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Lectures And Lashes: The Life Of A Collegiate Drag Queen

Malik Welton | February 20, 2020

Topics: Dae Newman, drag, drag performers, drag queens, Equality VCU, Francisco Ramirez, Ivanna Vakavich, LGBTQ students, Q collective, richmond pride, richmond va, RVA, VCU Queer Research And Advocacy Center

For VCU student Francisco Ramirez, aka Ivanna Vakavich, performing in drag helps him stay confident and express Pride in bold, fearless fashion.

“Drag makes me feel like a superhero.” In front of piles of makeup laid across a bathroom counter, Francisco Ramirez begins to tell me about his own journey. 

“I could care less what anyone tells me. If my own family doesn’t support it, I don’t care,” he said. “I want to follow my dreams, and yes I’m a student, and yes I get stressed, but I love it so much.”

Ramirez is a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is majoring in Spanish by day, but by night, he’s a drag queen who goes by the name Ivanna Vakavich. Ramirez describes his drag persona as “stunning and punk at the same time. She proves anyone can be confident in any size.”

Ramirez is a larger than life personality. He can be seen walking around the VCU campus frequently speaking to people, a huge smile always across his face. Unlike his makeup, though, his reasons for starting to do drag aren’t a pretty story.

“I started doing drag because of a major depression,” he said.  “A falling out with my mother had caused me to feel lost, afraid, and alone. A trip to a beauty supply store and buying a wig changed my life forever; I felt like a brand new person.” 

He now performs in different competitions and shows around Richmond, and describes the Richmond drag scene as a “sisterhood.”

“Even though Richmond isn’t as big a city, such as New York City or Los Angeles, we’re a tight-knit unit. We aren’t afraid to help each other and give each other the critiques we need to be better,” he said. “Some people are really good at makeup, some people are good at dancing — it’s all how you work together that matters.”

He also appreciates his double life as a student and a drag queen. “I’m able to grow in more ways than one,” he said. “I have a bunch of different interests, and I’m able to do them and grow holistically. It’s important to get your education. If anything, it might help your drag career!”

According to the National LGBTQ Task Force, “20% of college students fear for their physical safety due to their gender identity or their perceived sexual orientation.” Ramirez understands, but his advice to these students is to “live in your truth.”

“Don’t hold back from who you are, and don’t let people talk you down,” he said. “Hang around people who are supportive and can give you real genuine advice. Help each other out.”

However, Ramirez also feels that VCU offers a more accepting community than students at other colleges might find. “I could go to class in full drag and be like, ‘Yep! I’m here!’ and nobody would say a thing,” he said. “You can’t do that everywhere.”

“For many students, college may be the first opportunity they have to meet other LGBTQ+ people or live authentically,” said Dae Newman, a VCU professor who is one of the co-chairs of Equality VCU. Newman agrees that VCU presents a positive community for LGBTQ students, and emphasizes how important that truly is.

“The presence of inclusive policies, resources, and strong campus communities can also be a consideration for people when selecting a school,” they said. “The success and popularity of events such as Lavender Graduation is a testament to how strong VCU’s LGBTQ+ community is.”

Newman is also very proud of the footsteps VCU is taking to becoming more inclusive going forward. “Equality VCU is particularly excited about the development of the Queer Research and Advocacy Center, known as the Q Collective,” they said. “We think that having a dedicated LGBTQ+ center on campus is a great step in the right direction.”

As the LGBTQ community gains in acceptance every day, LGBTQ culture also becomes more mainstream. Television shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, Queer Eye, and Pose put the LGBTQ community in the forefront of the nation’s television screens. Now more than ever, Pride festivals, parades, and events are more common across the globe; drag and voguing have become celebrated art forms. More people are coming in contact with the LGBTQ community in their day to day life. However, as Pride season becomes more commercialized, LGBTQ community history is increasingly pushed aside and forgotten.

Ramirez believes it is the community’s responsibility to keep this history alive — and he sees that as especially true of drag queens. “We are literally the representation of Pride,” he said. “We are what comes to people’s mind when they think of pride. Pride is being yourself. Pride is about being proud of who you are.”

Ramirez particularly enjoys when people outside the community comes to performances and Pride events. “People come up to me all the time and say ‘I didn’t know you did drag!’ It’s all about representation. That what changes the game and makes it better and safer for all.”

One of Ramirez’s classmates and coworkers is a testament to this. Josh Robinson, a Junior at VCU studying Mass Communications became friends with Ramirez through working together. “Francisco is an accepting person,” said Robinson. “I grew up in a very limited, closed-minded community. The LGBT+ community was frowned upon, and people were not very accepting.”

However, seeing Ramirez perform in drag opened him up to a whole new world. “Experiencing drag and watching my friend perform gave me a better insight into the culture,” he said. “Seeing Francisco perform only made our friendship stronger, and helped me learn more.”

For anyone trying to juggle their dreams and their day-to-day responsibilities, Ramirez stands an example and inspiration. Ivanna Vakavich can be found performing in different bars in the Richmond area; keep up with her on Facebook.

Photos by Malik Welton

Queens Of Color Take Center Stage

Allison Tovey | February 13, 2020

Topics: Amber St. Lexington, Black Girl Magic, Chicki Parm, drag, drag performers, drag queens, Fallout, female rappers, Harlot Schmarlot, Jasleane Jade, Javon Love Lopez, Melanin Monroe, Niche Brand, queens of color, richmond drag queens, The Vixen

With Black Girl Magic, Melanin Monroe has created a series of drag shows exclusively featuring queens of color. The next edition, featuring The Vixen from RuPaul’s Drag Race, comes to Fallout on Sunday.

Richmond drag queen Melanin Monroe is preparing for the second show in her Black Girl Magic series, Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers, at Fallout RVA on Sunday, February 16. The show’s cast features only queens of color, including a special guest, The Vixen from season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Along with The Vixen and host Melanin Monroe, Richmond-based drag queens Niche Brand, Jasleane Jade, and Harlot Schmarlot, along with cast members Amber St. Lexington and Javon Love Lopez, are set to perform to a lively playlist celebrating the iconic women of rap and hip hop. 

“I wanted to see a show that exclusively was hosted by, and only booked black queens. While there’s a lot of diversity in the Richmond drag scene right now, I feel like there’s something very special about an all-black show,” Monroe said. “I want the takeaway from the show to be that there are so many different kinds of black entertainers that are out here killing it.” 

Monroe’s Black Girl Magic series began in December 2019 with a show dedicated to Beyoncé, also at Fallout RVA. Featured performers included Monroe, cast members Amber St. Lexington and Javon Love Lopez, and Alexis Breeden Kelly performing to and dressing as the iconic performer. The show took place on World AIDS Day and a portion of the proceeds was donated to Nationz Foundation, a charity Monroe works with often. The event was an immediate success, and Monroe got right to work planning and promoting her next show. Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers was announced only a few weeks later. 

“The planning process was fairly simple in my head, but putting those ideas into action was a little more difficult,” Monroe said. “My mind was darting between so many different things, especially with this being the second edition of the show. I really wanted to take it over the top.”

The Vixen (via Facebook)

And Monroe is doing just that. This show promises to be even bigger and beater with more performers, more female illusions, and of course, with a very special guest. The Vixen placed 7th on season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2018 and immediately became a standout due to her unapologetic activism. During her time in the competition, she worked towards creating a conversation about racism within the structure of the show and its many fans. In 2016, The Vixen began her successful Black Girl Magic series in her hometown of Chicago. Eager to encourage other Black Girl Magic drag shows, The Vixen is currently hard at work traveling across the country to support local black drag queens starting their own Black Girl Magic series. 

 “The booking process was very exciting! The Vixen has been nothing but kind and professional. The Vixen runs her own Black Girl Magic shows across the country as well,” said Monroe. “Fun fact: Chicki Parm actually told me several times to reach out to The Vixen. Chicki mentioned how she saw an interview about how The Vixen stated she’s always open to showing support to local Black Girl Magic shows. I had some friends tag me in a tweet of hers about where she could bring Black Girl Magic to next. I responded to it and the next thing I know, she was booked for my show.”

Monroe’s Black Girl Magic series aims to create space and opportunities for black drag queens, and in doing so fosters an environment of inclusivity, support, and joy. Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers not only celebrates local black drag queens, but the trailblazing divas who inspire them. The outpouring of positivity from the performers, the audience, and the venue make Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers a show you don’t want to miss. 

The pre-show meet and greet will begin at 8 pm with the show starting at 9. A membership to Fallout RVA is not required, though the venue is 18+. Admission starts at $15, with a meet-and-greet available for an additional cost. Tickets are available at Eventbrite. For more info, click here.

Top Photo courtesy Melanin Monroe

The Clown Queen of Drag Lands in Richmond This Week

Ash Griffith | October 16, 2019

Topics: Bianca Del Rio, drag, It's Jester Joke, rupauls drag race, The National

Bianca Del Rio brings her It’s Jester Joke to The National this Thursday. You Drag Race lovers out there have no choice but to stan.

Fall 2019 has been nothing if not a badass time to be a clown. Pennywise has brought in bank at the box office around the world, Joker is funneling award buzz in the first full week that it has been out, and now the crowned clown queen of drag is making her way back to the River City.

You read that correctly, my fellow Drag Racers. Bianca Del Rio is coming back to The National this Thursday as part of her It’s Jester Joke tour. Rio, whose real name is Roy Haylock, originally got her start as a costume designer before finding worldwide fame as the winner of the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Logo. Rio has undoubtedly done a lot since then, but wherever she goes one thing remains the same – the Drag Race fanbase has remained nothing but positive and supportive for her and the other queens, especially in Richmond.

“You go where the people are [and] you people have been good to me,” said Rio. “It just seems to work out that I’m [in Richmond] each time I tour, and for me any time a [city] is that welcoming, sign me up.”

Bianca Del Rio at Dragcon 2018, by DVSROSS, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

It has been ten years since her season of Drag Race aired and much like time, drag has continued to evolve and change. Not only the art itself, but also the public’s perception and depiction of it in popular culture, has evolved as time has progressed. Rio is excited to see where it goes.

“I pray its working its way into mainstream, but like anything in our society, things come and go,” said Rio. “I think people look forward to entertainment, and I’m glad to see that the show is winning Emmys and getting recognized. When I started out, you had to find drag queens in a bar or a cabaret theater. Very few were successful, like Jim Bailey or Charles Pierce, so it’s exciting to see it evolve as it has.”

It’s hard to ignore that drag and RuPaul’s Drag Race are actually everywhere, a part of everyone’s vernacular, from the show itself to individual queens such as Alyssa Edwards and Trixie Mattel coming out with makeup lines with high profile names like Anastasia Beverly Bills and SugarPill, respectively. The high profile of Rio’s tour is yet another piece of the overall success. It’s a long, far cry from our VHS copies of The Birdcage and now-cringey episodes of Will and Grace, for sure.

But is drag having a moment right now? I think so, and Rio is definitely on board with me, especially when we try to imagine a world with any kind of art or entertainment that has never been touched by an LGBTQ person. How tragic. 

“Try to put someting on without a gay person, without a drag queen,” said Rio. “But to be fair, a huge credit goes to Drag Race because it showcases people and makes it accessible to the average person. I think [people] start to see the differences in our community and that we’re not so threatening, and this is our uniform.”

Part of the reason why Rio is so unanimously popular among the Drag Race fandom, and outside of it, is undeniably her sense of humor. Her approach is unapologetic, dry, and painfully honest. However, when we think of the most popular buzz phrase of our culture right now – cancel culture – I had to ask. Has she ever regretted any jokes she has done?

That gets a hard no.

“Absolutely not,” said Rio. “The minute you start apologizing or deflecting from what a joke is and what makes you funny is when you lose credibility. Everyone may not agree with you, and that is okay, and you can still live your life and function.”

Rio is no stranger to Richmond, and her fans are anxiously awaiting the Queen Jester’s arrival in Richmond. Her shows are undeniably unique, but what if you have never experienced one before? She has very simple advice that also acts as pretty straightforward general life advice.

“Expect the unexpected, have a glass, and unwind,” said Rio.

Bianca Del Rio’s “It’s Jester Joke” tour comes to The National this Thursday, October 17th at 8p. Tickets are $39.50 and can be purchased at The National’s website.

The Freedom of Drag: Ongina’s Charismatic Evolution

Allison Tovey | September 25, 2019

Topics: drag, drag performers, drag queens, Fall 2019 Pride Guide, haute couture, HIV awareness, Ongina, rupauls drag race, Ryan Ong Palao, va pride, VA PrideFest

Our 2019 Fall Pride Guide, in collaboration with VA Pride, comes out at PrideFest Saturday! In this article from the magazine, we talk to RuPaul’s Drag Race star Ongina, who will appear onstage at VA PrideFest this weekend!

Small in stature and bursting with star power, RuPaul’s Drag Race standout Ongina will take the stage with pride at the 2019 VA PrideFest.

Ongina, the stage name of Ryan Ong Palao, appeared on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009, skyrocketing her career and solidifying her status as a bona fide drag legend. She instantly set herself apart with her inventive, avant-garde fashion and the resilient positivity that she has come to symbolize.

“Ongina is very inspired by fashion and art,” said Ongina. “I normally use my bald head as a canvas for headpieces. Sometimes I’ll wear wigs, but no hair at all is kind of my trademark as a drag queen.”

Ongina’s resistance towards boxing herself into a specific style of drag is what keeps her moving forward, unbeholden to branding or expectation. Every look she turns out aims to surprise and inspire, and even after decades in the drag spotlight, she never fails to impress.

Ongina began experimenting with drag in 2001 by creating genderbending club-kid looks inspired by her immersion in raver culture while growing up in Seattle. It wasn’t until 2005, after she had moved to New York City and was working at the drag queen cabaret restaurant Lucky Cheng’s that she began doing female illusion.

“Now I’ve evolved to more of a full-fledged drag queen,” Ongina said. “But I’m always trying not to lose too much of my originality; where I’ve come from, how I’ve grown, and what my life has seen, traveled through, and become.”

The evolution of Ongina is evident; she is constantly moving forward, managing a drag career for over a decade without ever stagnating or losing the excitement that originally drew her to drag.

“I always try to challenge myself to elevate my drag and my persona by constantly trying different things and not being afraid of the risks I want to take,” she said. “I always want to do something different, to think outside the box.”

Ongina radiates charisma and stage presence, but making a career out of performing was never something she aspired to until she was launched into the public eye after her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“I had a really successful career as a visual merchandiser, creating visual aesthetics in retail spaces. Then, I wanted to be an interior designer,” she said. “Drag was something I always did alongside those other things and now, it has evolved into something bigger and more of a business.”

While it has become her career in recent years, Ongina has never lost sight of the joy that brought her to drag in the first place.

“It’s something that I do truly enjoy doing, so it hasn’t felt like a responsibility to stay alive and pay my bills. I find it to still be artistic and fun,” she said. “Drag, for me, is an evolution of inspirations in my head that come from fashion, art, and pop culture. I’m able to translate that into my drag persona in a visual way, and that’s what’s so exciting to me. Drag can be anything; it changes and challenges. I love every aspect of that because I get to create, and creating is what I love to do.”

Each look Ongina crafts is bursting with innovation and artistry. Pulling from haute couture, visual art, and even interior design, the blending of inspiration and reference points ensure that Ongina’s drag is always new and individual.

“Being such a visual person and loving fashion was my first inspiration, it’s what drew me to drag. And second was the freedom I feel when I’m in drag and performing,” she said. “It’s an incredible feeling. It’s such an outlet.”

Her performance style, like her personality, is equal parts bubbly and edgy, effortlessly dancing through energetic choreography and flirtatiously sauntering across the stage, smiling at the cheering crowd.

“I get nervous. I get excited. I get a rush. I get exhausted. I get fulfilled,” she said. “Performing is one of the best feelings, when you are on stage and the audience loves you back. If I love my fans and if they love me back, that means I’m doing something right for them.”

Now, she is bringing drag into the forefront of her life, choosing to focus on drag as a full-time job. Turning a passion into a business can be tricky; it leaves space for stagnation and detachment. But Ongina takes these challenges on, headpieces first, by always keeping her eye on what’s next. She cites her love of performing to the newest radio hits as one of the ways she focuses on staying on trend… but with a twist that keeps true to her individualism.

“I try to stay relevant by reimagining some of the visual aspects of what I present on social media and in my life,” Ongina said. “Top 40’s gives me so much inspiration for my drag, to keep it new, fresh, and culturally relevant. I love Top 40’s, anything super fun and high energy. I like to believe I can dance, that I have rhythm. I know I’ll never be a pop princess, so that’s what I emulate on stage.”

Given the breakneck speed of the social media world, relevance is everything. Drag is quickly moving from the underground into the mainstream, and with Drag Race’s ever-growing audience, queens have more opportunities and bigger fan bases than ever before.

“Drag used to be taboo, and it used to be something people didn’t fully understand or accept,” Ongina said. “Now that it’s at the forefront of pop culture and social media, the audience is so much bigger, and they’re starting to understand more of what drag is.”

As drag, and Drag Race, grows in popularity, she works in equal measure to grow her audience and appeal to those new to the world of drag, while still keeping true to herself and the aesthetic that propelled her career when she first appeared on the show.

RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered on February 2, 2009, marking Ongina’s television debut. Though only appearing in five competitive episodes of the season, she quickly became a fan favorite for her avant-garde runway looks and strong performances in weekly challenges.

“Competing in season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race definitely opened my eyes to what my drag career could become,” said Ongina. “Coming into the competition and seeing the likes of Shannel, Nina Flowers, Tammy Brown — it gave the perspective for me that drag is truly so multidimensional. It’s not one thing or the other.”

“That really helped in creating Ongina now,” she continued. “I’m able to adopt that mentality and show people my versatility and the dimensions of drag that I can offer.”

It’s that adaptability and welcoming of change that has made Ongina so exciting to watch. On Drag Race, she demonstrated that she was ready to rise to any occasion and exceed all expectations while doing it. Experimental and endlessly watchable, her time on the show was enough to cement her drag legacy forever.

A defining moment from season one was Ongina speaking out about being HIV positive. In episode four, the queens filmed commercials for Mac Viva Glam, a makeup line that collaborated with RuPaul to create a campaign giving all of the lipstick’s proceeds to funds helping those living with HIV and AIDS. After winning the episode with a whimsical and uplifting commercial, Ongina tearfully revealed her HIV positive status, making for one of the most memorable and emotional points in the history of the show.

Her message of celebrating life spoke to viewers around the world and launched her into a role of advocacy for HIV awareness.

“Coming out as being HIV positive has given me an amazing platform to be somewhat of an accidental activist for HIV and AIDS,” said Ongina. “It’s something I took on and am proud of doing.”

Taking on a more active role in HIV/AIDS awareness and advocacy was something she found much easier once she had come out about her own status.

“Because of what happened on my season and coming out, it has helped me to be more open and talk more about the virus,” she said. “At that time in my life, in 2008, there wasn’t a lot of exposure and conversation surrounding HIV and AIDS. Being that I was given this platform, I’m happy to speak on it so I can continue to inspire people. Life truly is a celebration, no matter what unfortunate circumstances come into your life. I think that’s the message I convey in my drag… immersing yourself in what is good in your life, and really celebrating that.”

The joy that Ongina emanates and encourages is palpable. That joy is in her outfits, where artistry and boundlessness create looks full of excitement and love of the craft. That joy is in her smile mid-performance as she shares herself on stage. That joy is in each audience member, new or years-long, invited to join in on the celebration of life that Ongina embodies.

Future-focused as ever, Ongina has no plans of slowing down. She has so much more to give, to design, to say, and to explore.

“Now that I am somewhat of a TV personality and working as a drag queen, I aspire to continue working until someone tells me it’s over,” Ongina said. “I’m going to continue working, continue evolving and learning, and challenge myself, so I can showcase the best of me and what I want to give. That’s the goal — to continue to do what I love. And hopefully the audience loves it as much as I do.”

Chicki Parm: The Comedy Queen of Richmond

Allison Tovey | July 31, 2019

Topics: chase keech, Chicki Parm, comedian, comedy, drag, drag comedian, drag queen, drag shows, entertainment, extra cheese, Fallout, fallout rva, LGBTQ, local drag, local shows, performances, richmond drag queens, rupaul, rupauls drag race, trixie mattel, wicked wednesdays

Local drag performer Chicki Parm focuses on the funny, hosting a monthly comedy show in Richmond between tours across the country.

Chase Keech has turned his love of drag and comedy into a full-time career performing as Richmond’s drag star Chicki Parm. 

“I would have never guessed I’d get to be a full-time drag queen. My wildest dreams have already been shattered with drag,” Keech said. “I used to do drag goals for every drag birthday. I used to write out fifteen to twenty quantifiable goals, but I don’t even do that anymore. I would break them beyond my wildest dreams.” 

Keech was introduced to the world of drag in 2014 after meeting a drag queen at a house party. A natural-born performer, he was immediately drawn to drag. 

“It was so new to me. From there, I binged RuPaul’s Drag Race and I saw that there was a real lack in the Richmond scene of the kind of drag queen that I was always drawn to — which is a comedian, a comedy queen,” Keech said, “I saw a path for myself, started drag, and became the comedy queen of Richmond.” 

Keech had been working in IT at the DMV at the time, and he balanced his two worlds for over three years while he worked all day and performed all night. As Keech’s popularity rose and the bookings became more frequent, however, doing both was no longer an option. In November of 2018, Keech made the decision to quit his day job and to fully pursue his dreams of performing, turning his passion into a thriving career. 

“With drag, it’s only as much of a business as you make it. If you’re just doing gigs and not thinking about the bigger picture of what you’re doing, you’re not really trying to profit, then you don’t see much of a profit. Very early on into starting drag, I knew that’s what I wanted to do: do it for work,” Keech said. “I just have to be very business savvy with it all. You have to be very strategic; you can’t say yes to everything all the time. I have to be picky about what I do on the weekends because those are my big money-making days. And then I have merch — I’m able to sell a patron something besides my performance. You really have to go about it with a business mindset.” 

That ambition is what’s taking Keech all over the country as he travels state-to-state hosting and performing, as well as hosting multiple shows all over Richmond. He hosts Quenched Wednesdays every week at Thirsty’s RVA, as well as his own monthly show at Fallout, Extra Cheese, which features both drag performers and stand-up comedians. 

Keech pitched the idea for Extra Cheese when he was in the cast at Fallout’s Wicked Wednesdays shows as a drag stand-up comedian. This August 12th will be the third anniversary of the show, which falls on Keech’s 25th birthday. 

“It’s really nice to be able to have a show dedicated to the art forms I love, and dedicated to me being silly on the mic. My single favorite thing about drag is being on the mic and just killing a joke. That is better than performing or anything to me,” Keech said. “I always tell myself that my job is to be a comedian, and drag is the avenue through which I do my job. Drag is how I do my comedy.” 

Keech’s comedic chops are a huge part of the Chicki Parm persona, as well as his defined aesthetic. 

“I have tried very hard to create a brand, a color palette,” Keech said. “I want you to be able to look at me and say, oh, that’s a very ‘Chicki’ look.” 

When creating a look, Keech often draws on themes of futurism mixed with classic drag elements, like outrageous curves and head-to-toe rhinestones, all inside the strict color scheme Keech has set for himself. 

“I only wear three colors of hair: baby pink, platinum blonde, and silver. I only wear orange, blue, pink, black, and red,” Keech said. “I try to be consistent.” 

Among his influences are Bob The Drag Queen, the season 8 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Nicki Minaj — whom Keech cites as his “problematic fave.” 

His love of Nicki Minaj is what landed him with the drag name Chicki Parm, a name that has received lots of attention recently after Trixie Mattel of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame shouted out the fun and campy name. 

“Chicki came from my boy name, Chase, plus Nicki Minaj. So I sat on Chicki for a while and then one day I was watching Parks & Rec and there’s a bit where Aziz Ansari calls Chicken Parmesan ‘Chicki Chicki Parm Parm.’ I just thought, ‘ohmygod that’s me,’” Keech said, “And there’s so much I can do with it; Extra Cheese, and my merch with the spaghetti demons. I can do Italian-inspired numbers. I love my schtick. And so does Trixie, I guess.” 

The name Chicki Parm completes the strong branding that Keech has always aimed for in his drag career. 

“I think I’m unique in that I knew what I wanted to be, coming in to drag. I have a lot of people tell me, ‘I saw what you were doing early on and it’s been cool to see you polish it up.’ Even my colors, I knew early on,” Keech said. “It’s been such a cool journey, being able to develop that and grow with that. I really think it’s important, if you want to make it, to have a brand. People are weirded out by that word, or don’t understand, but it’s really so important to know who you are.” 

Keech’s performance style as Chicki is engaging, hilarious, and intentionally individual. He keeps an audience on their toes and playing along, even promising to scream in your face if you tip higher than a one-dollar bill — much to the delight of everyone watching. The Chicki Parm persona is defined and marketed, but never disingenuous, and always a great time. 

Chicki Parm is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the Richmond drag scene, and Keech shows no signs of stopping. 

All Photos courtesy Chicki Parm

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