We recently connected with Maxine LaQueene and have shared our conversation below.

Maxine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Alrighty so! Currently I work as a full time drag entertainer. I host my own brunch show on 4th street, in downtown Austin, every Saturday! I always say that money is the motivator. Alongside drag shows, I run my own wig business with styling hair for other entertainers and queer people in the community. I’ve been doing drag for almost 10 years and when I tell you, it has been quite the journey leading up to this point! Day 1 of being a drag queen, if you would have told 17 year old Maxine “Hey you’re going to pay your bills with this career” I would’ve laughed in your face and sashayed away. At the time, the drag community was just starting to really take off, and trying to make a career out of it was quite difficult.

The reason I’m able to make a full time living off of drag now is because I HUSTLE. If you have a paycheck, I’ll be there! Being in Austin, there are so many opportunities for queer representation. I was recently selected to be a part of Austin Pride earlier in August, and performed on the main stage in front of a crowd with 100s of young queer/trans/non-binary kids who may have never been to a drag show before. It’s moments like those that really feed my soul and remind me to be thankful for the drag blessings I have now.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Howdy! If you don’t already know, my name is Maxine LaQueene. I am the suspiciously large woman of Austin, Texas! I first started dabbling with drag in 2013. As I said before, I am a full time drag queen, wig stylist, and s*x worker!

I first started taking an interest in drag through seeing it represented in movies like Rocky Horror Picture Show, To Wong Foo, and Mr.s Doubtfire. Y’all remember the video Shoes by Kelly? She had a blonde wig and a shirt that said “BETCH”. It was big in like 2007-ish. Well the first time I ever did drag was on Halloween dressed as Kelly from that music video. She was ROUGH back then.

If you want to know anything about drag queens it’s this:
We are here to entertain! Drag is an art form. Drag is an outlet for representation and education to exist. The best way to learn about the art form? Come see a show! All audiences are welcome!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Let’s be real, the $$$ is great. Drag is mainstream now and has given a platform to an entire community. Social media allows us to be successful on a whole new level that wasn’t accessible 10+ years ago. However, the most rewarding aspect of drag is simple:

Without fail, at any show I perform at, there is always someone in the audience who resonates with drag.

Whether it’s the performance, the host talking on a mic, or just the physical representation of drag, they’re touched by what we do. When someone comes up to me after a show and talks about how much they loved it, you can really see the joy in their eyes. Drag is power. You may not realize it, but the art form is almost this transfer of energy between the artist and audience. You could be having the worst day, come see me talk sh*t on the mic, and for the one moment forget your worries and just enjoy being around positive energies.

Making some’s day better, even just a little, is legit worth every penny I make at a show.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I wouldn’t exactly say “non’creatives” but in world full of hate and ignorance, I want everyone to know this:

Drag is art. Art is subjective. Everyone is welcome to view and appreciate art. Do not touch the art without consent. It is meant to be respected and enjoyed. There has been a lot of conservative views of what drag is and isn’t. People have gone to lengths to say children shouldn’t be allowed at drag shows for a multitude of BIAS and UNEDUCATED reasons. When you see these people bash drag entertainers, it’s clear to see they haven’t even been to a drag show before.

While drag is political, it is also welcoming. Much like any other art form, drag is an outlet for many under represented minorities to feel appreciated. Yes drag queens are catty and shady, but if you come to see Maxine, I welcome all genders, races, creeds, and political views at my show. Why? Because life is hard. A little less hate and a little more honey makes the world a better place.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/MaxineLaQueene
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theonlymaxine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxim.herndon
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/queenemaxine

Image Credits
@manuel89tx @ericrichardmagnussen @thatderpwolf