Naomi Dix, a drag artist from The House of Coxx, partnered with Sandhills Pride this summer to host Drag at the Mine III: Trinity of Divinity. Afterward, she opened up about what it means to be a drag artist and how she uses her platform to impact others.
Raised in an anti-queer household with a lack of resources, she’s chosen to not only become a resource, but to use her platform to be a community leader.
“As a drag artist it is up to us to use our platform for good — it can be used to bring attention to ourselves, or we can use it to facilitate space, make change, and continue a mission of educating others about our culture and community as a whole. I choose to do the latter.”
Naomi says her mission is powered “with action, not with words.” She said part of that action is facilitating space in untraditional queer spaces, like the Leadmine, to encourage a varied audience, and attract those who may be cautious of visiting LGBTQ-specific venues.
She also involves audience members in the performance in an effort to break fears and stigmas about being “queer, a person of color, and specifically a queer person of color who is also a drag artist.”
“This is something real, it’s a part of our lives and it’s just us being us, being creative, and being able to speak to you through our art. They go to concerts, they go to live music, they like to watch movies. The only difference about going to a drag show is you get an artist that identifies as a drag queen or king.”
Naomi admits that before starting her drag journey in March 2014, “I had a lot of the same fears people have today when it comes to drag.” Then, a friend told her being drag is “an extension of yourself and a way to express yourself artistically.”
Since performing in her first show and competition during an amateur night at the Pinhook in Durham, she’s become a full-time drag artist and does 6 to 8 shows per week on top of her full-time job. She was also named Miss Hispanidad NC 2017 and earned the title of the Latinx Barbie of the Triangle.
She says her goal is to always do shows where LGBTQ people need to feel safe, and where there is “some sort of facilitation and education of our community. That’s why I worked with PRIDE.”
One of Naomi’s biggest inspirations behind becoming a host was one of her drag sisters.
“Plain and simple, she just believed in me. A lot of times people act like love is so complicated,” she said. “Just say I don’t know what it is you’re doing, and I don’t understand how to help you, but at least I believe in you. Part of believing in someone is loving them.”
Want more info about local efforts? Visit SandhillsPRIDE for more.
