Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leo Mane. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Leo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I knew from a very young age, about 7 years old, when I discovered I could sing. Even my estranged mother once said to me, I was going to be the CEO of something one day. I told myself when I grew up, I was going to be a famous R&B singer. And I trained for it too! I switched from playing the flute in Elementary School to Concert Choir in Middle School and then auditioned as a first soprano for the Show Choir in Jr High and High School. I was part of several musical groups growing up and recorded songs in homemade studios in closets padded with foam. I went on to compete with the school choir and as a soloist. As a young adult, I joined the choir at church and even thought I was the choir director’s protege, but my dang nerves, my self-confidence and self-esteem were so low then and so I could never fully open my throat. I wasn’t being supported by the right people and I wasn’t being encouraged. I started smoking tobacco at 21. I destroyed my vocals so I let my singing dream die and settled with being a single parent and living a mediocre life. But by my mid-20’s, it just wasn’t enough anymore. I knew I was bigger than that. I knew I wasn’t meant to follow the blueprint society bestowed on me at birth.

After some self searching, in 2017, I attended my first Sunday Night Shuga Shaq produced by Goddess BriqHouse and Sin De La Rosa at the Theater off Jackson. I’d already been to quite a few drag shows over the years and knew that was on my radar to do as well. In January 2018, I entered Kremwerk in Seattle, WA and made my debut at an open stage night called Werkshop Wednesday as D’Monica Leone. Thus, a Star was Reborn. King Leo wasn’t born until August 2021. Once lockdown during the pandemic began to lift in Wa, I made the decision to pursue my new life goal as an entrepreneur and full time draglesque entertainer. So far since 2021, I’ve been a full time performer twice now. Third times a charm, I hope!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Some know me as D’Monica Leone, The Lionheart of Draglesque, some know me as King Leo Mane, The Sovereign of Seduction. Both are wholesome representations of who I am. My pronouns are They/She/He depending on the day or my mood. I am a trans masc, nonbinary Goddexx who is also black and disabled. Five years ago, I started performing thus creating a small business, Leone Entertainment. I am a multi-faceted artist including producer, emcee, lingerie model, makeup artist, drag artist, draglesque entertainer, sex positive educator, sensual entrepreneur and intuitive empath. In October 2021, I was diagnosed with the chronic pain disorder, fibromyalgia. This disorder makes it very difficult to work a regular 9-5 so I knew that I had to go full throttle on my business because employers aren’t willing to truly accommodate people with disabilities regardless of discrimination laws. And as a single parent, the bills have to be paid no matter the interference.

Within my body of work, I believe there is healing through self love which can be displayed and expressed so vastly.
I began this business not only to improve my work life balance but also, I believe representation matters, especially within the black and lgbtqia+ community. So many of us were stripped of our identities before we even discovered who we were at such a young age. Deprived of unconditional love and raised to be conditioned to society’s dysfunctional standards and stereotypes. So many are on their own journey of self discovery now, I simply want to be a light for those who are seeking identity and belonging. I engage in spiritual practices such as meditation and rituals to strengthen my connections to the Divine in order to exert this energy forward during performances and workshops. Some of my most impactful work has been performing as two personas and also leading self confidence workshops within local youth programs such as Rain City Rock Camp and MoPop. My brand is all about healing through sensual empowerment and performance art expression.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

For a long time, I have dealt with chronic pain. What I didn’t know is that the years of trauma that I have endured would develop into a chronic illness. In April 2021, I was involuntarily placed on leave from my employer due to a concern with my annual background check. This 2 month investigation required me to re-live a very traumatic experience in my past and I suddenly fell ill. It started with nausea, dizziness and migraines. It wasn’t until I passed out after my stepdown performance at Queer Prom 2021 that I knew something was wrong. I couldn’t eat due to the nausea, my stomach would ache if I ate or drank anything. I lost all my quarantine weight and then some. I became bedridden due to severe muscle weakness and required a cane for mobility assistance. I could barely care for myself. After months of testing, I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It is a long-term, musculoskeletal condition that causes chronic pain, fatigue, sleep/cognitive disturbances, etc. I thought my performance career was over. I could barely walk, how was I going to dance again? I had to slow down and step back from performing so that I could learn how to manage this chronic illness. I worked with my PCP to find the right cocktail to ease my symptoms and did 6 months of physical therapy to strengthen my legs again. I refused to allow this disorder to strip me of what I had been working so hard for. I finally loved something so much that I was willing to put my healing first in order to return to performing at full capacity.

Every day I battle for motivation to get out of bed. I can barely drink alcohol now and I quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey last December. I’m no longer the late night party friend. If I extend myself too thin or become sleep deprived, I can exasperate my symptoms and trigger a “fibro flare”. Flares can last between a few days to a few weeks. I am very intentional about what I eat and I am developing self care routines to keep me in good, performance health. I am proud to say that today I am back on the stage and have developed a new respect for my body. This is still a good body capable of anything regardless of this disability. Sure, it may take me a little longer to develop a new skill or learn choreography, but I am able if I believe I am. With a strong perspective and a sprinkle of stubbornness, I am still accomplishing everything I sought out to achieve.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn harsh self criticism and give myself grace. We are our worst critics and I am of no exception. My thoughts would become so negative and crippling to the point I would develop imposter syndrome. I would beat myself up for not being able to do all the fancy choreography and tricks others can do. I don’t dance well in heels but I felt like I had to for esthetic and acceptance. It was circulated early on in my career that wearing shoes with no heels or going barefoot was a no-no. It is still a debate to this day but not one that I partake in any longer. After some reflection, I realized that fear was holding me back and I needed to let go and trust myself. At one point, I truly believed with my disability that I was unabIe to develop new talents and skills for fear of hurting myself. A former mentor of mine once told me, “Be the best at what YOU do” and it took some time to understand what she meant but when it clicked, my mind opened up to new possibilities and I hit the ground running. It was positive self speech and affirmations that re-routed my mindframe to give me the confidence to face those fears and execute. Since releasing those fears, my career has continued to grow and evolve as I present the many talents I already possess such as the splits and making balloon animals during an act. No matter how far out the idea may be, I am always ready to provide a unique experience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmonica_leone/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMoLeo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dmonicaleone-leomane2573/about
• Other: King Leo Mane IG –https://instagram.com/king.leo.mane?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=

Image Credits
Aesthetic Shadows Photography, Scott Foster, Keith Johnson, Donley Photography, Jason Hall Photography, Stephan Anunson. POC Photo Company, Bellingham Media Group, & Rob Falk