Local drag performer and partner find support from the Pride Community

Drag performer Sara Vignette, photographed by Ima Leupp.

My partner began his journey into drag performing during the lockdown of 2020. Stepping out the front door of our suburban Cedar Park home – even when masked and under the cover of darkness – was terrifying.

When it was time for “Sara Vignette” to emerge, we carefully orchestrated every move – I stepped out first to make sure the coast was clear, starting the car and turning off the interior dome light. He – now she – turned off the motion detector lights outside on her way out to the passenger door, which I had triple-checked was unlocked.

Sara is far too beautiful to be hiding herself, but she hunches down in an attempt to conceal her statuesque height of six-and-a-half feet with heels and hair. This queen, who is meant to be seen, creeps like a mouse across the 20 feet from the front door to the car. All due to fear of judgment. All because her fluid self-expression felt like a vulnerability in a world that raised Her to believe the He had no right to be feminine.

We didn’t have the support of a Pride group then. Sandwiched between neighbors with conservative political leanings, we didn’t expect to find a robust queer community in Cedar Park. So we tried to blend in. We tried to stay still and small to avoid being ostracized.

Drag performer Sara Vignette, photographed by Ima Leupp.

In the animal world, being “safe” often depends on a creature’s ability to go undetected. A deer standing still can easily disappear into its surroundings. While hiding might guarantee safety, what it also guarantees is solitude. As we spent more time with Cedar Park Pride, we came to realize a new definition of safe. 

While hiding might guarantee safety, what it also guarantees is solitude.

Anna Fugate-Downs

The visibility of this Pride community has given us a similar evolutionary concept to a bold zebra stripe, the flashy scales of fish, or the vibrancy of a poison dart frog. Safety doesn’t have to mean staying small, still, and solitary. Safety can also be found in disruptive patterns, dazzling displays, or big bright identifying colors. 

Are we still cautious when we walk out our front door? Absolutely. But knowing that a welcoming group of people waits for us on the other side of that car ride has made all the difference. Having a full flock of rainbow-colored birds to greet us gave us the courage to spread our wings and join them!