The Vixen
Fierce, powerful, and incredibly talented, the Vixen is the sweetheart of Chicago’s drag scene. Following her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the Vixen has become a champion and leader of Chicago queens, with a self-stated mission to “make the community better, be the hall monitor of drag—keeping everyone on their toes.” The Vixen has gone above and beyond in her community by promoting and casting Black queens with the goal of creating spaces for visibility and inclusion following Black Chicagoans’ concerns with how Northalsted (Boystown) had only made space for white queens in the drag scene.
For the Vixen, the best part of performing has always been the moments just before the performance, waiting to see what the initial reaction will be. Those final moments are when the Vixen centers herself. Oftentimes the Vixen forgets how good she is—drag is not just something that she does, but it’s something she is very good at. She has a lot of these revelations while performing.
Hoping more queens like her can share in this feeling, the Vixen started Black Girl Magic, a show that hosts a talented mix of Chicago’s best and sometimes unknown Black drag queens. The Vixen made it her personal goal to give Black queens the platform they need to succeed. Two years later, with the success of Black Girl Magic, the Vixen has declared her mission accomplished. Recently when looking to start BGM up again, the Vixen was delighted to see everyone previously cast onstage and in music videos is getting work. The Vixen’s desire to have Black queens booked has come to fruition. The future of BGM now relies on the next generation of Black queens who need a boost. Until then, the Vixen is turning her pursuits elsewhere, by focusing on touring, promoting their music, and their merchandise for BGM. Everyone who loves and wants to support the Vixen can check out her new merchandise, from swimsuits, to makeup bags, face masks, and much more.
Looking toward the future and her overall vision for it, the Vixen states, “Now that I’m in my 30s looking back, I’ve been doing mantras and exploring things I wish I knew then. What I really want to do is find better ways to teach useful strategies when it comes to social justice and self-care.” Recently, the Vixen has used her Instagram platform to support mental health awareness with a focus on staying true to your fierce self. “I hope with the mantras and philosophy, I am coaching and giving confidence to people that consider themselves fighters.”
This year the Vixen plans to release a summer album, which she wants to be technically difficult, so she can showboat her talents. “I love expressing myself because I want to be understood. I love baring my soul.” The Vixen can be found in shows around the city and will be in LA in May for RuPaul’s DragCon, along with other members of Black Girl Magic.
The future of the Vixen will lie in her inspiration and advice to those seeking enlightenment. “I’m in my aunty era, listen to me, kiddo! I hope to give good advice to the fiery whippersnappers who come in guns blazing, ready to fight!”
Refer to the closed final ballot to see all the categories and finalists that were voted on.