Chattanooga has long been known for its picturesque landscapes and Southern charm, but it has been quietly undergoing a transformation. In recent years, this city nestled in the Tennessee Valley has emerged as a hub for diverse art forms, and one captivating genre has been gaining in popularity: drag.
Drag artists Alyvia St. Claire (she/her) and Bambii Montice (they/them) are both Chattanooga natives who found that drag is much more than meets the eye. Performing in drag has brought them both a sense of belonging and community and has aided them in a journey of gender identity.
“Drag has literally saved my life,” says St. Claire, who has been performing in drag since 1998 and now lives freely as a post-op trans woman.
St. Claire’s history with drag began in the late ’90s when she experienced her first drag show in Atlanta. Growing up sheltered with little to no exposure, she had no idea who or what drag performers were. Mesmerized by the beautiful entertainers, she says that the night she saw her first drag show was monumental.
“I decided I was going to do drag, and that was the beginning of my journey,” says St. Claire.
New to the Chattanooga drag scene, Bambii Montice has had a quite different journey, with just two years of performing. Montice says they’ve always been a dancer, owned heels and wigs but never thought about wearing them out in public. One day during a local drag bingo show, they decided to overcome that fear, and that’s when the drag persona of Bambii Montice awakened.
These two drag performers both bring unique styles of drag to Chattanooga. St. Claire was once a high-energy dancer but now considers herself more of a “character” impersonator — her characters range from iconic singers to well-known actresses. She once met the queen of Tennessee herself, Dolly Parton, who personally approved of her Dolly persona.
Montice, on the other hand, considers their drag to be an homage to the underground queer subculture of ballroom and refers to their style as “banjee.” Banjee, a term born within the New York City ballroom culture, encapsulates a sense of gritty urban confidence in its definition.
The two performers’ styles couldn’t be any more different, but according to both St. Claire and Montice, that’s the beauty of the Chattanooga drag scene — the new and improved, diverse drag scene.
St. Claire says that the landscape of Chattanooga drag during the late ’90s and early 2000s was monochromatic — meaning that performing an original act outside of the Las Vegas showgirl look was uncommon.
“I, along with a few others, started a drag revolution,” says St. Claire, “which created a whole breadth of opportunity for what drag can be — the diversity that we [Chattanooga drag performers] needed.”
But what motivates these two drag artists to keep on sharing their talents with the world? Their answers lie within the realm of gender expression, discovery of self-identity and the cultivation of safe spaces for all LGBTQ+ people.
According to St. Claire, drag serves multiple purposes. It has been a way for her to process trauma. It has been a cocoon and a safe space. Drag helped her transition into the woman she is today. “It’s a way for me to tell stories about where I’ve been, where I am and where I’m going — and to share that with people, so they know they’re not alone.”
Montice, like St. Claire, also endured a self-discovery process through her transition into drag. They say their purpose is to now help others find liberation and happiness by expressing themselves freely without judgment.
“I started to perform in drag for my own discovery of identity and gender expression, to fight for liberty within myself.”
The two performers may have years of experience separating their drag journeys, but it’s the combination of traditional, unconventional freedom and liberation that allows them to share their talents with Chattanooga and the world.