Naomi Dix: From Jehovah's Witness Pioneer to Drag Queen Club Owner

Raised in the Jehovah's Witness, Naomi Dix was knocking on doors and leading prayer meetings by the time she was 13. Today she's one of only five drag queens in history to own a gay nightclub. The road between those two things is one of the wildest stories we've heard at the Holler. This Pride Month, we talk to the Durham native and Tar Heel drag icon about what drag actually is (and isn't), building queer community in places that weren't ready for it, and the night her drag show made national headlines for the worst possible reason. Join the Holler: Patreon:   / membership   Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownholler Website: https://www.thehometownholler.com/ CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:27 Meet Naomi Dix 4:01 Growing up Jehovah's Witness in Durham 7:48 What "pioneer" and "Bethel" actually mean 9:04 Realizing she was gay at age 10 10:46 Sneaking internet access from her dad's computer bag 12:17 Running away to New Orleans at 16 14:23 Fear, family, and leaving the church 20:50 First time seeing drag — and not getting it 23:41 The show at the Pinhook that changed everything 25:36 Drag is acting — and what that actually means 27:11 Masculine, feminine, and everything in between 29:45 What happens when men don't realize she's in drag 33:50 The job of an artist is to educate 35:57 Performing drag in North Carolina — the real risks 36:37 Southern Pines: building queer community in Moore County 41:01 Emily Grace Rainey and the campaign to shut the show down 44:10 Pink Equals Power 45:16 Day of the show: 22 snipers on the roof 47:50 45 minutes in — the lights go out 48:30 500 people singing Halo by phone flashlight 50:19 "Someone shot out three substations" 52:50 45,000 without power. Two people died. 53:29 What that moment revealed about the power of drag 54:23 What she wants skeptics to know 56:54 Where to find Naomi and Club ERA #DragQueen #NorthCarolina #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #HometownHoller