We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robyn Valentine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Robyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I first started organizing drag shows in 2019, I did so under the guides that I wanted to create shows for drag that I didn’t see represented and I wanted to expand the reach of my community. For far to long drag had been largely relegated to only lgbtqia+ bars and I believed that big part of normalizing our art would occur by bringing our art to places where people might not normally see it, different time slots for people who can’t attend late night shows, as well as different kinds of events for people who want variety.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Robyn Valentine, I’m a drag performer and mua based out of Corpus Christi TX. Like many modern day drag entertainers, I found the art through watching Rupaul’s Drag Race. Eventually what started as a hobby that I performed behind closed doors turned into me performing on stages, organizing shows, and so much more. I never could’ve imagined when I was younger, the life I would’ve lived perusing drag vs the engineering degree I got. Not only has drag allowed me to connect with my community, but discover a deeper sense of my true personality, someone who is confident, artistic, and vocal. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there especially in today’s political client, but using my platform, I’ve helped raise money for many charities including St. Jude’s, Wounded Warrior, ACLU, Sylvia Rivera Project, and my local Pride Center to name a few. I do this because I believe firmly in helping to uplift others so that they to can pursue the same opportunities allotted to others.

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

Growing up, I was always told by my parents that if they found out I was gay, I would be disowned. Having them discover my makeup collection was a frightening period. Not only was I outted as a gay man, but also a drag queen. As much as I wanted to hide, I stood my ground when it came to my parents. I know they wanted what was best for me, but their ideas don’t always reflect on reality. Drag allowed me to be the person they repressed. I went from depressed to optimistic and happy in life. Unfortunately an unexpected consequence from my parents treatment became a fear of friends and family finding out what I do. I felt as though if my parents love was circumstantial why would anyone else love me. Over time I’ve battled those feelings of inadequacy and I’m to a point where a handful of family members know I do drag now. To my surprise, my art has not hurt our relationship, it’s made it stronger. Now they better understand why I’ve been such a quite person for all these years and my point of view in life. They get to see sides of me that they never knew existed.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Covid completely flipped my life around. Just as I was reaching new peaks in my career, everything was put on hold and uncertainty took control. It was a nauseating feeling to be stuck in a home with my less than accepting parents, losing my grandpa to the virus in a very public way, and the harassment I faced at work from enforcing mask policies, one of which lead to a man being arrested after threatening my place of work. All this time later I feel as though I’m still processing that trauma and the feeling of losing two years of my life. It was terrifying to return to performing. I still feared the spread of the virus and brining it back home with me, plus the added frustration of knowing that my absence lead to many people forgetting who I was. Coming back from Covid meant virtually restarting my career, but using the lessons I learned the first time, I’ve been able to not only come back, but stronger than before.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.therobynvalentine.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/therobynvalentine?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw==
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/therobynvalentine
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@therobynvalentine

Image Credits
Weather Machine Studio, Jonathan Kern