Michelle Michaels is an Erie native who has been performing in drag since 1995. Throughout her long career, she has held several titles including Miss Embers 2002, Miss Erie 2005, and Miss Omaha Nebraska Entertainer of the Year in 2006. She has hosted “FACE” drag performance and is the promoter and founder of “Michelle Michaels’ Pink Party Weekend Breast Cancer Benefit” at The Zone Dance Club. Her name was inspired by combining her given male name, Michael, and a sister Melissa, who passed away. Performing since she was 19, Michelle Michaels drew upon her years of dance and made it part of her drag persona.

When asked how performing in Erie is different from performing in larger cities, she responded, “Bigger cities tend to have bigger attitudes, bigger egos, and bigger problems. In Erie, we’re a close-knit sisterhood that tends to work well together. Out-of-town performers recognize this and will comment on how close the Erie group appears. Erie only has one gay bar. Larger cities have more than one and most bars have their own “girls” and that sparks a lot of competition, more rivalries and it can be pretty cutthroat. Smaller communities have their benefits.”

Rebecca Mae is an Erie native and has been performing in drag since 2017. Crowned Miss Erie in 2019, she travels frequently to perform within the tri-state area and at colleges and universities across the country, hosting “Pop Up Pride” with XL Event Labs. Even though Rebecca Mae is fairly new to drag, she has been a performer for most of her life. She feels that drag is becoming more accepted in Erie. “I think it’s definitely gotten better. After I returned home and started hosting drag brunches and bingos, attendance was great and there was very little pushback. You will still get the occasional protestor, but that’s to be expected. With that said, I don’t see it as being as big of an issue as it is in larger cities.”

As a traveling drag performer, Rebecca Mae added that hailing from a smaller-sized city such as Erie presents some challenges. “Getting your name out there in larger cities and venues requires a lot of time, patience, and persistence. Every day, I check all my social media accounts, create posts, view comments, and respond accordingly on a daily basis. I strive to always be ahead of the game and continue to build my brand so that when I’m out on the road, people recognize me and know I’m from Erie, Pennsylvania.”

Alysin Wonderland is a native of Altoona, PA, and has been performing in drag since 2005. She has performed across Pennsylvania and offers Q&A Facebook live makeup and skincare tutorials on a regular basis. Alysin was Miss Erie First Runner Up in 2019 and 2022 and placed third overall for Miss Erie 2021. As a fan of drag-related TV shows and movies, she sees both the positive and negative sides to Erie’s drag evolution.

“It’s become more accepting, but I think that’s because drag has become more mainstream. Compared to years past, there are a lot more TV shows and movies about drag. The only problem is, many people have an assumption or a high standard that ALL drag queens should be like the ones they see on movies or TV, much like RuPaul’s Drag Race. If you don’t look like that or act like that, then you’re nothing.” Growing up, Alysin suffered from severe stage fright and social anxiety. Performing in drag provided levels of comfort and confidence. Whether she’s performing in Erie or elsewhere, Alysin has this message to convey. “I stand proud and I stand loud. I want to empower people and give them the encouragement and the courage to say that if this queen can conquer her fears, I can too.”