"I have a Queery about...Queer Evolution" ft. Chitah Daniels Kennedy

"How has Queerness--queer expression, lifestyle, identity--evolved?" "How has your Queer identity changed over time?" "What gives you hope to keep going?" "What does the next stage of Queer evolution look like?"

On this episode, I have the immense pleasure of speaking with Chitah Daniels Kennedy (any pronouns), a San Marcos, TX based drag artist/mother, actress, storyteller, and enchantress. Chitah is someone who has truly gotten to see the evolution of LGBTQ+ acceptance, vernacular, and identity. She has witnessed it not just through her own life and career but through the countless drag children and other Queer babies who have the honor of meeting her. Growing up, Queerness was ever present in her life, even if she didn't have the words to name it. She shares about the uncle she had who was a famous San Antonio drag performer in the 70's as well as the butch lesbian cousins she had to look to as examples. There was something about them that she was both drawn to and scared of. Chitah and I talk about this common experience for a lot of younger Queer people because there is something we see that we identify with. However, the fear comes form the uncertainty of how we will be perceived once we explore this. She shares how she eventually leaned into her more queer qualities, and there she found her power.

Throughout the episode, we take you through Chitah's incredible journey: to growing up in a very conservative middle Texan town; to moving to New York City and finding her drag identity in the 90's in the East Village alongside the likes of Laverne Cox and Peppermint; to realizing her trans identity during a time when the visibility for trans identifying people was extremely limited and stigmatized; to moving back to her hometown in Texas and seeing a new Queer culture bubbling under the surface; to becoming the mother of countless drag children and helping create a flourishing community of LGBTQ+ individuals in her hometown. Chitah's story is truly epic, but the best part about it all is that her motto is, "just keep going." She shares how she has no end goal; that by always actively seeking joy she knows she will find her bliss and things will work out.

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Organization of the Week: Queerbomb
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Show Produced by Nick Eibler

Co-Produced/Edited by Addison McKissack

Theme Song written by Matt Gregory, Colin Egan, and Mike Hubbard 
Produced by Colin Egan and Mike Hubbard

Logo Design by David Pavón