(Emiliano Villa, pictured out of and in drag, 2018. )
On the surface, I was a shy boy. I played alone with my sisters’ dolls, and spent hours binge watching Clueless. But behind closed doors, I really let my girliness shine.
In the closet, I blasted Britney Spears and dolled myself up in my mom’s flowered hats and high heels and put on a show. While I dreamt of being a performer, I didn’t think boys could have these glittery fantasies, so I kept my passions hidden.
When I was 15 years old, I discovered RuPaul’s Drag Race online, and it was like a firework went off in me. I saw these queens being confident, free, and living out their flowered-hat, high-heeled truths. They oozed confidence the way I wanted to.
They told stories about being weird kids imitating pop stars just like me. I realized then I could take my dress-up games and turn them into art.
Since I started doing drag this summer, I can now rock a skirt suit like Cher and dance my heart out like Britney. Because of them, I could finally let my inner queen out. Her name is Poison Oakland, and she’s still me, but fiercer.
Follow Poison on Instagram, @poison.oakland.