'Dine N' Drag': Local businesses helping the show go on

When Mya Foxx performs this Friday, she'll probably be doing so in front of several people who have never been to a drag show before.

That's because theupcoming "Dine N' Drag"event at Elle's Bistrowill be the restaurant's first foray into Halifax's drag scene.

After the closure of beloved queer spaces like Menz and Mollyz and Reflections, drag performers are partnering with more and more businesses to make sure the show goes on.

Foxx said she's grateful to businesseslike Elle'swho have made space in the absence of dedicated venues, but said there are ups and downs to the trend of pop-upshows.

"We're exposing so many other people that maybe have never even heard of drag or have never been to a drag show before," Foxx told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Wednesday.

But the flip side,she said, is that dedicated queer establishments are sorely missed by many in the community.

"There's a lot of people in the queer community that, you know, rely on those venues to go out and feel safe and be able to go out and express themselves authentically," she said.

"When we're going into establishments that aren't necessarily queer, they're expecting a certain level of drag sometimes."

Listen to Jeff Douglas's full interview with Foxx to hear about her upcoming talk at her alma mater, Saint Mary's University, about her journey as an individual in and out of drag.