"Pride is a protest" for Portland drag queen Flawless Shade
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Flawless Shade has been performing around Portland for a decade. Photo: Courtesy of Flawless Shade
Drag entertainer and former Miss Gay Oregon Flawless Shade emerged on Portland's queer nightlife scene nearly a decade ago. Since then, the pandemic contributed to the closures of many iconic gay bars — a blow to the city's once-lively entertainment industry.
Why it matters: Despite the surge in anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the country, many in Portland's queer community see the month of June as a time for celebration — and empowerment.
What she's saying: "Pride is a protest," Flawless Shade tells Axios. "We have to go out there and keep fighting for self-expression."
Flashback: Since she first began performing as a "bar queen" in 2014, Flawless Shade has seen a huge increase in the number of drag performers in Portland, largely thanks to the popularity of cultural phenomena like "RuPaul's Drag Race."
- However, Portland has lost dozens of queer-owned businesses and spaces in the last decade — and the loss was only compounded by the pandemic.
Details: Fewer gay bars mean fewer opportunities for drag performers, who already struggle to receive fair pay for their work, something Flawless Shade passionately advocates for.
- She says low pay, exacerbated by the pandemic, is a real struggle. "And then with inflation, we're fighting for $15 even though $15 isn't going to pay for anything."
Meanwhile, as much as Portland is a "sanctuary" for many in the LGBTQ+ community, she added, there has been an increase in safety concerns in recent weeks.
Context: This past weekend, a drag queen story time was canceled at the Tigard Public Library "due to repeated threats of violence."
- In May, a Portland elementary school canceled its after-school Pride event, which included drag shows and self-defense demonstrations, after receiving threats by social media and phone.
The bottom line: Flawless Shade believes drag is not going anywhere.
- "Drag was the thing that gave me power for myself," she said. "I don't have to fit into anyone's narrative. I could fully step into something that was all me."
Of note: Although the official Portland Pride Waterfront Festival, hosted by Pride Northwest, takes place July 15–16, dozens of events will take place in the weeks leading up to it.
- Flawless Shade will perform Thursday night at Sissy Bar, hosted by reigning Miss Sweetheart Silhouette, and compete for Miss Gay Pride at Portland Center Stage on July 9.