Areola
embraces the light and urges you to do the same.
© Shena Lee
When I felt the calling to create this drag queen character, I asked myself, “For the sake of what?” I decided that I wanted to convey warmth of spirit, inclusion and female power. In my life, I’ve experienced far too many forces that contradict those ideals. I realized the only way to combat those negative messages was to be what I wanted to see in the world. I needed to find a name that would convey this.
When I felt the calling to create this drag queen character, I asked myself, “For the sake of what?” I decided that I wanted to convey warmth of spirit, inclusion and female power. In my life, I’ve experienced far too many forces that contradict those ideals. I realized the only way to combat those negative messages was to be what I wanted to see in the world. I needed to find a name that would convey this.
Areola Borealis at Bilinear Art Grand Opening - ©Karen Ready
When I was seventeen, I spent the summer living on an isolated army base just about as far upstate as you can get in New York. While there, I was able to see the aurora borealis for the first and only time so far. I was immediately enamored by the enigmatic, beautiful spectacle, even though it was quite faint to see at the time. It left a lasting feeling of happiness and wonder in me. I wanted to incorporate those senses into the character I created nearly twenty years later.
Areola Borealis and Drag King, Lil Monzster Garcia, at Bilinear Art Grand Opening - ©Karen Ready
When I was seventeen, I spent the summer living on an isolated army base just about as far upstate as you can get in New York. While there, I was able to see the aurora borealis for the first and only time so far. I was immediately enamored by the enigmatic, beautiful spectacle, even though it was quite faint to see at the time. It left a lasting feeling of happiness and wonder in me. I wanted to incorporate those senses into the character I created nearly twenty years later.
Areolas are body parts that both genders posses; however,
it’s more commonly associated with women.
Too many of my fellow drag artists have taken on names that incorporate
female body parts in a negative context.
I purposely chose Areola Borealis to be flirty, sassy, but not
rude. Everybody has fun with sassy.
Areola Borealis (right) at Miss Bacon Strip - ©Kathy Bugajsky
In the drag community, there is a strong undercurrent of
what we call shade. Shady people feel
they gain strength by cutting others down.
There are many artists and audiences out there who believe being shady
is synonymous with being a drag queen.
Those who embrace shade, embrace a life focused on competition and
one-upmanship. While I’m far from
perfect, focusing on shade feels unbalanced and I’m not willing to build my
message around it. Areola embraces the light
and urges you to do the same.
Areola Borealis at Bilinear Art Grand Opening - ©Nate Gawdy Photo
Despite what many of us have been told, I have gained power
by embracing my feminine side through Areola Borealis. I had battled that side of myself for so
long. When I embraced it, I was
surprised at the results. I urge others
to embrace their own internal power in order to create something beautiful and
meaningful in their lives. We all have
it inside of us.
--Christopher Haase
Aka Areola Borealis
© Shena Lee
