In today’s episode, we dive deeper into the transformative world of drag queens with special guest Marissa Kage. Discover the artistry, empowerment, and self-expression behind the glam!
[00:00:00] Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, coming to you from somewhere deep in the heart of Texas. You're listening to the Unspoken Podcast, where nothing is off limits. Here's your hosts, Breyden and Cody.
[00:00:20] Welcome back to the Unspoken Truth Podcast, where we explore different fun types of themes, topics and ideas. This is going to be a part two to which is now going to be a three-part episode for our Drag Queens, The Art of Transformation.
[00:00:36] We have a special guest today. Her name is Marissa Cage. She'll be joining us shortly. I've got some, you know, some questions that I want to ask her about, you know, her form of drag and all that kind of good stuff.
[00:00:48] But before we dive right in, how was your weekend?
[00:00:51] Mine was good. We'll just say it was good. I had some fun with some friends. I went out and ate, kind of did a little bit of day drinking, nothing too crazy.
[00:00:59] It was actually pretty, pretty chill. I had someone fly in and see me.
[00:01:02] Oh yeah?
[00:01:03] I did. It was nice to see him.
[00:01:06] Yep.
[00:01:07] You act like you're surprised you were there.
[00:01:09] I know, I know. I just, because I mean, everybody knows.
[00:01:11] How was your weekend?
[00:01:12] Everybody knows, huh?
[00:01:13] How was your weekend?
[00:01:13] I thought I met the love of my life this weekend. That's what I thought.
[00:01:15] Oh, there you go. Come out with it.
[00:01:17] What you thought?
[00:01:18] Well, I thought.
[00:01:19] You never got the text back?
[00:01:20] I didn't, but it's totally...
[00:01:22] You're kidding me.
[00:01:22] No.
[00:01:23] But I think I know what it is.
[00:01:24] A whole day ghost?
[00:01:25] Well, they're still offline.
[00:01:28] Okay, so what is it?
[00:01:30] I, nothing I can say on the air.
[00:01:32] Very cool.
[00:01:33] I was gonna tell you after...
[00:01:34] Something you did?
[00:01:35] Huh?
[00:01:35] Something you did?
[00:01:36] No, no, no.
[00:01:37] Something outside that?
[00:01:38] Yeah, I know.
[00:01:39] But I know it was a good, it was a good weekend.
[00:01:42] Like you said, nothing too crazy, no crazy, crazy over drinking.
[00:01:45] Yeah.
[00:01:46] Which has become the new normal for us.
[00:01:48] I didn't work for once.
[00:01:49] I didn't work.
[00:01:50] Oh, you didn't?
[00:01:50] Oh yeah, you had a good...
[00:01:51] It kind of took a whole weekend off.
[00:01:53] Nice.
[00:01:53] Got a tattoo yesterday.
[00:01:55] Oh, he's got this really...
[00:01:56] I like hell.
[00:01:57] He's got this three piece tattoo that's, what's it, four piece tattoo?
[00:02:00] Well, it's four sessions.
[00:02:01] It was a cover up.
[00:02:02] And I'm on the third session I just did yesterday.
[00:02:05] I got one more.
[00:02:06] It's rough, man.
[00:02:08] Yesterday, it was pretty rough.
[00:02:09] It was right on my sternum.
[00:02:10] It was the middle.
[00:02:12] It was tough.
[00:02:12] You knew it was gonna hurt, but yeah, I mean...
[00:02:14] I couldn't tell because he was facing outside the window.
[00:02:17] I'm usually making fun of him, but this one, this tattoo, this one is the best one
[00:02:20] that she's done so far on him.
[00:02:22] It's just positioned well and it looks...
[00:02:24] I don't know.
[00:02:24] I love my neck.
[00:02:25] I love my neck tattoo.
[00:02:26] Yeah.
[00:02:26] She did great on that too, but no, this one, it's good.
[00:02:30] Nice.
[00:02:31] Very cool.
[00:02:31] Very bold.
[00:02:32] Very bold.
[00:02:33] A lot of black hair.
[00:02:35] Yeah.
[00:02:35] Well, that's cool.
[00:02:36] So the friend that she got, I see that you're on a relationship now.
[00:02:39] Wow.
[00:02:40] Call me out.
[00:02:40] Yeah.
[00:02:41] It's already out there.
[00:02:42] Yeah, it is out there.
[00:02:43] Yeah, I have a boyfriend now.
[00:02:45] I started dating.
[00:02:46] Sorry, fellas.
[00:02:47] Yeah.
[00:02:48] Got you sleeping?
[00:02:48] Is that what it said?
[00:02:49] No, I opened the idea of dating a couple months ago and then we rekindled something that
[00:02:55] didn't go very far last year.
[00:02:58] I'm not one to go backwards or go back to exes or anything, so I can't really say this
[00:03:01] one was an ex.
[00:03:02] It didn't really work that way.
[00:03:03] We just dated.
[00:03:04] It kind of fell off.
[00:03:06] Both parties were in the wrong, I guess you could say.
[00:03:11] I don't even want to say wrong.
[00:03:12] Either way, we just fell off and we rekindled and yeah, I'm going to make it work.
[00:03:16] Not like it even is a try.
[00:03:19] It's so easy with him.
[00:03:20] Yeah.
[00:03:20] I love being around him.
[00:03:22] You can tell it was the cutest thing.
[00:03:24] I tell him once we went to go eat and I was like, oh, just looking at your face.
[00:03:27] I was like, oh, just looking at him with such admiration.
[00:03:29] I mean, yeah.
[00:03:30] I do love it.
[00:03:31] He's blushing.
[00:03:34] I do enjoy being around him.
[00:03:36] But yeah, very cool.
[00:03:40] So are you excited about Halloween?
[00:03:42] Have you decided what you're going to be yet?
[00:03:44] Yeah, I'm going to be a dad.
[00:03:45] I'm going to take my son Halloween and trick or treat.
[00:03:47] Trick or treat on Halloween.
[00:03:49] No, he always goes to the area around his school, which is a great one.
[00:03:53] They set up huge stuff in their front yards and then they have the kids walk through the
[00:03:58] houses like a haunted house kind of thing.
[00:04:00] It's really cool.
[00:04:01] The community is great.
[00:04:02] We're going to do that.
[00:04:04] And yeah, I guess I did decide what I was going to be after many choices of no that
[00:04:08] you sent me.
[00:04:09] It wasn't that many.
[00:04:11] Yeah, it was not going to happen.
[00:04:13] It's to be determined or not to be determined, but to be shown later.
[00:04:16] I do know what I'm going to wear though.
[00:04:18] Nice.
[00:04:18] I still haven't decided.
[00:04:19] I had this and then that and then my friend Joey.
[00:04:22] I'm actually going to go to his house tonight.
[00:04:23] He's got a whole thing of things.
[00:04:25] I mean, mine could change because I guess I'm supposed to do that also.
[00:04:27] Yeah.
[00:04:28] I'm supposed to go with you.
[00:04:29] So yeah, and I don't have anything to do.
[00:04:32] So sure, because usually I work.
[00:04:34] Yeah, I can actually make it and that might change.
[00:04:36] But for the most part, I do know what I would like to wear that I'd be comfortable with.
[00:04:40] I'm not showing my ass.
[00:04:41] But yeah, so that's a, like I said, I don't know.
[00:04:43] I found one idea that was really cool.
[00:04:44] I sent it to Cody and it was, it was a, I thought it was really cool, but he's not.
[00:04:48] He's it's that Fred Flintstone one that I sent you.
[00:04:50] That was actually pretty cool.
[00:04:52] Yeah, but he has hair.
[00:04:53] I don't have hair.
[00:04:54] You don't think you can pull it off.
[00:04:55] So I don't know.
[00:04:56] You can get him to draw on or paint on hair.
[00:04:58] Your friend does makeup.
[00:04:59] I do want to do a do just one thing because I know he's dying to do it.
[00:05:04] I know he wants to say hi dad Kim Aries.
[00:05:07] Aries got to come and see the studio today.
[00:05:09] He's not supposed to be sitting in here, but he wanted to watch.
[00:05:11] So yeah, Aries, come on.
[00:05:16] This is Aries little man.
[00:05:18] He's going to be 10 in December.
[00:05:21] You say hi, bud.
[00:05:24] How you doing?
[00:05:25] That's Aries.
[00:05:26] But yeah, he's here hanging out with us.
[00:05:28] You know, dad was sick.
[00:05:29] So I did not feel well this morning.
[00:05:31] It was rough to get up.
[00:05:33] Yeah, it's there's something going around to like one of my coworkers, his kids has
[00:05:37] got like the flu and the bug and the stomach and I'm like, it wasn't that I just
[00:05:40] I had a migraine or I don't even really get migraines.
[00:05:44] I just had a horrible headache and I just didn't feel.
[00:05:46] Yeah, my equilibrium was off.
[00:05:48] I get that.
[00:05:49] Yeah.
[00:05:50] So I got a question.
[00:05:52] I want to know how you feel or what you think.
[00:05:55] I don't know too much.
[00:05:56] I would prefer having an actual drag queen here to talk about it.
[00:05:59] But how do you feel about men straight men that just straight up like to dress like women
[00:06:05] and they say absolutely nothing towards wanting to be a woman wanting to be with a man.
[00:06:16] Just love dresses in women's clothing dresses up.
[00:06:23] I don't know.
[00:06:24] It's so so not the norm, you know, I mean, not the norm.
[00:06:27] I say that wrong.
[00:06:27] Don't quote me on that.
[00:06:28] I don't know.
[00:06:32] I feel like with.
[00:06:35] That's a really good question.
[00:06:37] I mean, it's all closer.
[00:06:38] Like RuPaul said, we're all born naked.
[00:06:40] The rest is just clothes.
[00:06:41] So or something like that.
[00:06:42] And so it's just clothes for me.
[00:06:43] It doesn't it doesn't bother me.
[00:06:45] I don't think that I wouldn't do it.
[00:06:48] But I mean, that's what makes somebody comfortable.
[00:06:50] Then why not?
[00:06:51] I mean, you know, but I don't know that it necessarily like puts you in some sort of category
[00:06:55] if that makes sense.
[00:06:57] Well, yeah, but that wasn't necessarily the question.
[00:07:00] It was just you think it's possible not to have any other inclination than just like to dress pretty in women's clothes.
[00:07:09] I don't know.
[00:07:11] It's kind of this is another touchy subject.
[00:07:13] It's kind of for me like the people that like to dress like puppies or dogs.
[00:07:19] Oh, the because I read into it because I didn't understand it.
[00:07:22] And I read a little bit about it.
[00:07:23] And it's something about being able to, you know, be outside themselves and be playful.
[00:07:28] So like going into a different persona.
[00:07:30] Yeah.
[00:07:31] But they it's not a bestiality thing.
[00:07:33] And they don't want to be a dog.
[00:07:36] It honestly confuses me in no disrespectful way.
[00:07:39] I just I don't know enough about it.
[00:07:43] Yeah, but it reminds me of something like that.
[00:07:46] I just don't know enough.
[00:07:47] I'm not educated enough, but it makes me wonder.
[00:07:51] Okay, I got you.
[00:07:53] I mean, it makes me wonder, too.
[00:07:54] And I mean, it's just what different people are into, you know, but I don't know.
[00:08:00] Like what comes to my mind when I think of that is Caitlyn Jenner, because he liked she sorry if I'm saying this wrong, but she liked to dress in Chris's clothes for many years.
[00:08:12] And then it was drew went to something bigger, if that makes sense.
[00:08:15] So, I mean, I think that you can dress in it and totally be okay and not be gay or be one of, you know, trans or whatever.
[00:08:23] But it went into something bigger as in him trans or transforming.
[00:08:27] Yeah, that was but maybe a specific person.
[00:08:30] But how do you know that that wasn't already the feeling that that needed to happen?
[00:08:34] It just wasn't available or known to be done back then.
[00:08:39] Right.
[00:08:40] I watched a show recently off Netflix.
[00:08:43] It had man.
[00:08:45] What's name?
[00:08:46] Will Ferrell.
[00:08:46] Ferrell.
[00:08:47] Ferrell.
[00:08:48] It was called Harris, maybe or Harley.
[00:08:52] One of those.
[00:08:53] Anyways, one of the writers for most of his stuff that found him 30 plus years ago.
[00:09:01] Basically, it's a documentary showing that he he transitioned into a female.
[00:09:06] But this whole time he had this secret life, he had even bought a house.
[00:09:11] And I don't want to tell the whole documentary, but one part of it, he had bought a house and he had a Harper still Harper.
[00:09:19] He would go to that house.
[00:09:21] And I think it's in California, maybe.
[00:09:25] And he would dress up and just privately and where he wouldn't leave or go anywhere.
[00:09:31] And in his car, he would also do the same.
[00:09:33] And he was, of course, afraid to get pulled over kind of thing.
[00:09:37] But now that it was available and the surgeries are common, he transitioned and changed.
[00:09:42] So that whole time he felt like he needed to be a female.
[00:09:48] I don't remember in the movie whether he feels she feels.
[00:09:52] I'm so sorry.
[00:09:52] I don't know which one.
[00:09:54] I guess she now.
[00:09:55] Right.
[00:09:56] It is she.
[00:09:59] Gender.
[00:10:01] She wanted to be with.
[00:10:02] But it just makes me curious on.
[00:10:04] I mean, everybody likes different strokes for different folks kind of thing, different flavor for the week.
[00:10:09] But I just I'm curious.
[00:10:10] I just I'm not educated enough.
[00:10:14] I've been out since a man.
[00:10:16] I was a kid.
[00:10:16] I was a kid when I came out, of course, retracted and everything.
[00:10:20] But into the gay world, I guess you could say, quote unquote, more openly educated population.
[00:10:28] I didn't do that until I moved here to McKinney about four years ago.
[00:10:32] So I'm still just learning.
[00:10:35] Same.
[00:10:35] I feel like I'm learning to with moving out of the suburbs for me coming into Dallas and learning just there's so many different everything.
[00:10:43] So there's still so much to learn.
[00:10:45] You know what I'm saying?
[00:10:46] And yeah, I agree.
[00:10:50] And if you guys haven't watched that movie, it's you'll laugh.
[00:10:53] You'll cry.
[00:10:54] Oh, for sure.
[00:10:55] And it just shows you the kind of good person that Will Ferrell is and the kind of good friend that he is and their bond.
[00:11:02] And this Harper goes back to the writing of Saturday Night Live from like in the beginning.
[00:11:08] It's like Tina Fey and just all these people, my Rudolph.
[00:11:11] And they're all on it.
[00:11:12] You guys definitely need to watch it.
[00:11:14] It's a good watch.
[00:11:14] It's a really good watch.
[00:11:16] So I got some good news.
[00:11:18] Our guest, she's running late, but she will be here in about five minutes and then we'll get started on the show.
[00:11:22] Let's take a quick break.
[00:11:23] All right, guys.
[00:11:25] We are so excited to announce our guests that we've been promoting on our Facebook, the fabulous Marissa Cage.
[00:11:32] Welcome to the show.
[00:11:33] Hi, good morning.
[00:11:34] How are you?
[00:11:35] I'm good.
[00:11:35] How are you?
[00:11:36] So how's your morning been so far?
[00:11:38] It's been long.
[00:11:39] Yeah.
[00:11:39] I'm excited to be here.
[00:11:41] Yes.
[00:11:41] We've been trying to get her here for quite a bit, quite a while now.
[00:11:45] Wow.
[00:11:45] She's a busy girl.
[00:11:46] Yeah, she is.
[00:11:47] So, but yeah, we're just gonna, Cody, you want to dive in?
[00:11:50] Just dive right in.
[00:11:51] So let's talk about how we met.
[00:11:54] Oh my gosh.
[00:11:55] I was bartending and I was at a restaurant here in Dallas and then you guys came in and
[00:12:01] then ended up spending like a few, a while with me.
[00:12:04] I don't even remember how long it was.
[00:12:05] I had a big question.
[00:12:07] I was, I was talking to Brayden and she was our bartender.
[00:12:10] I was.
[00:12:11] And I told Brayden, I was like, man, dude, no disrespect, but that's a dude.
[00:12:17] At one point in time, that was a dude.
[00:12:19] And so Marissa walks up and I'm like, Hey, I've got this big question to ask you, but
[00:12:23] I'm not really sure how to ask you.
[00:12:25] And she says, I know what you're gonna ask, but I'm gonna make you ask it.
[00:12:27] Yeah.
[00:12:28] It's like, all right, all right.
[00:12:29] So do you have a dick?
[00:12:30] And she's like, yeah.
[00:12:31] And I'm keeping it just like, it just blew my mind.
[00:12:35] We were friends since then.
[00:12:36] So she actually is transitioning.
[00:12:39] Yes.
[00:12:39] Yeah.
[00:12:39] Yes.
[00:12:40] How far along are you in that?
[00:12:42] Um, I've been transitioning out for three years, give or take.
[00:12:46] Yes.
[00:12:47] So it's been, it's been a nice little journey with, you know, some hormones and some medicine.
[00:12:55] No surgeries yet.
[00:12:57] Keyword yet.
[00:12:58] But yes.
[00:12:59] And plans for when you get what you want done finished.
[00:13:03] How long will that be?
[00:13:05] I mean, it just depends.
[00:13:08] It, everything is such a like lengthy process, especially since I'm going through like insurance
[00:13:13] and stuff like that.
[00:13:14] I wanted to get everything done the right way.
[00:13:18] Um, so I've had a few consultations this year.
[00:13:21] It's just a matter of insurance approving it and all this other stuff.
[00:13:25] So hopefully my first surgery will be at the beginning of the year.
[00:13:29] And then if, if everything works out, I'll be done by the end of the next year.
[00:13:35] That's exciting.
[00:13:36] Okay.
[00:13:36] So, so full year or so.
[00:13:38] Yeah.
[00:13:38] Give or take.
[00:13:39] Hopefully.
[00:13:40] Cause each surgery will take at least a couple months of recovery.
[00:13:43] Recovery and everything.
[00:13:43] Sure.
[00:13:44] I know a good nurse.
[00:13:45] Okay.
[00:13:46] I'll do, I'll do home visits and dress up or down.
[00:13:48] So yeah.
[00:13:49] So I'm just going to dive in with some questions and like, yeah.
[00:13:51] So can you share a bit about your, uh, your, your, your origin?
[00:13:55] You know, like what drew you into the world of drag?
[00:13:59] Um, honestly, it's so funny because whenever I really think about it, it really just came
[00:14:05] down to me being like wanting the attention.
[00:14:09] I grew up like really like for the most part athletic or I was always in sports or I was
[00:14:14] always doing something.
[00:14:15] I was a cheerleader.
[00:14:16] I was, uh, in theater.
[00:14:18] I was all this stuff.
[00:14:19] So eyes were always on me.
[00:14:21] And then obviously after high school, everything changes.
[00:14:25] And I turned 21, I went to a gay club and I saw a drag queen for the first time.
[00:14:30] They were performing there on stage.
[00:14:32] They're obviously making money.
[00:14:35] And I was just kind of like, okay, that that's kind of cool.
[00:14:38] And I befriended a few of them.
[00:14:40] And I was like, you know what?
[00:14:40] Like I want that to be me.
[00:14:42] I like the attention.
[00:14:44] I like, you know, I, again, I was always involved in something.
[00:14:48] So I love to perform and I love to do all that.
[00:14:50] So I kind of said, let's go for it.
[00:14:52] And here we are like you headline your own show, right?
[00:14:55] Yeah.
[00:14:55] Seven years later.
[00:14:56] Here we are.
[00:14:57] So, so in school, did you dress like a guy or a girl?
[00:15:01] All of that, of course, was pre transition.
[00:15:03] So I, I definitely was a lot more masculine boy.
[00:15:07] Yes, for sure.
[00:15:08] It, I was, but you knew it was kind of, it's very complicated where it's kind of
[00:15:15] like, I didn't realize that a lot of things that I felt or I said, damn, going straight
[00:15:20] in.
[00:15:21] I didn't realize that a lot of things I felt or the way I thought meant this.
[00:15:26] Um, obviously I had never really met a trans person before I joined the world of drag.
[00:15:33] Um, so for me, it was just like typical, like things of like a gay boy or, you know, things
[00:15:39] like that.
[00:15:40] And then it wasn't until later on in life and obviously COVID and going through therapy
[00:15:45] and stuff that you realize that like certain things like a standard gay boy doesn't do
[00:15:50] or doesn't think about.
[00:15:52] Right.
[00:15:52] Um, and that's kind of where everything changed.
[00:15:54] So I had a question earlier that I was asking Braden before you got here.
[00:15:57] So, you know, dressing in females clothes and everything, um, and you're wanting to transition
[00:16:03] into female basically.
[00:16:08] I don't know how exactly to ask it or how I did earlier, but what about how are most men
[00:16:16] interpreted whenever they are straight men, but only like to dress in females clothes with
[00:16:21] no other intentions?
[00:16:24] Um, well then that's technically just considered like a cross dresser.
[00:16:28] Is that a cross dresser?
[00:16:29] Yeah.
[00:16:29] Okay.
[00:16:30] Okay.
[00:16:30] That makes sense.
[00:16:31] Yeah.
[00:16:33] They just enjoy to like cross dress and there's nothing wrong with that.
[00:16:37] Sure.
[00:16:38] Um, if that's what you're into.
[00:16:39] Right.
[00:16:40] I got another question.
[00:16:41] So, you know, as we mentioned earlier, you're keeping your part that you want to keep.
[00:16:47] Um, so you consider yourself trans?
[00:16:49] Yes.
[00:16:50] So what about people that are born like that?
[00:16:53] It's still just the same.
[00:16:56] Like, uh, if they were born with boobs and a penis, they're also just trans, but they do
[00:17:01] drag.
[00:17:05] Speaking in my phone.
[00:17:06] Okay.
[00:17:06] One more time.
[00:17:07] So like you're considered trans cause you're transitioning.
[00:17:11] Yes.
[00:17:11] So someone that was born trans and does drag, are you still considered basically on the
[00:17:20] same level?
[00:17:20] I guess you could say like, do you consider yourself both trans?
[00:17:23] Is there a different name for it or are you both just trans?
[00:17:26] Huh?
[00:17:28] I don't completely.
[00:17:29] It was like somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody that's born with a penis
[00:17:33] and boobs.
[00:17:34] That happens.
[00:17:36] Yeah.
[00:17:36] Well, is there, is that not the name for it?
[00:17:40] A trans person?
[00:17:41] I think when, when you're, are you talking about like people who are born with like the
[00:17:46] mixed genitalia?
[00:17:47] Well, not.
[00:17:49] Yeah.
[00:17:50] Cause then with that, obviously I don't know everything about that, but I believe that
[00:17:54] like what people we used to call it or I don't know if it's still what it called, but they,
[00:17:58] it was like hermaphrodite.
[00:17:59] Yeah.
[00:17:59] But that's whenever they had both downstairs.
[00:18:02] Yeah.
[00:18:02] I mean, whenever you just have a cock and boobs.
[00:18:07] I mean, we all have boobs.
[00:18:09] Um, I mean, it's one of those things that's like trans people are all born trans.
[00:18:17] It's just a matter of when kind of you, you discover or understand what those things mean.
[00:18:23] Okay.
[00:18:24] Cause again, there were things that like I did as a child that don't necessarily align
[00:18:30] with a male or a gay boy.
[00:18:34] It, you know, it took that step further.
[00:18:37] So I can say that I've always been a woman in my mind, you know, so I've always been trans.
[00:18:45] A trans woman?
[00:18:46] Yes.
[00:18:47] A trans woman.
[00:18:48] Because at the end of the day, the being trans and being a trans man or a trans woman, it's
[00:18:54] literally when you're, you are not born in the body in which like, you know, you feel again,
[00:19:01] in my mind, I always felt a certain type of way.
[00:19:03] I was believed I was a certain type of way.
[00:19:07] And again, it's just the body did not necessarily match.
[00:19:10] I understand that.
[00:19:11] Well, I mean, I get that from watching the documentary on with Caitlyn Jenner, like,
[00:19:16] it was just, she was just another person in a man's body.
[00:19:19] Yeah.
[00:19:20] So yeah.
[00:19:21] Okay.
[00:19:22] Just don't write out.
[00:19:23] I probably butchered that question, but I'm just confused.
[00:19:25] I'm not educated.
[00:19:26] I'm not educated enough.
[00:19:28] I'm not going to like confuse me a bit.
[00:19:30] So I guess more so like to now that we've talked about it on basically saying is someone
[00:19:35] born trans now that you're changing trans, you're just now classified trans.
[00:19:38] So you're, you're making yourself into a trans woman because that's how you felt in your
[00:19:44] body.
[00:19:45] It's like accepting that you're a trans woman.
[00:19:48] Okay.
[00:19:48] Again, it's like always been trans.
[00:19:51] A lot, a lot of people even realize that they're trans at a younger age and a lot earlier
[00:19:56] on.
[00:19:56] So I've always been trans.
[00:19:59] It's just the matter of figuring it out, learning and understanding what that is and
[00:20:04] accepting that that's what I am.
[00:20:06] I gotcha.
[00:20:07] Because at the end of the day, like I will always be a trans woman from the beginning
[00:20:11] to the end without even if I didn't know it's kind of like being gay in a way like some
[00:20:19] people, you know, it's like you're born gay or this or that.
[00:20:22] Like some people are gay their whole life.
[00:20:25] They don't know that they're fully gay until again something clicks in their mind or they
[00:20:30] realize certain things.
[00:20:32] It's they see an example.
[00:20:34] Yeah, they will.
[00:20:35] You know, I think that was like with my late husband Bronco like he knew in his mind that
[00:20:39] he was but then it finally clicked later in his life that he was and he was married
[00:20:43] and he had children and like he did.
[00:20:45] He yeah, like he said they clicked and it's like I I'm OK with it and I'm a gay man, you
[00:20:49] know, and so that was a pivotal turning point in his life.
[00:20:52] So just OK, cool.
[00:20:54] He's like you kind of helped me with that.
[00:20:56] Did I?
[00:20:56] Yeah, but OK, cool.
[00:21:01] So you were mentioning earlier.
[00:21:03] I'm some drag questions.
[00:21:06] So who is the first drag queen that you saw?
[00:21:09] It was back home in Arizona, Arizona.
[00:21:12] Yes, I am from Arizona in Tucson actually.
[00:21:17] And I believe her name was Janae Star.
[00:21:21] I think those are for she's super tall like literally this tall statuesque woman with like
[00:21:25] long legs.
[00:21:27] I was so intrigued.
[00:21:27] It was so much fun.
[00:21:30] And now she's a great friend and we still talk on Facebook and everything like that.
[00:21:34] But yeah, it was her show is a Saturday night.
[00:21:37] Mm hmm.
[00:21:38] At the only gay club that Tucson has.
[00:21:40] It sounds familiar like where he's from.
[00:21:43] Yeah.
[00:21:43] Yeah.
[00:21:43] I'm from a small city, too.
[00:21:45] There's probably three gay bars when I was there when I was younger to close maybe one
[00:21:51] or two bars and now there's only one standing.
[00:21:53] Really?
[00:21:53] They still do drag drag shows and everything there, but it's called 212.
[00:21:58] OK.
[00:21:58] I'm from Amarillo.
[00:22:00] I guess I can admit that.
[00:22:03] It's crazy because Tucson's a big city.
[00:22:06] It's a college city.
[00:22:08] OK.
[00:22:08] The University of Arizona is there.
[00:22:12] OK.
[00:22:13] So it's pretty big, but I guess there used to be many other clubs.
[00:22:17] But by the time I turned 21 and I started doing drag, there was only one that survived.
[00:22:22] OK.
[00:22:23] And it was the one that's been there the longest.
[00:22:25] There's been other venues who are like LGBT friendly.
[00:22:30] Mm hmm.
[00:22:30] Likewise in mine.
[00:22:32] Yeah.
[00:22:32] But aren't necessarily considered like a gay bar.
[00:22:35] Right.
[00:22:36] Right.
[00:22:37] More alternative, I guess you could say.
[00:22:38] Mm hmm.
[00:22:39] Yeah.
[00:22:39] Yeah.
[00:22:40] OK.
[00:22:41] Cool beans.
[00:22:42] And then another question.
[00:22:43] Who's who's your drag mother?
[00:22:46] So my drag mother here in Dallas is Myra DeLorenzo.
[00:22:51] OK.
[00:22:52] Yeah.
[00:22:52] She does a few shows.
[00:22:53] She does a lot more shows when it comes down to like the Latin bars.
[00:22:57] But yeah, I met her shortly after I moved here and she started booking me.
[00:23:02] We, you know, built a connection and kind of did a really good friendship.
[00:23:06] So she became my drag mother out here.
[00:23:08] Very cool.
[00:23:09] And if you guys haven't been to the roundup when Marissa has a show like you walk in and
[00:23:12] you she's got that microphone and she's talking and you walking into Marissa's house.
[00:23:16] It's lively.
[00:23:17] It's lively.
[00:23:17] It's great.
[00:23:18] You know, and one of the great things I but what I like about our friendship is you have
[00:23:22] different drag performers who they they see you and they kind of wave no Marissa.
[00:23:27] When we walk in, she's like, hey, she's still talking on the microphone.
[00:23:30] Give you a big hug.
[00:23:30] OK, she don't miss that.
[00:23:32] She is on it.
[00:23:33] And it's really, really cool.
[00:23:34] I have a video that I'll post a couple years back right after we met Marissa.
[00:23:39] Better not be.
[00:23:40] Cody goes out there and Marissa's dancing and there was somebody else.
[00:23:43] Oh my God.
[00:23:43] Called me out on my birthday.
[00:23:44] I do remember.
[00:23:45] Yeah.
[00:23:45] I think it might already be posted from years back.
[00:23:48] It's somewhere.
[00:23:49] I'm not saying where.
[00:23:50] Very cool.
[00:23:51] It takes me back to my dancing days.
[00:23:53] OK.
[00:23:54] These knees can't take it.
[00:23:58] OK, so what does what is drag mean to you personally and how do you express it through
[00:24:03] your performances?
[00:24:05] I like that's such a heavy question.
[00:24:07] I feel like so many people ask that and it's such a hard question because I feel like drag
[00:24:12] is really.
[00:24:14] At the end of the day, like drag is an art and I feel like at the end of the day, like
[00:24:18] art is subjective to everybody else.
[00:24:23] To me, I feel like drag has just been.
[00:24:26] And even before I started transition, I definitely owe me finding who I am to drag.
[00:24:32] So I'm very, very grateful for drag.
[00:24:35] I feel like.
[00:24:37] Drag is kind of a way to play with like obviously to to kind of play with the gender norms and
[00:24:46] stuff like that, but I feel like it's it's a way for and I'll talk about like men doing
[00:24:52] drag.
[00:24:52] I feel like it's a way to kind of tap into that like femininity that we all have.
[00:24:58] Yes.
[00:24:59] And kind of bring that person to life to kind of express emotions or feelings or whatever
[00:25:04] it is.
[00:25:05] I grew up in a very like hardcore like machista like Mexican household.
[00:25:11] We know that.
[00:25:12] We know those words.
[00:25:13] And so like for me, it was and obviously it was always very much like although you know
[00:25:19] when I came out in high school, I was gay.
[00:25:21] It was all that stuff.
[00:25:24] But it was always like obviously you hide like femininity or you you don't do this.
[00:25:30] You don't do that.
[00:25:30] And I feel like starting drag was the moment to like really play with like all of that femininity
[00:25:37] that I had inside of me that for a long time like was told to suppress or to not have.
[00:25:43] Yeah.
[00:25:43] And again years later, then that's when I realized it's like when I wasn't in drag was
[00:25:50] when I felt I was in drag, you know.
[00:25:52] And so for me, it's definitely one of those things where you get to just experience a whole
[00:25:58] new side of you that you maybe can't experience in your day to day life.
[00:26:03] You play with gender.
[00:26:04] You play with everything that like, you know, you kind of want to you play a Barbie doll,
[00:26:10] but with yourself in a way, you know.
[00:26:12] See, we were we had Carmela Cruz is a really good friend of Cody's and we were talking about
[00:26:17] that on the last episode because the way that I kind of put it is like Beyonce when she goes
[00:26:21] on stage, she becomes Sasha Fierce, that whole different persona.
[00:26:24] Yeah.
[00:26:25] And that's exactly what Carmela was saying.
[00:26:26] She's like when I go on stage, I'm Carmela and I'm just you get to play with the different
[00:26:30] norms and be who you want to be and just kick ass, you know, while you're doing it.
[00:26:34] And then you can go back to your normal self after you're done doing your kind of show.
[00:26:37] So exactly.
[00:26:38] It's like an alter ego.
[00:26:39] Like for some people, it really helps with like insecurities, insecurities.
[00:26:43] It helps with confidence.
[00:26:45] It helps like it can do so many different things for so many people.
[00:26:48] And I know that definitely helped me with my confidence as well.
[00:26:52] So.
[00:26:54] Yeah, it's it's it's hard.
[00:26:55] It's hard to put into words what drag is.
[00:26:58] Yeah.
[00:26:58] OK, truly for me, at least.
[00:27:00] OK, so I have a one of my questions, too, is did you did you always know how to do makeup?
[00:27:06] Was that something that came natural or something you did?
[00:27:08] I just said a good few years of my career looking very questionable.
[00:27:14] I look back and I'm just like, my friends really let me come out.
[00:27:19] Nobody said anything.
[00:27:20] You look good, girl.
[00:27:22] How long does it take you now?
[00:27:23] Oh, my God.
[00:27:23] So I've been able to get down to do my makeup within like forty five minutes to an hour.
[00:27:29] Nice.
[00:27:30] I know a lot of people say like four hours.
[00:27:32] Yeah.
[00:27:33] No, when I first started, it was good.
[00:27:34] Three, four hours.
[00:27:35] And I still looked horrible.
[00:27:37] And now I guess obviously everything comes with practice and then learning a lot more like products and how to use them.
[00:27:44] And for a while, like I worked in a makeup store, so I learned a lot more.
[00:27:50] So now I've learned my face.
[00:27:53] So I've been able to kind of just it's more like muscle memory now.
[00:27:57] Yeah.
[00:27:57] So I do a lot of it and I can get it done as quick as forty five minutes.
[00:28:00] I still like to give myself two hours to fully get ready.
[00:28:03] But I'm normally done within the hour, hour and a half.
[00:28:06] Nice.
[00:28:07] Very cool.
[00:28:09] So I think with now with the I think that things have changed definitely since I was, you know, growing up.
[00:28:15] And and I like now that drag is more so in the spotlight with like spotlight with like shows like Drag Race and stuff like that.
[00:28:22] Would that would that be something you'd ever consider doing?
[00:28:25] I feel like if a queen says that they don't want to be on Drag Race, they're partially lying.
[00:28:32] I don't think it's true.
[00:28:35] Obviously, there's there's like pros and cons to Drag Race and everything like that.
[00:28:39] And it is a lot.
[00:28:40] But at the end of the day, I feel like, I mean, we're drag queens.
[00:28:43] Who doesn't want to be on TV?
[00:28:45] Right.
[00:28:46] Yeah.
[00:28:47] Who doesn't want like just that level of.
[00:28:52] When exposure.
[00:28:53] But I mean, we all work through exposure.
[00:28:55] So I feel like who doesn't want to be on that level of like, to be honest, like charging what they charge, making that kind of money, like traveling.
[00:29:05] Right.
[00:29:06] You know, I do know girls who say they don't want to do it.
[00:29:10] And if it's not their journey, it's not their journey.
[00:29:12] But I feel like at the end of the day, like everybody has thought about it at one point in time.
[00:29:18] So, yes, I have thought.
[00:29:19] So how would you feel if you were on it and competing against what do they call them?
[00:29:24] Bio, bio drags?
[00:29:25] Bio queens.
[00:29:26] Bio queens.
[00:29:27] I think it's fine.
[00:29:28] Really?
[00:29:28] I was explaining it.
[00:29:29] I don't think so at all.
[00:29:31] No?
[00:29:32] No.
[00:29:32] I just feel like at the end of the day, like the way somebody was born to the genitalia does not.
[00:29:41] To me, I have met entertainers who have been assigned female at birth or anything like that.
[00:29:53] And this is going to sound shady, but like my drag is better.
[00:29:56] Okay.
[00:29:56] You know what I mean?
[00:29:57] Touche.
[00:29:58] But you know your work.
[00:29:59] You know your artistry.
[00:29:59] Yeah, exactly.
[00:30:00] So I don't find an issue with that at all.
[00:30:03] Okay.
[00:30:03] Because at the end of the day, like, okay, just because you don't have to talk doesn't mean
[00:30:07] that like you can really give what needs to be given.
[00:30:12] Right.
[00:30:12] You know?
[00:30:13] How long have you been doing drag?
[00:30:14] Did you say that?
[00:30:15] Yeah, I've been doing drag for about seven years.
[00:30:18] Okay.
[00:30:18] Because I used to be backstage when the drags got ready when they were doing duct tape.
[00:30:26] It's changed since then.
[00:30:27] She says my gosh.
[00:30:30] It's changed a whole lot, right?
[00:30:31] Some girls still do the tape.
[00:30:33] Man.
[00:30:34] Yeah.
[00:30:34] Now a lot of girls use like a vinyl tape.
[00:30:37] It's like a boating tape because it's like waterproof and it's clear.
[00:30:41] Okay.
[00:30:41] Um, so it lasts a lot longer than like duct tape.
[00:30:45] It doesn't hurt.
[00:30:46] It's a little more flexible.
[00:30:48] Okay.
[00:30:48] It has like some stretch to it.
[00:30:50] So it kind of like stretches with your body.
[00:30:52] Okay.
[00:30:52] Um, but I do know some girls that do still tape, especially the girls who obviously do
[00:30:56] not pad or like who have a body.
[00:30:59] Yeah.
[00:30:59] Um, especially trans women, like post-op trans women, a lot of them will, will use like tape.
[00:31:06] Um, people like, I don't know if you know, like Mulan Alexander or, um, Josephine O'Hara.
[00:31:12] She's our guest next week.
[00:31:13] Period.
[00:31:13] Yeah.
[00:31:14] Like Josephine O'Hara.
[00:31:15] Like they use tape and obviously they, cause they dance and they come out naked.
[00:31:22] Yeah.
[00:31:22] She was actually, uh, cause I work in property management.
[00:31:24] She was one of my residents at one time.
[00:31:26] Oh, nice.
[00:31:27] It's fun getting to know her.
[00:31:28] She came in a couple times.
[00:31:30] She is a holler.
[00:31:30] I told Cody, I go, I thought she was going to whoop my ass.
[00:31:32] I was like.
[00:31:33] Honestly, Miss Josephine is, you know.
[00:31:35] Yes, yes, yes.
[00:31:36] She's a good time.
[00:31:37] I love her some JoJo.
[00:31:39] Absolutely.
[00:31:40] Um, all right, cool.
[00:31:41] So, um, let's see.
[00:31:43] Just a couple more questions for you.
[00:31:44] Do you have a memorable experience or performance that stands out to you?
[00:31:51] I feel like I have a few.
[00:31:52] Mine on my birthday when she called me out.
[00:31:53] Okay.
[00:31:55] You're welcome.
[00:31:56] Yeah.
[00:31:57] You're welcome.
[00:31:58] You're welcome.
[00:31:59] You're welcome.
[00:32:01] Um, there's a few.
[00:32:03] I feel like it's hard to pick one because I, I'm very grateful for drag and the career
[00:32:07] that I've had with drag that I've been able to travel doing drag.
[00:32:12] Okay.
[00:32:12] Um, where have you traveled to?
[00:32:14] So I've traveled to LA and I've performed in LA, San Francisco, Chicago, um, New Mexico,
[00:32:23] Tennessee, Oklahoma, um, Minnesota.
[00:32:28] Get our picture.
[00:32:28] I didn't know I was with the celebrity.
[00:32:30] Not even.
[00:32:32] Um, but I think one of, one of the biggest things that I'm very happy for and I will
[00:32:36] always cherish is when I did the first time I performed in LA was, um, there's this whole
[00:32:43] convention that they have every year that, that RuPaul puts on called drag con.
[00:32:47] Um, and it's practically like a comic con, but yeah.
[00:32:50] Yeah.
[00:32:50] Um, and so that weekend I went out to LA and I performed that weekend, which I feel like
[00:32:57] that weekend to perform is very hard to get into, especially since like so many girls
[00:33:03] all across the country are coming into the, you know, the city and obviously everybody wants
[00:33:07] to work.
[00:33:07] And so I was able to work the whole weekend while I was there on an amazing stage.
[00:33:12] The bar was packed.
[00:33:13] It was a wonderful, wonderful experience.
[00:33:16] Nice.
[00:33:16] I think that was definitely one that I cherish the most, but I'm very grateful for all of
[00:33:21] the out of states or even just out of city opportunities that I've been able to receive.
[00:33:27] Okay.
[00:33:28] Nice.
[00:33:29] I like it.
[00:33:31] So, and the last question I have for you is for our listeners who might be aspiring drag
[00:33:35] performers, what advice would you give them to embrace their inner artists?
[00:33:39] Uh, don't do it.
[00:33:41] Honestly, I, cause I get a lot of people who like want to do drag or like are curious and
[00:33:46] like start asking me a bunch of questions.
[00:33:47] And one of the biggest things I tell everybody is like, just do it.
[00:33:51] I, I feel like when it comes down to something and the more you like think about it and the
[00:33:56] more you contemplate, like the less you'll do it sometime.
[00:33:59] But you're always going to wish you would and always wonder.
[00:34:01] Exactly.
[00:34:02] So I feel like sometimes, especially with drag is like, just go for it.
[00:34:06] Even if, if you end up being like a bedroom queen or anything like that, like, what is
[00:34:11] a bedroom queen?
[00:34:12] Like a queen who doesn't necessarily go out and perform.
[00:34:15] But you do.
[00:34:15] All right.
[00:34:16] Okay.
[00:34:17] I'm learning.
[00:34:18] Um, like just do it, you know, like experience what it is to do drag.
[00:34:22] And again, to play with like that femininity or that, that gender norm, or just express
[00:34:29] yourself in any type of way.
[00:34:31] Um, practice makeup or whatever you want to do.
[00:34:34] Dance around in a pair of heels, you know?
[00:34:37] Like I say, just do it and just experience it.
[00:34:39] And just, I know people who have done drag and then stop and decide it's just not for
[00:34:45] them.
[00:34:45] And that's totally fine.
[00:34:46] But there are people who do it and they fall in love with it.
[00:34:49] So again, those people would never know if they didn't, they didn't do it.
[00:34:52] Yeah.
[00:34:53] Okay.
[00:34:54] Thank you for coming on the show.
[00:34:55] Like we've been, we thought about the idea of doing the podcast.
[00:34:59] You were the first person that we thought of.
[00:35:00] It's having a guest.
[00:35:01] And we just want to thank you for joining us today and you're, you know, sharing your
[00:35:04] journey into the world of drag.
[00:35:05] Of course.
[00:35:06] It's been a pleasure having you.
[00:35:08] Um, and before we close to, uh, you want to, um, let our listeners know where they can
[00:35:13] catch you performing in times and dates and all that good stuff.
[00:35:16] Um, well I'm everywhere.
[00:35:18] So, I mean, I do drag literally Wednesday to Monday.
[00:35:24] Tuesday is my only night off.
[00:35:25] So they're all at different venues.
[00:35:27] So you can just literally find me online at Marissa cage with a K.
[00:35:33] Um, and yeah, I always post where I'm going to be, what date, what time.
[00:35:38] And definitely a need to go see.
[00:35:40] Absolutely.
[00:35:41] For sure.
[00:35:42] For sure.
[00:35:44] Well, thank you everyone for listening and for tuning in.
[00:35:46] Don't forget to subscribe to our page.
[00:35:48] Um, you can find us online at unspoken Dallas.com and then we'll post links to Marissa's pages
[00:35:52] so that way you can go out and check her out.
[00:35:53] And definitely it's going to be a good show and tell her we sent you and get her a shot.
[00:35:57] You know?
[00:35:58] Absolutely.
[00:35:58] Tequila.
[00:35:59] She loves tequila.
[00:36:01] Tequila.
[00:36:01] Tequila.
[00:36:02] Cool.
[00:36:04] Man.
[00:36:04] Clear, right?
[00:36:05] Yeah.
[00:36:06] I don't mind a little reposado, but honestly, as long as it's chill.
[00:36:11] Yes.
[00:36:11] Okay.
[00:36:12] Hot tequila's crime.
[00:36:13] My ancestors hate me.
[00:36:16] I'm used to that feeling.
[00:36:19] Well, until next time, everybody embrace your creative journey and stay fabulous.
[00:36:23] We love you and have a great evening.
[00:36:25] Everyone take care.
[00:36:25] See you next time.
[00:36:27] The Unspoken Truth Podcast is sponsored by Bray Co Media and recorded right here in
[00:36:32] the vibrant city of Dallas.
[00:36:33] Executive Producers, Brayden Marcus and Cody Barnett.
[00:36:37] Content Co-Producer, Randy Parks.
[00:36:39] Thank you for listening.
[00:36:40] For more episodes, show notes and exclusive content, be sure to check out our website at
[00:36:44] unspokendallas.com.
[00:36:45] Until next time, keep seeking the truth, and remember sometimes the things left unsaid
[00:36:50] are the most important of all.