ANTHONY HUDSON/CARLA ROSSI
(Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Siletz)
Drag clown, artist and writer
Portland, Oregon
I usually get my photo taken when I’m in fresh makeup, but never after the show, when I look like garbage with a gleeful glow. This is when I feel the most alive — the most me. Whether it’s after my solo show, Looking for Tiger Lily, my drag horror series, Queer Horror, teaching drag and gender performance with youth, or reading from my memoir in progress, this is what it feels like to share my dreams, anxieties, imagination and laughter with a room full of people. I write and perform for that weird queer Native kid in a small town who longed to see this work when they were growing up — for kids like me. But even when I’m selfishly sharing an image or idea that makes me giggle hysterically on my own, I try to make the personal universal. And in those moments of recognition, I hope we all feel a little more alive, and a little less alone.
Evan Benally Atwood is a queer Diné creative specializing in filmmaking and photography. They currently reside in Portland, Oregon, and need little excuse to go out on an adventure. Instagram @evanbenallyatwood
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This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline I am the West.
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