Assid Queens takes the best of both worlds from two Portland subcultures

By Liam Dwyer, ‘22

All photos by Lucas Misclevitz (@talkloudericanthearyou) and @bizzaarre.tv.

It’s a Drag Show. It’s a Punk Show.

Holden Wallace has been doing drag since before he could remember.

“My mom used to keep a photo of me when I was two, going into my sister's closet and putting on her dresses,” said Wallace in a phone interview.

“Growing up gay is really hard, and I repressed a lot of that stuff to feel normal. One day, I watched Rupaul’s Drag Race, and I was enamored with the attitude, and the artistry, and the makeup, and the fact that everyone knew weird queer movie references,” Wallace explained.

I first met Wallace at a house show in the Alberta neighborhood of Portland last fall. Decked out with pigtails sprouting from a hot pink balaclava and spiked accessories, Wallace was in character. Mimi Gina, his drag persona, is a love child of Courtney Love and a big-haired character from the soap opera Dallas.

Similarly, his live show Assid Queens is part punk show and part drag show. Local bands perform alongside local drag queens, creating a novel experience for attendees.

Multiple factors led to this blend. First were the ties he noticed between drag queens and the frontwomen of classic riot grrrl bands.

“I was so enamored with the attitude of women in rock; like Joan Jett, how badass she is, how in your face L7 is, I love Courtney Love’s unapologetic-ness. She has old-school drag queen attitude,” said Wallace.

Another factor in Assid Queens bringing drag to the Portland punk scene is due to issues within the local drag community.

“Everyone knows about certain sexual predators who work around the community… it’s an open secret. There’s a lot of gatekeeping, too. Girls in the community have to go to everyone’s show and repost everyone’s flyers just to get booked,” Wallace noted.

He sees a better future in drag by looking at the past.

“Drag started out as a communal thing. It used to be underground, fun, and for everyone. I wanted to work in environments like that, not sleazy clubs owned by rich white gay men who don’t care about transphobia or racism [and] allow people to run their clubs who are predators, or call people the n-word, or do a bunch of coke and grope people.”

A less jarring downside of these club spaces is that they aren’t accessible to young people. Wallace recalled the state of the all-ages drag shows he had while growing up.

“One was in one of those porn shops where you could rent a room by the hour. We’d sit on these ugly dirty couches with smoke stained rugs from the 80s, and watch the worst drag you’ve ever seen.”

Assid Queens is, unlike most club spaces, for all ages. High school attendees voiced their appreciation for the community space the shows create.

“I’m really happy that the Portland alternative scene has allowed young people, and even other bands, to become more recognized and have a chance to perform and connect their art with others,” shared Arden Singer, a senior at Lincoln High School.

While each attendee voiced their happiness with Portland’s show scene on the whole, Assid Queens is uniquely a space for LGBTQ+ expression.

“Assid Queens means an ability to express yourself and your queerness,” said Singer.

Similar thoughts came from Catlin Gabel School senior Hannah Langer. “It’s a good place to experiment with presentation and fashion.”

Catlin Gabel School senior Twyla Angell put it simpler. “Lots of gay people,” she joked.

“It gives a lot of performers a chance to show their talent and art, and allows trans drag performers to have a spot in the community. This not only inspires people, but also educates the community,” Singer specified.

Wallace is pleased with the response young people have had to Assid Queens.

“Seeing so many young people be like ‘I want to start drag!’ or ‘I want to be a part of this!’ or ‘This is so fun I’ve never been able to go to a drag show!,’ that’s really exciting,” Wallace said.

He could see Assid Queens’ potential the first few times he attended house shows in Portland.

“At punk shows, everyone’s wearing different eras of fashion and style, like 90s goth, 2000s cyber-emo, or more modern punk. People love to dress up, they love to do makeup, they love music and dancing. I was looking at this at house shows, and thinking: these motherf------ would love drag. Look at this b---- in Tripp NYC pants with the biggest eyeliner you’ve ever seen, she would love to go to a drag show!”

Wallace discussed two goals he has with Assid Queens going forward: safety and expansion. “I don’t see anyone else providing fentanyl testing strips as overdoses go up, or carrying Narcan. I don’t see that happening at bars I go to shows at,” he shared.

Regarding expansion, Wallace has exciting news about the future of Assid Queens. “We’re looking into going to Seattle, Bellingham, and Boise. I’m talking to people in Nevada and California too--there’s going to be a miniature West Coast tour. I plan on bringing along local bands.”

“I wanted to be around people who give a sh--, and I think I found that in the Portland punk rock community,” said Wallace. His mood was triumphant.

The next Assid Queens show is May 14th, with live music performances from Witchblade and Comagirl. More details can be found on their instagram, @assidqueens.