We recently connected with Sappho Le Fae and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sappho, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

When I first started doing drag, a local competition was announced that was accepting auditions. Although I was incredibly new to the scene, I knew I wanted to push myself and try something new, so I sent in an audition. Aaaand I got in! I ended up competing in the first season of Mx. Zephyr in Kent, Ohio and making it all the way to fifth place…after only doing drag for barely three months! Although doing this competition as such a new entertainer was definitely a risk, it gave way to so many more opportunities and pushed me in my artistic abilities. I wouldn’t change it for a thing.

Sappho, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a draglesque (a combination of drag and burlesque) entertainer who has been involved in the Northeast Ohio scene for nearly a year. I got involved in the scene after seeing one of my friends compete in a drag open stage and thinking “you know what? I could do that!” About a month later, I competed in the same open stage and won! This win jumpstarted my drag journey which has been absolutely incredible to say the least. I’ve gotten to perform in Kent, Akron, Cleveland, and just had my first out of state gig in Pittsburgh! I competed in Mx. Zephyr, a local competition at Zephyr Pub in Kent, making it all the way to the top 5 after only performing for three months. I have won several other open stages including Coda’s Casting Callstars, a night where previous winners of the Coda Casting Call battled it out against each other. This win was particularly exciting because I got to compete against some of the best entertainers in our area, and then ended up winning a really cute crown! Through these experiences, I have been able to make memories that will last a life time and grown not only as an artist but also as an individual. Through drag, I have made some of my closest friends and have found a community where I finally feel at home. Being a queer, fat, nonbinary individual, I have always felt out of place no matter where I was, and I was afraid I wouldn’t have a place in drag either. I am so glad I was wrong! Performing has allowed me to find myself in a way that I never have before, and given me newfound confidence and love for myself. As Sappho, I feel powerful, sexy, and unstoppable. I’m incredibly lucky to have been able to do what I love to do, and can’t wait to see what this next year holds for my career.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of performing has been finding the drag community and the friendships that have come out of it. I was afraid to start doing drag because I didn’t think I really had a place within the community as an AFAB (assigned female at birth) performer Would people “get” what I was doing? I quickly learned that EVERYONE has a place in the community, and you will be given tons of love and support from your fellow entertainers. I have gotten to learn so much from the people around me and am continuously amazed and inspired by their work. We look out for one another, give help when we can, and continue to push each other to do bigger and better things. The community I have found within performing is unlike anything else I have ever been involved in, and I am so fortunate to have it in my life.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

One of my goals as a draglesque entertainer is to defy the rules our society tries to enforce on us when it comes to sexuality, queerness, fatness, etc. For the longest time I hated my body due to the idealization of thinness in our culture, believing that I would only be happy if I was skinny. Now through drag, I can show that fat bodies are just as sexy and powerful as thin ones. I have been given the confidence to show off an imperfect, saggy, stretch-marked covered body in front of cheering audiences, showing people that might look like me that we deserve to be seen and celebrated.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sappholefae.threadless.com/
• Instagram: sappho.le.fae
• Facebook: Sappho Le Fae

Image Credits
Ian Argo, @argonian on Instagram for pictures 2 and 7 Max Torres, @starboyimages on Instagram for pictures 4, 5, and 6 Favorskaya Marianna, @favorskaya.pinup on Instagram, picture 3 (drawing) Issa Vybe Productions, @issavybe_productions for picture 1