When it comes to the art of drag in Dallas, there is nothing more of a cultural staple than what we’ve come to expect from our hometown’s dazzling performers.
In the city’s historic Gayborhood, the first LGBTQ space to have its own Texas Historical Marker, drag is its centerpiece. So if you’ve been within a block of Oak Lawn Avenue, you know the vibes. Think big hair, pageant-style gowns, high kicks, splits and cruel jokes at the expense of the straight bridal party who have found their way into the Rose Room on a Friday night. Texas-size drag is what makes Dallas proud.
But is there a space outside of the glitz, glam and high fashion we’ve come to expect? Dallas-based performer Bleach is daring to find out.
The drag crusader, who performs at the Rose Room and other venues across DFW, is expressing a unique form of the medium heavily influenced by the era of Paris, Britney, Lindsay and pink Razr flip phones.
Born in East Texas and raised on a farm, Bleach graduated from high school at the age of 16 and left her hometown hoping to get away from a crippling environment that stunted her ability to express herself. Growing up at the height of the new millennium, she found an outlet in the era’s pop culture.
Remember Britney’s denim dress at the MTV Video Music Awards or The Simple Life starring socialite and hotel heiress Paris Hilton and nepo baby Nicole Richie? What about the iconic Anna Nicole Smith, who found her way out of a small southern town to become a blonde bombshell who prided herself on being unapologetically herself? Bleach does and blends it into her brand– a nod to that queer child who found an outlet in the glitz, glam and blonde bombshell era.
“All my inspirations in life growing up as this little gay kid were these insane, bodacious blondes who I was always told were trashy and awful,” Bleach said. “But to me, they weren’t. They’re amazing. Look at Anna Nicole. Look at Dolly Parton! These women are incredible!”
These unapologetic women were a contrast to her religious upbringing. She credits artists like Peaches and Divine as additional, unconventional inspirations.
When she first started performing, Bleach intended to showcase something different and wasn’t concerned if anyone was going to get it or not.
“When I started drag, I thought everyone’s gonna hate this, no one in Dallas is gonna like what I’m doing,” she said. “I’m about to bleed all over this stage and everyone is gonna absolutely think I’m terrorizing drag and they’re gonna hate me.”
To her surprise, the exact opposite occurred.
“At that time, it was the exact same thing we were seeing every night on the amateur stages, so the audience responded differently to my performance,” she said. “From there, it spiraled and I started refining my aesthetic.”
Afterward, she invested in her drag and dabbling into illusional art, creating Gaga and Cher performances that would help fund her true Bleach aesthetic.
“The aesthetic will forever be Rock N’ Roll Anna Nicole,” she said. “It’s a little bit of goth and a little bit of bodacious blonde. That’s always been me.”
When she performs, she’s giving audiences something different. When she steps on stage, don’t expect death drops and splits. There’s a unique quality, an appreciation of her influences that dominate her art and as a result, is a contrast to what we come to expect from queer art.
“I do not dance. Oh my God, no one would wanna see me try. I don’t kick, flip or even bend over and touch my toes,” Bleach said. “That’s what makes me feel extra confident when I step on stage and it’s because I’m giving the audience something different.”
If she would’ve tried to assimilate, her drag, her art wouldn’t have gone far. That helps keep her confidence in performing.
“When it comes to Dallas specifically, I know no other girl is gonna step on stage in Uma Thruman Kill Bill gig. No other girl is gonna step on stage as a melted Barbie,” she said.
Check out her Instagram feed and you’ll see cultural nods to Paris Hilton, the emo scene (think RAWR xD), and of course, Uma Thurman’s signature yellow jumpsuit.
“The Y2K era was a wild west of things but we can bring it back in an updated fashion,” she said.
Bleach’s drag, along with the creative drag artists we’ve come to expect in Dallas and across the state are part of a larger movement. National support for the LGBTQ community is growing despite state legislation attempting to assert otherwise.
In Texas, the art of drag has faced challenges in recent years. Numerous brunches, performances and festivals that include drag performers have spawned protests and online outreach from far-right and bigoted activists who hide behind their phone screens.
Texas also led the nation in 2023 with a record-breaking year of proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation that would codify discrimination against LGBTQ Texans. Since June 1, 2022, GLAAD’s ALERT Desk has tracked over 25 anti-drag incidents in Texas alone
“It is so absurd and heinous that [lawmakers] think they can police drag and women’s bodies. It seems like feminine energy is hated in general. It’s so sad to see, but we haven’t and won’t back down,” Bleach said. “I think just waking up and living every day authentically and continuing to do drag openly and unapologetically is a political stance all of its own.”
Sometimes where she is now makes her feel like an “animal in a cage.” The environment and political atmosphere in Texas can be a lot. But for now, Dallas is her home and she makes the most of creating a safe environment for the LGBTQ community here.
“For right now, Dallas is treating me well and I feel like I can bring stuff to the city and open eyes to new cultures that people may otherwise not experience,” Bleach said.
Creating a space that replicates her style and influences, Bleach recently hosted the NYLON x On Top event and events at the legendary It’ll Do nightclub in East Dallas. This year, Susanne Bartsch, a New York City-based drag performer and socialite, joined the NYLON x On Top event, which brought out a Gen Z-filled crowd looking for an alternative to the high drag Dallas has come to be known for.
“In Dallas, we get a lot of trickle-down trends where by the time it gets here, it’s not cool anymore,” Bleach said. “So I’m excited for people to experience nightlife that is new for a lot of people.”
The era of cool kid club queer culture and Gen Z humor that seems to be flooding your social media feeds and your headspace can be found even in Dallas, Texas– with an insane, bodacious blonde leading the party.
That escapism Bleach looked for in East Texas can be brought to Dallas now. The young queer kid who dreamed of a New York City nightlife doesn’t have to travel to live that experience and see Amanda Lepore. Instead, she brings Lepore to the heart of Texas.
“I never wanna forget that the feeling I have is something a ton of people feel as well,” she said. “It can’t just be unique to me.”