Today we’d like to introduce you to Nazareth .
Hi Nazareth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started drag in 2018 while living in NYC. I was born and raised in a small town in Texas but moved to NYC at 18. I was naive about moving to such a huge city, but I knew it was what I wanted. I was exposed to many new experiences living in New York, and one of those experiences was drag. At the time, I was still experiencing a lot of internal homophobia, so I appreciated drag but thought it was too “feminine” for me. As time passed, I began getting into RuPaul’s Drag Race more and more. I was still hesitant about getting in full drag, but I began practicing makeup with my best friend at the time. I finally decided to try drag for the first time for a Halloween Drag Tour in 2016.
I looked awful (lol), but I was so confident and had the best time. I continued to experiment in the following months and years but was experiencing a lot of trauma. I was not out to my entire family. I was living a life of my own in NYC and living a life my family wanted for me in Texas, I was still dealing with the loss of my father, and on top of that, I was struggling with my insecurities about being a young adult. It all become incredibly overwhelming for me, and it lead me down a dark path. This was a pivotal moment in my life where I experienced dropping out of college, almost becoming homeless, losing a 2-year relationship, losing a 4-year friendship, and all while trying to stay afloat. I had great support through this all, but that does not mean it wasn’t hard. Through this all, I still had my drag. I had Nazareth. She came to fruition through the pain. She allowed me to enter the light when “Anthony” couldn’t. She allowed me to be vulnerable on stage, she allowed me to express how I felt, but most importantly, she allowed me to overcome so many of the obstacles I was facing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road at all. I touched on this a bit in my last answer, but I struggled quite a bit throughout my drag career. At the beginning of my drag career, I struggled to know who “Anthony” was outside Nazareth. I went through a lot in my early 20s, and I did not always know how to overcome many obstacles. I was in a fight-or-flight mode early on. I had to deal with a lot of trauma, not just being a queer kid. Still, I lost my dad at 15, I came out to my mom at 17, and she gave me an ultimatum at the time, having to go back into the closet for her, experience sexual assault, have extreme depression, developing an eating disorder, all while dealing with figuring out who I am. I am not perfect, and I recognize I spiraled quite a bit through those years and buried many of those emotions with drugs and alcohol. I am thankful I continued to have a great support system while going through those bumps in the road. At the time, I could work through a lot of that through drag. As far as now, I think the biggest struggle is myself. I am a perfectionist and can be very hard on myself. I know my potential and what I am capable of. When I don’t meet my expectations, it can be challenging. I think the biggest struggle then and now is to allow myself to let things go. I need to allow myself to feel but not sit in it. There is a time and place, but learning when it is time to move forward. Otherwise, I am just doing myself a disservice.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I am a Drag Artist based in Austin, TX, where I host and produce my own shows. My drag career took off after competing in Nadine Hughe’s competition, Austin’s Next Drag Superstar. I was lucky enough to have gigs from Glitoris at Barbarella’s and Vylette Ward at Trace Brunch, but doing the competition at Rain skyrocketed my career. In my last performance in the competition, I recreated The Last Super with 12 (ab)postils (they were all shirtless), and it was one of my favorite performances of all time! I ended my performance by walking off the stage, onto all of my (ab)postils hands, and doing a trust fall! You can see this performance on my Instagram! That moment blew up in the scene, and it opened a lot of doors. I am forever grateful for Nadine and her competition. I am also grateful for the support I receive from my partner, Daniel Harvell, my community, and my chosen family. I would not be here if it weren’t for that support. You can expect camp, fashion, and a bit of edge when you see my drag.
What makes you happy?
This is a tough question. Many things make me happy, and I am not sure I can pinpoint just one thing. Being on stage makes me extremely happy because I feel at home, excited, and challenged, but I also love entertaining and brightening people’s day/night. I was in an extremely dark place a few years ago, and I want nothing more than to be that light at the end of the tunnel for anyone who may need it. I hope that Nazareth exudes light, kindness, and joy. I am happy if I can bring that to just one person’s life with my drag.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nazarethatx/
Image Credits
Manuel Gonzales Jr. – MHG Photography Gilbert Hernandez Scam Likely – Manuel Frayre Photography Allen Irby
