GREENWOOD — On the first night of Pride Month in central Indiana, hundreds of people came together to see some of their favorite drag queens perform.
The touring, outdoor show, Drive'N Drag Saves 2021 made a stop in Greenwood. Pop tunes filled the air as fans welcomed the queens as many of them relied on their performances to help them through the toughest months of the pandemic.
"There's been so much during the pandemic," Nolan Chaddon said. "It's something to look forward to and get you through when life is really hard and you can't see people."
Before events like Drive'N Drag were created, many of these performers were doing virtual events and encouraging fans to watch them on RuPaul's Drag Race.
"I loved watching it especially when I was in quarantine. That was something that was the peak of my day and definitely gave me some motivation to get moving" Chaniya Williams said.
"I watched it with my family every week as episodes came out. It's just really great to open people's eyes to drag and gender expression," Wyatt Abston added.
Gottmik, fresh off the latest season of RuPaul's Drag Race where she placed in the top four and made history as the first trans man to compete on the show, talked about being one of the queens for Drive 'N Drag Saves 2021.
"I remember watching it at the start of the pandemic and I was dreaming about being on it and now I'm here, I'm on it and it's so amazing," Gottmik said.
For performers like drag queens, the pandemic has been tough. It closed clubs which is how most of them make their money. It's why events like Drive 'N Drag were created, allowing them to safely make money and connecting them to people who they inspire. It brings together the LGBTQ+ community and their allies and it's something that's not lost on Gottmik.
"Everyone is so excited to be here. There's such an amazing fan base. There's such an amazing group of queer culture in every city we've been to."
One more show is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2 at the Greenwood Park Mall. Click here to find ticket and event information.
