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*music plays*
Really I'm just Jeff from Shelbina, Missouri.
... That is a tailor.
Normal... gay guy in Columbia, Missouri.
Like... I'm not that special. But...
because of who I've created and because of what I've done on that stage...
you do become this vivacious...
outgoing, no-holds-barred
kind of person.
It was just an amateur local drag show,but I didn't really know what drag was.
So much... I never seen it in person hurts and I never
experienced it. So, watching the show, I look over my friends at one point and
said "I could do this!"
And... as the show progressed I repeated myself
more than once that "I... this doesn't seem so
hard to be. I think I could do this." Well, they announce later in the night that
there was an amateur....
first-timer kind of competition coming up in about a month. So, my friends, after
the repeated "I could do this"
comment, said: okay, well we dare you... there's a
contest coming up. I did it and I won--
which gave me two bookings for performances.
and I did the two booking and then...
the next thing I knew I placed first alternate at
Miss Columbia my first time out which then
sent me to Miss Missouri to compete like it just became this
thing that it is now. I never thought
"we dare you to do this amateur competition" would turn into
state title, Board of Directors for Miss Gay Missouri of America.
I never thought any of that would
happen; I never thought that was even a possibility.
Atheena has given me so much... stuff and people
that I would have never gotten without Atheena.
I've met people all over the country, people now I consider close friends.
But it's a double-edged sword.
At least
in this community, I kinda think it this way for any
established entertainer.
It becomes your identity which is sort of why
I had to step back for a little bit. I needed
I needed to figure out who Jeff was.
When I was getting into this amateur show
of course I had to pick a name, and
at that time in school I was the music major.
"Voce" is the word that is written
in sheet music for instrumentalists a lot, and what it means is to play the
music in a voice-like
way--a very sing-songy kinda performance. So,
at first, I'd considered just being Voce. It just didn't have that same ring as
Cher or Madonna, though; it just wasn't working for me.
So... light bulb on... I pulled out the phone book and I went to the V's
because I was like.. that was the issue was everything with a V
sounded funny. And I was like, something there will spark my interest and there
was an
Atheena... something. And so, I kind of played with that a little bit
and the more I kinda worked on that name
Atheena is the Goddess of Wisdom
Voce is voice. So, Atheena Voce is the Goddess of Wisdom & Voice.
The joke of that is... I have a smart mouth, and I'm going to tell you about it.
*contagious laughter*
Let me say, the people that've been around
in the drag world... for years... They call Atheena
the governor's wife, the president's wife. I think Atheena is
classy, sophisticated... trustworthy.
Atheena is all of those things
Jeff isn't... forward and
there's just no reservation with Atheena. She'll talk to anybody and she'll...
try anything once.
Columbia is the
pocket of acceptance in this town.
Just because everything is good and hunky-dory
in Columbia doesn't mean it is 15 minutes outside the city limits.
So, don't fool yourself that everyone is this
accepting, and everyone is this understanding about what we do. I refer
back to my
my education. I was a theater student.
Drag to me has become a way
for me to perform; it's theater.
I'm putting on costume. I'm putting on makeup.
I'm creating a character other than myself. That's really,
when you boil it all down, that's really what it is. I won Miss Missouri on my sixth
year.
Every year, the day after
they called the five girls before me,
the five years that I didn't when...
the day after I got home, my mind
already was: what am I changing? What am I gonna do differently?
...Because I knew I wanted to be Miss Missouri.
And I knew becoming Miss Missouri created
a career, profession for me. I remember seeing them
my first year competing and just thinking: I will never be that! Like they were just...
AHHHH... ya know?
For me to be a part of that group now...
it's an honor, but at the same time, I'm
humbled by the honor. Obviously, being crowned Miss Missouri
will be a memory of my lifetime.
my reign as Miss Missouri... a moment that sticks out
in my mind was I got to ride on the back of a convertible
in the St. Louis Gay Pride Parade. After the parade,
you know you go to the park for into the festivities part at all...
and I was walking through I had my gown on, my sash, my crown,
and a little girl... probably five or six, came up to me
and we're walking through, getting ready to leave actually, and the little
girl walked up and kind of
pulled on the edge of my gown, and she said, "I just want to be as pretty as you are
when I grow up."
And I mean, my heart just broke in two. I was like...
I will never forget that moment. It was pretty fabulous.
the
Miss Gay Missouri America Alumni Association
every year gives an award to one individual
that goes above and beyond to make
the Miss Missouri America Pageant successful.
So, it was held in Columbia for three years.
only became a very America from columbia
so a kind of fell onto my shoulders which is fine
but my sister kinda secretly Mohammed back
chose to give me a lil that award your I was onstage presenting
other words other individual they pull this out
lol by the way to a diverse a and I
on the tape used to be kinda other
who like totally surprised
the family sorry the second longer
running preliminary to the Miss gay Mecca system
I love the entire country
the game is very professional that kind of amazing when you think about
California for Florida or New York replaces that you really
back to see Queen those places that
you think it would be just fine military
number two the longest-running Arkansas
thank you
dragon generalists reporter under body
but the nail hair
the body hiding thing
but
when I cut the hair on I think that's what have become although
to up to pulling the hair on have to look in the mirror and I think
Jeff with maker
Shanae I do think to do that
walking through that curtain at that moment something changes
inhale
degree got away from home
they had deadly the
the he's in to brain tumor
the madcap the backlash somebody's butt
you speed
these Gucci lines
today
some cancer
some
somehow should this
no only happen if you see good
the community have it personally
seen writer go watch one
I think that you will be entertaining
and forget all about the fact that
that is the man preferable weapon
I think you can just relation mine and watch the show
will be entertained