The Drag Scene with University Queens
By Rachel Mann
Erica (Ororo) Summers has been performing for 10 years. From national pageants, to clubs in Miami, she’s a veteran of the recently popularized drag scene with a wealth of experience and knowledge. As the longest-running performer at Gainesville’s only gay bar, The University Club (UC), Summers has inspired queens and fans alike all over the country with her skilled performances and genuine demeanor. After a lifelong battle with skin cancer, Summers has learned to appreciate her work as an art form and enjoy life as it comes her way. A male-to-female transgender, Summers volunteers at support groups to ensure young members know there is always a safe way to be who you are on the inside—and there is always someone willing to help.
Responses have been edited for clarity.
Q. Tell me about a time you felt you “made it” in the business.
A. My first time going out of the state of Florida was to do this pageant called Ms. Grand Rapids Power Diva. It’s in Michigan and it was just this big pageant for the girls up there. And I just somehow saw a promo for it and I'm like ‘oh I have time; I have the money; I'm going to go and do it.’ So, I just went up there and did it. I won, lo and behold. And people started recognizing me outside of the state of Florida. And then I started doing a lot of pageants in New York and Atlanta and I've had a lot of travel experience, which is good for me, because, hey, it was fun.
Q. Walk me through the pageant process.
A. So, in drag, it's almost like any other pageant would be; you're putting on a show. I grew up in the pageantry world with my parents and all, so I'm used to putting on a front for people because pageants are all smiles, waves, gestures, posture—everything like that.
Q. It sounds similar to a typical pageant competition. Is that correct?
A. A drag pageant is just the more polished or the best of the best. You want the biggest hair, the most, stones, the best jewelry. And the pageants have different categories. There's usually a presentation which they give you a theme and you present that theme to them. Then you have an evening gown and a Q&A just like any other pageant. Some pageants have what's called swim wear, and it's pretty much whoever models the best and has the best-looking body and talent just like regular pageants.
Q. What’s the difference then between drag pageants and traditional pageants?
A. Drag pageant girls spend a lot more money on drag pageants. The pageant [I did] recently a few weeks ago I had to spend maybe three-thousand-dollars in two days preparing for it. [It’s] a lot of money in a short amount of time but it's worth it because I'm going to the national pageant in March, so I have to get ready for that.
Q. Wow, that’s a lot of money. What do you spend that on?
A. Stones and shoes. I needed new shoes for every category and hair.
Q. What about the costumes?
A. Most drag queens buy stuff. In order to make your stuff you have to have a sewing skill or be very creative. I'm fortunate enough to have a god-mom who was a seamstress so I grew up knowing how to sew. So, when I started performing it was easier for me to figure out how to make costumes versus someone else because all I would do is just look at the seams pretty much. I would turn people's clothes inside out and look at how it was constructed and go home and practice it myself so I know how to make it. So, basically [I’m] a big copycat.
Q. So tell me a little bit about the industry.
A. I know from the history of drag it was very underground thing and it was a way for our feminine flamboyant gay people to express themselves. And then it started becoming a little more mainstream, especially around [19]94 or 95. Around that time RuPaul started her TV show and started releasing music. That opened a lot of people's eyes to drag shows and what drag was about and how pretty makeup could make you. And then over the last, I guess, eight or nine years drag races changed a lot more again, and a lot more people want to do drag now because they see the effect they can make on you and your confidence.
Q. Could you elaborate on how it’s changed over time?
A. There is so much awareness now for drag queens in drag shows that people who normally wouldn't come [to a drag show]—now they want to come so we get a lot of heterosexual males who’ve watched the show with their friends or girlfriends or seen something and they actually enjoy coming to the shows now. Which is cool because before we never really had that. And you get a lot more fans and you see there are so many heterosexual males that come to the show now with their friends and they're usually coming like almost every week. And they enjoy it, just watching the drag and that's different. It's unique.
Erica (Ororo) Summers has been performing for 10 years. From national pageants, to clubs in Miami, she’s a veteran of the recently popularized drag scene with a wealth of experience and knowledge. As the longest-running performer at Gainesville’s only gay bar, The University Club (UC), Summers has inspired queens and fans alike all over the country with her skilled performances and genuine demeanor. After a lifelong battle with skin cancer, Summers has learned to appreciate her work as an art form and enjoy life as it comes her way. A male-to-female transgender, Summers volunteers at support groups to ensure young members know there is always a safe way to be who you are on the inside—and there is always someone willing to help.
Responses have been edited for clarity.
Q. Tell me about a time you felt you “made it” in the business.
A. My first time going out of the state of Florida was to do this pageant called Ms. Grand Rapids Power Diva. It’s in Michigan and it was just this big pageant for the girls up there. And I just somehow saw a promo for it and I'm like ‘oh I have time; I have the money; I'm going to go and do it.’ So, I just went up there and did it. I won, lo and behold. And people started recognizing me outside of the state of Florida. And then I started doing a lot of pageants in New York and Atlanta and I've had a lot of travel experience, which is good for me, because, hey, it was fun.
Q. Walk me through the pageant process.
A. So, in drag, it's almost like any other pageant would be; you're putting on a show. I grew up in the pageantry world with my parents and all, so I'm used to putting on a front for people because pageants are all smiles, waves, gestures, posture—everything like that.
Q. It sounds similar to a typical pageant competition. Is that correct?
A. A drag pageant is just the more polished or the best of the best. You want the biggest hair, the most, stones, the best jewelry. And the pageants have different categories. There's usually a presentation which they give you a theme and you present that theme to them. Then you have an evening gown and a Q&A just like any other pageant. Some pageants have what's called swim wear, and it's pretty much whoever models the best and has the best-looking body and talent just like regular pageants.
Q. What’s the difference then between drag pageants and traditional pageants?
A. Drag pageant girls spend a lot more money on drag pageants. The pageant [I did] recently a few weeks ago I had to spend maybe three-thousand-dollars in two days preparing for it. [It’s] a lot of money in a short amount of time but it's worth it because I'm going to the national pageant in March, so I have to get ready for that.
Q. Wow, that’s a lot of money. What do you spend that on?
A. Stones and shoes. I needed new shoes for every category and hair.
Q. What about the costumes?
A. Most drag queens buy stuff. In order to make your stuff you have to have a sewing skill or be very creative. I'm fortunate enough to have a god-mom who was a seamstress so I grew up knowing how to sew. So, when I started performing it was easier for me to figure out how to make costumes versus someone else because all I would do is just look at the seams pretty much. I would turn people's clothes inside out and look at how it was constructed and go home and practice it myself so I know how to make it. So, basically [I’m] a big copycat.
Q. So tell me a little bit about the industry.
A. I know from the history of drag it was very underground thing and it was a way for our feminine flamboyant gay people to express themselves. And then it started becoming a little more mainstream, especially around [19]94 or 95. Around that time RuPaul started her TV show and started releasing music. That opened a lot of people's eyes to drag shows and what drag was about and how pretty makeup could make you. And then over the last, I guess, eight or nine years drag races changed a lot more again, and a lot more people want to do drag now because they see the effect they can make on you and your confidence.
Q. Could you elaborate on how it’s changed over time?
A. There is so much awareness now for drag queens in drag shows that people who normally wouldn't come [to a drag show]—now they want to come so we get a lot of heterosexual males who’ve watched the show with their friends or girlfriends or seen something and they actually enjoy coming to the shows now. Which is cool because before we never really had that. And you get a lot more fans and you see there are so many heterosexual males that come to the show now with their friends and they're usually coming like almost every week. And they enjoy it, just watching the drag and that's different. It's unique.