Today we’d like to introduce you to Venus Envy.
Hi Venus, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’ve always loved the art of drag, but for a long time, I thought that I wasn’t allowed to participate because I’m a woman. I grew up watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show and RuPaul’s Drag Race, but it wasn’t until I moved to Orlando that I realized how diverse the drag scene really is. For the first time, I was able to see drag entertainers who didn’t fit the typical mold of a “man dressed up as a woman.” Performers like Axel Andrews, Kitana Gemini, and Danielle Hunter became my idols and inspiration. After spending five years in Orlando’s queer club scene as a patron, an employee, and a supporter, I finally worked up the nerve to pursue drag at the age of 23.
At first, I was terrified of what the response would be. Would it be offensive for me to do drag as a woman? Would I be taken seriously as an entertainer? Would I be rejected by the very community I’ve come to view as my family? These are all thoughts that cycled through my mind, but from my very first time on stage, I was welcomed with open arms. The whole time, my own imposter syndrome was the only thing standing in my way.
I’m now six years into my drag career, and I’m just as passionate and in love with the art form as I was when I first started. I perform all over Orlando (and sometimes the country), I compete in national drag pageants, and over the years, I’ve built a pretty big following online by sharing my art and my story. I get messages all the time from girls who tell me that I’ve inspired them to pursue drag or I’ve shown them that it’s possible, and I’m so grateful for that.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
While I never had an issue being accepted in Orlando, I have run into some backlash for being a woman who does drag. This mostly happens online and mostly comes in the form of an anonymous message or a hateful comment, almost always from someone who doesn’t do drag themselves. At first, it would get to me, and I would often question whether the local queens were just humoring me and I was actually a laughing stock behind the scenes, but over the years, I learned to get over it. You have to have thick skin to be a drag queen, and at the end of the day, the support far outweighs the hate.
I did have one major setback in my life, and that was the shooting at Pulse Nightclub. I was working as a VIP Hostess that night, and while I did manage to survive with no physical injuries, the trauma of that night has left me with PTSD. It took a while for me to feel safe in nightclubs again, and I still struggle with crowds and loud noises, but I try not to let that limit me.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a drag artist and content creator. I’m best known for my signature makeup and TikTok videos, and what sets me apart from other drag queens (besides my gender) is the way I utilize social media as an outlet for my drag. While I love performing in nightclubs, I feel like I can really be myself online without the limitations imposed by my PTSD.
What’s next?
I just hope to continue creating! Drag is like an escape for me, and despite all the ups and downs of my personal life, drag is always a constant.
Contact Info:
- Website: venusenvydrag.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/venusenvydrag
- Facebook: facebook.com/venusenvydrag
- Twitter: twitter.com/venusenvydrag
- Youtube: youtube.com/c/venusenvydrag
- Other: tiktok.com/@venusenvydrag
Image Credits
Aaron Arbo
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