DALLAS — In May of 2020 we handed over our platform to Black voices in our North Texas community through a series called “While I Have Your Attention.”
Those courageous souls spoke out against racial bias, race based violence, and systemic racism.
Now, as we mark another Pride Month that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, we are, once again, turning our platform over to our family, friends, and neighbors to amplify even more voices in the struggle for equality in America.
Cassie Nova
"My mother and I have had a really up and down relationship coming out. Because, well, first I had to come out as a gay man, and then come out again as a drag queen."
"When she found out I was gay, one of the first words out of her mouth were, 'well, don't you ever dress up like no woman.' Real country."
"When I was a kid, there was a move called "Mannequin." There was a guy called Hollywood Montrose and he was so over-the-top gay. I loved the character. But, I think it was like, my uncle or somebody, just going, 'ugh. F**s.' And I just remember being like, I'm - I'm never gonna let anyone know I'm gay."
"It was, 'close your heart. Close your heart.' because they're gonna disown you one day. They're family, but don't get attached. This isn't gonna last forever."
"My mom finding out I was gay - it crushed her. It crushed her. I mean, it took me a long time to - to come to terms with me being gay. So, I couldn't expect her to come to terms with me being gay in an instant. I needed to give her time, too."
"One day, it was gay pride. At the end of the parade, it ended at Lee Park. And I remember being there and it was just a full sea - it was nothing but happy gay people. And I had a moment of like, 'this is what's been missing from my life.'"
"I worked at Hunky's ... our little neighborhood burger place. I, at the time, was kind of very anti-drag queen. There was a drag queen walked by, and I said, 'not all gay people want to be represented by drag queens,' and she turned around and said to me, 'little queen you have no power here. Go away.' ... she really put me in my place, and I thought, 'there's a level of power there.' It kind of opened my eyes to, drag is more than a man dressing up as a woman."
"When I finally started doing drag. It gave me a stage. It gave me a voice. ... To go from self hate. Self hurt and suicidal thoughts - because every single one of us has gone through that, where at some point we thought, 'it'd just be easier to kill myself than to come out as being gay.' The person I am today would never think of suicide. I'm just too strong."
"To any young person who hasn't found their truth yet, your time will come."