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

Hi Twhat, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

DIY Drag Show has been one of the most meaningful projects I’ve had the privilege of working on. At the time I formed the project I had just started performing, and it was abundantly clear that opportunities would be sparse if not non-existent. I knew that the only way to continue to develop my own art would be to practice it. And in order to practice it, I would have to create the opportunity I needed… which was the opportunity so many other performers needed. We started from the ground floor, with the basics of producing an event. None of my team had ever worked on anything together previously. I announced to the world that I would be starting up an open stage show with the full expectation to hold all the responsibility of seeing it through. My production team formed organically. Attendees and performers who participated in these shows quickly realized that this project could level up with a little extra attention. Within a couple of months, I had an entire team at my side. We were able to cover all the logistical aspects of an event and run it smoothly from start to finish.
But the real impact was made on the stage. These DIY Drag Show open stages have been a launchpad for dozens of entertainers to find themselves, work through creative ideas, try something new, build their crafts, and find new community. We have supported and assisted as other producers have started new projects inspired by ours. We have contributed to uplifting the community through providing a space, but also sponsoring local events, serving on discussion panels, protesting, volunteering, and holding diaper drives, voter registration events, clothing swaps, etc.
What started as just a little monthly diy drag show has turned into a full on community effort to enhance and defend every aspect of our queer existence.

Twhat, 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 was raised in a very strict Southern Baptist culture. My family broke the ground of the church I attended which became a Southern Mega Church by the time I was in high school. Having been raised in such an atmosphere, my ability to test the perimeters of identity, gender, and sexuality were stifled. But I was able to find a bit of myself on stage, singing in the choir and performing on stage for our church plays.
Additionally, I was raised on a softball field, basketball/volleyball court from the age of six. This was a vehicle to further instill discipline and adherence to the rules in my life. But it also provided me with a very specific understanding of how my body works and opened me to understanding the possibilities of wielding my physical tools.
One of the struggles I faced as a young person was this fight of balancing gender… because I was EXPECTED to be a polite, southern lady until I stepped foot on the softball field. And at that point I was expected to play ball like a MAN.

I was a 19 year old playing softball at a Division One school as I became more exposed to more applicable concepts of gender and sexuality. I watched and listened as my teammates struggled with coming to terms with their own identities and how their families would respond.
In 1997 Ellen came out on her TV Show. In Alabama, it was BANNED from our stations. At the time I was taking a sociology class, and the lab assignment was to watch this episode in the library. I remember this as a very clear moment of epiphany for me in so many ways… one of which that my mother was a closeted lesbian.
Fast forward to me accompanying my mother to confrontations with her own family about her identity, all of which were overwhelmingly positive and supportive moments.

I lost my own identity for a while before breaking this generational curse… I got married, had a child, and fumbled through about twenty years of trying to find my creative medium. I worked as a professional makeup artist, writer, event producer, community organizer…
I discovered an understanding for my identity during the pandemic: nonbinary. And I finally stepped into accepting myself as a pansexual.

All of this informs my evolution into drag performance. As soon as I discovered the medium, it was like everything just came together and every aspect of my past made sense in the context of this artform.

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

My personal goal is to continue learning and building. I would love to do more traveling once my lifestyle permits.

Overall, my goal is to lift others up and ensure they have the resources, tools, knowledge I was not afforded as I came up. I want to use my experience and my privilege to protect and platform those who are oppressed, either by the known systems of oppression, or the ones we have created for ourselves as a smaller community.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Show Up.
We are currently living in extremely difficult times, financially, politically, and otherwise. It is imperative that we are making it a priority to be in the presence of one another in any capacity. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a paid event. Protest. Defend our existence and the space we deserve within the world. Physical and energetic. Be present within your community. We have got to get out from behind these keyboards and breathe the same air, feel the same energies, and support one another. This is how innovation and progress is born.
Hold Space. Have a dinner, throw a party, a game night, ANYTHING that will get people to gather with INCLUSIVITY.

TELL YOUR VENUES YOU WANT TO SEE DRAG. I can not stress this enough, as we are continuing to lose spaces out of fear, hatred, and capitalism.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twhat.weiland/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thot.weiland.9
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/dragnightatthenick/

  https://www.instagram.com/diydragshow/

  https://www.tiktok.com/@twhat.weiland?lang=en

Image Credits

Robby Wise, Amanda Williams, Megan Brooker