying to make sure the Black Creators’ Forum is a space for connection and gathering and warmth, but also honesty about the ways that this industry really works.”
Daniel Stuart Nelson Actor, Director, Choreographer
Since he first auditioned for Playhouse on the Square seven years ago, the Kansas native has appeared on Midtown’s biggest stage 27 times. In the process, he discovered a talent for choreography, made his directorial debut with Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and earned three Ostrander awards. “I got to fill a dream role last season,” he says. “I got to be Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors!”
These days, he splits his time between Playhouse and his position as advertising manager for the Orpheum Theatre. “It’s interesting to have these calls with marketing reps who are from LA or New York or Chicago,” he says. “They want to know about the Memphis market and what’s the best way to spend ad money here. I tell them, try as much as you can to make a personal connection with Memphis. That’s the way to go. Never be fake here.”
Alex Robinson Educator, The Collective Blueprint
“I teach young people about the art of getting jobs,” says Robinson.
A Memphis native, Robinson went to college in North Carolina and decided to enroll in Teach For America when she graduated. “Teach For America sent me back home, which ended up being one of the best things I think could have happened to me.”
After her TFA hitch was up, she moved to The Collective Blueprint. “We work with young adults without college degrees. We help them train for a job field where they’re able to make a living wage. That was really important to me after being an elementary school teacher. I saw just how big an impact poverty has on absolutely everything. You can’t learn if you’re hungry. You can’t learn if you’re stressed. It was really important for me to get into a space where I was able to help combat that economic inequity in this city.”
Kelsey Seiter Project Engineer, Memphis Light, Gas & Water
The Mississippi State graduate is the president of the Memphis chapter of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. At MLGW, she’s a mistress of all trades. “Basically, I do process improvement projects,” she says. “If there’s something at the company that they don’t really know who could tackle it, they ask our group to do it. I’ve done a lot of different types of projects, from workload studies for staffing to cost analysis. Right now, I’m doing a company-wide truck inventory.”
She also finds time to volunteer for the United Way steering committee and MLGW’s Mobile Food Pantry. “When it comes down to it, our biggest mission is to serve the customer,” she says. “I don’t think everybody even realizes that we are not a private company; we’re a public [utility.] We try to do a lot of stuff in the community, like our bottled water drive when we had the boil water advisory, our mobile pantry, and the Share the Pennies program, where we ask people to round up on their bills, and we use that money to weatherize people’s homes.”
Amber Sherman Political Strategist
While Sherman was a student of political science, legal studies at University of Tennessee, Martin, the UT system tried to outsource the jobs of the schools’ maintenance workers. “I organized the first protest there in like 20 years,” she says.
That was the beginning of a lifetime of scholarship and advocacy. “I took an unconventional path from my parents and my family in general,” Sherman says. “They work in government or have stable corporate jobs. I just knew that that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I was really passionate about making a difference in people’s lives, beyond being a teacher or something like that. I really wanted to like be in the action, and be the reason a policy was changed, or writing new laws, or advocating for people. I wanted to be right in the thick of it.”
Sherman has worked on campaigns all over the country, but her greatest visibility is her podcast, The Law According to Amber. “I created the podcast because I like to talk, and I’m passionate about policy and law. It’s a great way for me to explain stuff to people in layman’s terms they can understand, so they don’t feel like they’re being left out.”
Jazmyne Tribble University Relations Coordinator, International Paper
When she was a struggling college freshman, a mentor from STS Enterprise helped Tribble stay in school. Now, she pays it forward as a mentor herself. “I love STS. They’re like a second family to me,” she says. “A lot of young adults in Memphis just don’t have that positive role model who could tell them the ins and outs of what life is like really like after high school, after college. I like being that voice of reason sometimes for students because I think, especially now, you see students who have big dreams and aspirations, but no real guidance, no road map to get there.”
In her role at International Paper, she’s always on the lookout for fresh student talent. “I think there’s a lot of opportunity, and I see Memphis growing all the time, especially in the work that I do. There’s so much potential here, and I want to pay it forward by staying here and doing what I can to help bring the city up.”
Ana Vazquez-Pagan Ph.D. Candidate, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
A native of Puerto Rico, Vazquez-Pagan decided to dedicate herself to medicine after a pregnant family member died in the 2009 influenza epidemic. Now, she researches the effect of pregnancy on vulnerability to infectious disease in one of the most prestigious Ph.D. programs in the country. After defending her thesis this spring, she will be traveling to Ghana as a Fogarty Global Health Fellow to study malaria in pregnant women and infants.
“I’ve always just been innately curious about everything around me, from nature to the way things work. Science allows you to ask questions, the most basic questions we can think of. And research allows you to answer those questions. I love that I get to be creative and ask the questions I’m most interested in, that we think have potentially a very big impact globally as well.”
Oakley Weddle Founder, Jubilant Communications
There aren’t many people Weddle’s age who have started their own PR firm, much less work full-time as marketing manager for an IT firm as large as ProTech Services Group, all while still in school. “I majored in public relations as an undergrad, and I’m getting my master’s right now in journalism and strategic media. So I’m all about communications. I think it’s incredibly important.”
Weddle was homeschooled, and now he runs a theater program for other homeschoolers. “I’m teaching these kids at a young age that it’s important to stand up for themselves, to use their voice,” he says.
The PEYitforward Foundation is a nonprofit he founded with his family after the 2016 death of his brother Peyton, and it recently established a scholarship at the University of Memphis Fogelman College of Business and Economics. “That’s where he went to school,” says Weddle. “He unfortunately was not able to finish college, so we have a scholarship there for people who want to pursue higher education but may not be able to afford it.”
The Focus Center Foundation has named Moth Moth Moth as its new program director.
The Focus Center is a Memphis nonprofit foundation that provides programming for Focus LGBT magazine and the Mid-South community. New programming for the foundation will include expanding The Prism Pages (a literary section in Focus from local queer creative writers), a new local HIV art showcase program to use creativity through the arts to raise awareness, and a new podcast to complement the work in each of these avenues.
Moth Moth Moth, known as Mothie, is a Memphis artist, writer, performer, and programmer. In her career, Mothie has “developed programs for youth, created some of the city’s most favorite drag shows, and has made a cultural impact on the region one hug at a time.”
“Bringing someone unique like Moth on as our program director is sure to bring a new creative element to the LGBT canvas that is the Mid-South,” said Focus founder Ray Rico. “Their work writing, creating art, and performing as visual artists with drag is something that the community embraces.
“The experience in programming Moth brings to us is invaluable and we are so thrilled to bring Moth on board.”
Moth Moth Moth “seeks to find places for people to feel safe, to express, and to move forward as a spiritually beautiful and literally beautiful culture.”
To get in touch, email programs@focuscenterfoundation.org.
Louise Page is releasing her second album, Simple Sugar, this Friday with a show at 831 S. Cooper. This music video for Page’s song “Blue Romance” was directed by Sam Leathers, and stars Page, Moth Moth Moth, Brenda Newport, Jawaun Crawford, Annalisabeth Craig, Michael Laurenzi, Victor Sawyer, and Michael Todd. It’s a gauzy, flower-filled burst of fabulousness. Take a look:
Music Video Monday: Louise Page
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
