Drag 101 in Mesa

By Bobby Beverly

“What is a drag mom?” “How do drag queens do their make-up?” “Where does the term drag come from?” Anyone who’s watched a drag show or seen Rupaul’s Drag Race has asked these questions, but rarely are we able to sit with a performer and pick their brain for an hour. This past Thursday (10/11), the Mesa group was lead by youth volunteer and burgeoning queen Patrick Notah. The theme was “Drag 101” and Patrick answered all of our questions, giving us an insider’s look at everything drag. Outside of the all the details that can only be shared by a female or male impersonator, Patrick also let us in on some of the lessons the art has taught him. As he wrapped up the night Patrick told us that a recurring theme for queens and kings is “fake it ‘till you make it,” a lesson as surely applicable to life as it is to drag.