Kyle Green

essays: mormon drag queens

These pictures tell the story of "Platnium Pussy", a troupe of drag queens who perform in the gay and lesbian bars in Salt Lake City, Utah. The troupe members are all former members of the LDS Church, and have been estranged from their parents because their behavior and lifestyle conflict with traditional Mormon values. These men share a close bond, relying on their friendships personally and professionally to survive in the strict conservative environment of Utah.

Troupe member, Nikki is caught in the eye of a marti gras mask as he prepares for the nights performance.
   
Troupe leader Nova Starr tries on a victorian era dress as he prepares costumes for the nights performance.
   
Fake breasts, razors, and duct tape mingle with makeup and gold rhinestone boots backstage.
     
  
A pre-performance routine for the dancers involves shaving almost all of the hair off of their bodies. Here Nova Starr (right) plays with Pandora Box as he shaves.
   
Dancer pandora box (right) takes a break from applying makeup and lights a cigarette as Nikki starts his makeup.
   
Troupe leader Nova Starr begins his makeup as he looks at himself in a mirror. Nova graduated from a fashion school in NY and has appeared on the Rikki Lake show 27 times.
     
  
As seen in a mirror, Nova Starr has completed the transformation from man to woman with the last application of makeup before his drag performance.
   
Nova Starr in a pensive moment after two hours of makeup preparation. After the change from a man to a woman, the dancers in the troupe refer to themselves as women and their gestures become feminine.
   
Moments before their performance, Nova Starr (right) and Sinsation (left) primp andposture in front of the mirror in the mens bathroom.
     
  
Dancer Nikki Steele performs for the crowd, belting out lyrics to and Abba song (left).Sinsation yells out the lyrics of an Abba song as he performs (right).
   
Nikki, who is the most feminine of the dancers is a crowd favorite. The mostly homosexual and lesbian crowd constantly threw dollars at him as he danced provocatively by them.The men, who live the majority of their lives as men, relish the time they are able to spend as women in the late night bar scene in Salt Lake. Although the money they make is small, they believe they are living their lives true to their beliefs. "I can't imaging not doing it (drag)", said troupe leader, Nova Starr. "Going to Church, getting married; that life just isn't for me. These people are my family. I am happy here."