The opinion that the drag queens shared with me in the bar were a common opinion I found when I started performing. Picture of “Ace” vs Ashley by the author Drag kings have been around almost as long as drag queens, but are often treated very differently. Every drag king that they had seen was just a girl dressed up like Justin Timberlake humping the air and jumping around. The other performers, all of who were queens, pointed out that a lot of drag kings didn’t get put in the show at the bar because they weren’t convincing enough or they didn’t stand out. Ty was super nice and answered all of my questions, even took me backstage to meet the other performers. I’m sure to Ty, I seemed like a wannabe at the time, but I was completely serious about learning everything could about transforming myself into a drag king. There were women who did this, and it was nothing short of fucking fantastic.Īfter their first set, I bought Ty Er Up a drink and then waited for the girls that flocked toward him to fall away so I could ask him some questions. It was phenomenal and presented this unique ray of light into the world I was longing to be in. He mimicked bending a girl over and dancing behind her, his hands motioning as if they were smacking her ass while they danced. His hips rocked back and forth to the music, grinding to the beat. Ty Er Up’s movements on stage are what girls want men to move like. There was makeup dotted along his lower cheeks and jawline that looked like a five o’clock shadow.
![the garden des moines gay bar the garden des moines gay bar](https://img-aws.ehowcdn.com/700x/cdn.onlyinyourstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/42952675582_e4be5c7c69_k-700x525.jpg)
His face was contoured to make his features seem more masculine. For the first number, he wore baggy jeans and a graphic t-shirt. His long hair, which when not performing he normally wore down, was pulled up into a hat. The illusion was just as spot as any of the drag queens. A few weekends after seeing Madison and the other Garden cast performers, I saw Ty Er Up perform for the first time. Ty Er Up was the only drag king that was invited to perform with the cast on a semi-regular basis. Seeing my first drag king was even more worthwhile. Sitting in the crowd all I could think was, “I want to do this.” But that night there were only queens on stage and as a cisgender female, I didn’t know if there was a place for me in that glitter-filled world. I started singing and dancing in high school and missed doing both as an adult. The lights lit up the gems on her gown, casting flickers of light all around the room like a disco ball. She turned and twirled, mouthing every word of the song right on time.
![the garden des moines gay bar the garden des moines gay bar](https://img-aws.ehowcdn.com/700x/cdn.onlyinyourstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/15308495149_34b60813ea_k-700x467.jpg)
Boys and girls, theys and thems alike walked to the front to hand her a dollar bill. When it was time to perform, Madison handed her mic to someone off stage, and she started lip-syncing to a Cher song.
![the garden des moines gay bar the garden des moines gay bar](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/cc043316-a095-44de-bf2e-b29e869e7340_1.4b0687fc8cc0f0ebf36701c475991f32.jpeg)
Right in front was a bachelorette party that cheered and wailed every time a queen walked on the stage. There were groups of women out to dance and have a good time without having to worry about straight men hitting on them. As it is in almost every gay bar, a large portion of the crowd was straight. She was funny, cracking jokes and connecting with the crowd. The curtains parted and Madison walked on stage in a sparkling ballgown with a microphone in hand to host the show. She was happy to show me around and introduce me to her friend group.Įven though I was there to meet Jen’s friends, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the stage. My girlfriend at the time, Jen, was familiar with the gay bar scene in Des Moines. It was the first time I had ever been to a gay bar, only fresh out of the closet at the age of twenty-two. Her name was Madison Cavalier and she was a cast regular at one of the few gay bars in Des Moines, Iowa, called The Garden Nightclub.
![the garden des moines gay bar the garden des moines gay bar](http://diaspora-project.org/img/gay-bars-in-des-moines-iowa-3.jpg)
The first time I saw a drag queen, I was enamored.