His momma has never seen a drag show
• Gender Outsiders: Transgendered & Others
Leila Atassi in the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes of Michael Cassara aka Dixie Chick.
Michael has learned to endure the high drama he says drag queens produce, and bars full of people trying to see through the illusion of femininity. And despite the sustaining pleasure of hearing an audience chanting for Dixie, it has not always been easy for Michael to do what makes him happy.
"When I was 21 and first came out of the closet to my mom, I was trying to convince her that being gay is not like being a freak," Michael says, layering different shades of beige and brown foundation over his cheekbones and his brow. "I said, Come on, mom. It's not like I'm a drag queen or anything.' He laughs at the irony and rummages around a large toolbox filled with lipstick and eye shadow.