Charleston’s drag scene, explained

Charleston’s drag queens dish and spill tea on the community

by Vishnu Volate

Sunday night, 8:30 p.m. I walk into the dimly lit bar, a few older gays share a cigarette and a conversation on the patio. 

It’s a typical Sunday night crowd – a few locals, some tourists, and friends of the queens who are the stars of the night. 

The moments leading up to the start of the show are a controlled panic. Lights lower to near pitch black. A second later, a voice comes over the speakers and into the crowd. 

Like the Big Bang, a glamorous, loud, but tastefully excessive explosion of light bathes the room in reds, blues, purples, and greens.

The spotlight is on her.

Wearing a black form-fitting dress, her face complete with foundation, eyeliner, eye shadow, and bright red lipstick, Kymmya Starr is a mainstay in the Charleston drag scene.

Doing drag since 2013, Star is nothing less than royalty within Charleston’s very vibrant drag community. But she is not alone. Shesha Mansion, Mira Shatter, and Electra Lyte are all here to provide the same. 

And this is despite a rather spotted history of support from the Charleston community.

A leopard-print history 

As of 2019, only 4 percent of South Carolina’s population identifies as a part of the LGBTQ, ranking 41st in LGBTQ representation in the United States. The number of drag performers is unknown and quite small, but Charleston’s drag scene remains a vibrant one.

The state's actions against the LGBTQ community stem from an 1868 law specifically targeting drag queens. The ordinance prohibited anyone from dressing as a gender other than their own and banned what was then known as cross-dressing. South Carolina consistently ranks among the lowest for hospitability toward LGBTQ individuals and families. 

The gay population in South Carolina is made up of various groups, socio-economic backgrounds, and ethnic make-ups. Yet the LGBTQ community has not been able to prosper as much as their straight counterparts.

A Williams Institute study showed that 5% of non-LGBTQ individuals are unemployed whereas the number of unemployed LGBTQ is 11%. And while 8% of non-LGBTQ people face food insecurity in South Carolina, that number for LGBTQ individuals is 36%. 

Taking cues from conservative states like Texas and Tennessee, the South Carolina Legislature has been trying to pass House Bill 3616, which prohibits the use of public funds for drag shows, defining them as "sexually oriented businesses." The ACLU of South Carolina has opposed the bill, citing it as a form of creative expression protected by the First Amendment. So far the 2023 legislation has not been passed out of committee for debate.

The Charleston queens are incensed at the idea of the bill, which has been named the “Defense of Children’s Innocence Act,” but has nothing to do with children.

Kymmya Starr claps back at any accusations of kids being brought to drag shows as some "sort of indoctrination." 

Instead of aiming to protect kids, the bill is an attempt to punish drag performers, they say.

Any place where a drag show takes place could be considered a sexually oriented business and face a $5,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison. That kind of law could severely limit performances.

Drag is inherently camp, and that naturally means being  “over the top” with makeup, costumes, and even song choice. This is self-expression at its core, and to limit it based on content is a violation of the drag queens’ First Amendment rights.

“Drag is a form of creative expression, and just like dance, fashion, and music, it is protected by the First Amendment. It’s a fundamental principle of our democracy that the government can’t discriminate against people — or silence them — based on the content of their speech,” according to the South Carolina ACLU.

Fear of legislation 

Queer existence in Charleston has been a relatively peaceful one, but efforts like HB 3616 threaten to mess with that.

Drag shows are about performance, not sex, the queens insist.  The goal is to entertain through exaggerated gender expression via outlandish costumes, makeup, and song/dance. The entire performance is meant to entertain while still pushing societal boundaries to promote diverse identities. 

It’s quite clear the purpose of the bill is to punish expression that is unique to the LGBTQ+ community.

And the drag queens here know it.

“I feel like it's so far-fetched and so absurd that it will never be signed,” says Shesha Mansion. “We can't let these people come in and rewrite legalities.”

Mira Shatter doesn't like that lawmakers clearly do not understand the drag scene at all. 

“I know that they've been trying to classify us as fucking cabaret shows,” Shatter said. “We have to have like a strip club license or some shit.”

Her outrage is echoed by Electra Lyte.

 “I think it will obviously affect any queer entertainer,” she said. “Honestly any queer person. Especially any trans person. No matter what happens, it's just giving people the idea that they have access to us like that.” 

So far the community has been unphased by the state's proposed actions.

“Thankfully I have not run into any issues regarding that,” said Cirice Delray. “I host shows, and we haven't run into any issues.”

Family acceptance

While drag is a specific subset of the queer community, most drag performers are gay or trans men or women. 

Considering how restrictive South Carolina is when it comes to LGBTQ rights, family and its support are a major influence on drag performers.

“They were cool,” Shesha Mansion said of her family. “I grew up wearing women's clothes and dressing alternative.” 

Mira Shatter’s family was hesitant at first but eventually warmed up to the idea. 

“My dad said ‘I don't want to stifle your creativity or who you are as a person,'” she said.  

These drag performers have been fortunate to share a tight bond with their families – something that can be more rare than common. 

“My family was very supportive of me coming out,” said Cirice Delray. “My dad's mindset is just, it's always revolved around his kids.”    

Kymmya Starr’s drag life was a surprise to her family. 

“My family found out I did drag, actually, when I was in my first pageant,” she said. “My mom wasn't mad because my mom was super accepting. She was one of my biggest cheerleaders.”

Electra Lyte’s family, which is very religious, eventually showed acceptance and admiration. 

“My mom is pretty chill about it,” she said.  “As [much as] a very conservative, Christian woman can be.”  

For those who do not find support within their biological families, “drag families” step in. 

Drag families, a consistent feature in the drag community, offer security in numbers, social validation, and general companionship.

Members of a drag family will typically live together and participate in shows together.  Notable drag families in the area are “The Enchanted Mansion” and the “O’Bishops.’”

The Enchanted Mansion includes the namesake, Shesha Mansion, and her drag sisters Mira Shatter and Electra Lyte.

Both families are known to be amicable with one another and both families are responsible for new drag shows popping up in the area. 

Inclusivity within the drag community

Even though the population of LGBTQ individuals in South Carolina is relatively small, the drag community is tight-knit. But it can take some time to become accepted, as Shesha Mansion learned.

“The community was not very accepting of me when I started out,” Shesha Mansion said. “[Now] there's wide diversity here, you can find people from all walks of life.” 

Kymmya Starr has been in the drag scene for 11 years, but her entrance was quite natural as she had been around the scene for years.

“When I started out, people already knew who I was because I was already around," she said. "So it wasn't too hard. Granted, I was a little rowdy 21-year-old then."

Since then she has been an influential figure in the Charleston drag community. 

To many, drag is a form of self-expression. To some, it's a way to make money, and to others, it's a way to have fun.

The Queens of Charleston all come from various backgrounds, but what bonds them together are their stories of perseverance and triumph over dated social norms. 

Each queen, whether immediately accepted or not, has found safe spaces and family within a group many rarely get to see.   

Acceptance in Charleston 

In general, the queens here have found the city of Charleston to be more progressive and accepting. The drag scene extends to the College of Charleston, which boasts a stellar drag pageant every academic year. 

“Here in Charleston, we don't really have much of a negative group coming for our shows or anything,” said Shesha Mansion. 

Her sister Mira Shatter has experienced the same. The two have been in Charleston for nearly 15 years, having moved here from other parts of the state in the mid-2000s.

“I actually find Charleston itself to be a very welcoming space for drag queens,” she said. 

Cirice Delray notes that for the South, Charleston is pretty progressive – especially when it comes to drag. 

“I would say the Charleston community is very supportive,” Cirice said.

Mira Shatter would agree.

“They sent me so much love that I was like, I'll do it,” she said, referring to her desire to perform drag. 

Kymmya Starr is not as convinced.  

“Charleston is very much 50/50 because there are some people that [are] like, wow, fascinating,” she said, noting that several patrons come to the shows for the novelty and not for the art. 

Electra Lyte has seen this same phenomenon, even though she believes Charleston audiences as a whole are very receptive to their expression. 

“I guess it's more like case by case,” she said. ”There are some times where [people are] not respectful.” 

Whatever the level of acceptance from the city overall, it has basically left drag culture alone to thrive.

“I would say eclectic. I know a lot of people who use drag as a way to feel more comfortable in their own skin. But for a lot of people, it is about performance and putting on a show.” Shesha Mansion, describing the scene in the Lowcountry.

Mirra believes the “show” in Charleston is gaining traction, even if mostly among a faithful few. 

“I’d say renowned,” Mirra added. “We have the best drag in the southeast.” 

Electra Lyte likes to think of the drag scene in Charleston like a web.

“We all connect now," she says. "We're all interacting."

But Kymmya Starr feels differently. She calls it "messy."

But Cirice Delray still believes it is thriving.

“I think diverse is a really good way to put it because there's just, there really is something for everybody,” she said.

A brighter future?

In spite of the current political climate, Shesha Mansion sees the industry expanding.

“I think it's growing and will definitely get bigger," she said, noting the pandemic had a major negative impact, "but [now] we have drag back as a real viable option for entertainers.”

The general feeling among the queens was one of optimism, regardless of how the state or society views drag.

“I think it looks really promising," says Electra Lyte, noting the increased diversity. "We have a lot of different drag now."

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