Let’s Rise Together

by Ophelia Peaches

Sunday mornings were my favorite. I would wake up early, put on my makeup, get dressed, hop in the car and go downtown to perform with my friends for Drag Brunch.

It was the one day every week I knew that I could be me. I knew I could make people smile. I knew that I would see my friends, and we would laugh and share stories backstage. And I would plan all week, practicing my songs, my dance moves and stitching sequins on my costumes.

But all of a sudden that stopped.
Everything stopped.
The whole world stopped.

And we all closed up in our rooms like we were waiting for the end of the world, (which we were). It was like COVID-19 had stolen the life out of all of us, but we were still here. We were numb, alone and ghosts of ourselves. For a while, nobody reached out, everybody was in shock. I was really afraid, not just for me — but for my friends. I was scared that the Drag Queens who were still performing might get sick, and I had no power at all.

But then people started doing shows online. I didn’t care about getting tips, I didn’t care about getting likes, all I cared about was seeing my friends perform as their best selves, and hearing everyone together cheering for each other. I mean, it’s not the same as performing for a real audience where are you can interact with people, but it’s something. And I think it’s helped a lot of us to not feel so isolated.

And here I am, 15 years old, watching the whole world feel isolated. I’m hearing people in my community talk about how their votes don’t make a difference, and that nobody listens to the LGBTQ+ community. But I’ve done some reading and I know that’s not true. If I could vote, I would. This administration is the epitome of Coronavirus. It’s beaten us down, made us quiet, and made us feel hopeless. But I want people to know that it’s really important not to lose hope. It’s really important to know that there are ways to come together and get through this. After all, I’m just a kid, but I’m going to be shaping the future and there’s a lot more kids like me than people realize.

My generation is the most tech savvy, diverse and gender fluid in history.
Please vote for us, stand for us, and let’s rise together, so when our time comes, the world is ready.

About the Author:

Advocate, emcee, teen drag queen — at age 15, Ophelia Peaches’ message has been clear from the start: Youth self expression through the performance art of Drag is coming! It’s a message about love, acceptance and the spotlight. For more on this teen queen, visit opheliapeaches.com.