When I was a young, queer, brown child growing up in North Florida, I lived in a fantasy world. The actual world around me was full of bigotry, racism, and a perpetual sense of boredom. Thus, when I wasn’t traipsing around the forest across from my house, I was hiding out in my room, fantasizing about entire worlds that I created as a means to escape my life.
I wasn’t alone in these worlds. They were full of fantastical characters I created to keep me company. And being queer wasn’t wrong in these worlds—They were a place where I was free to be whatever or whomever I pleased. As queer children, we often escape to worlds within our own minds. Escapism is one of the ways we cope with being born into a world that doesn’t validate us. Queer children are often more creative for this reason—We create fantasy worlds to survive the harsh realities of the one we live in.
Some of us take it one step further and bring that fantasy into the real world. Enter Michael Charles, the Crystal Smyth. I first met him at a bar in Denver and was immediately attracted to his energy—and by energy, I mean the sparkling crystal crown and mantle he was wearing. Michael is one of those characters you see out and about who is just larger than life. You can’t help but gravitate toward people like this because they exist within their own realm. He calls it “crown and gown,” and more often than not, he is out in the community dressed like a king from a fantasy world. Meeting him is an invitation into that world. And his presence on Instagram creates and curates it for all to see, complete with mythology, lore, and special effects.
Of his journey, the Crystal Smyth had this to say:
“As a young, closeted queer, fantasy wasn’t just entertainment for me; it was refuge. It was a place where the strange, the theatrical, and the dramatic parts of myself felt powerful instead of odd. Worlds filled with crowns, ancient orders, and fallen kingdoms gave me a language for identity long before I discovered mine in real life.”
He was born in the U.K. and got his start here in 2016 by creating jewelry for the denizens of the Imperial Court System—the oldest surviving LGBTQ+ charity organization in the world. It has over 70 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and it provided an excellent outlet for his craft.
Since then, he has expanded to share his art with people from all sorts of communities, organizations, and houses, including Haus of Other. We collaborated with photographer Becky Duffyhill on the photos in this article, and I have to say, they are some of my favorite photos ever. Putting on the regalia he created made me feel like a royal prince in some fantasy world. Basically, all my queer childhood fantasies came true in one afternoon. His work has that power: to elevate a person’s presence and make them feel like the center of attention. When asked about his motivation, he said this:
“On a practical level, I’m inspired by ceremonial objects and adornments throughout history. Emotionally, I am driven by the idea that people deserve to feel mythic in their own lives. When someone puts on one of my pieces, they stand differently. They take up space differently. They feel chosen, appointed, transformed.”
When I originally asked him to collaborate with Haus of Other and OFM on our upcoming fundraiser, Queen On!, he accepted with enthusiasm. He even agreed to donate a custom crown and three crystal brooches for our silent auction.
As part of the queer community, and with a respect for history, he understood the importance of archives of the queer experience like OFM. Now more than ever, we are under attack, and our very existence is facing erasure. Queer media outlets like OFM stand in opposition to that and protect queer voices. Artists like the Crystal Smyth uplift and amplify the beauty in our community by allowing us to express ourselves fully—loud and proud, with no apologies. As a community, we stand out naturally in a sea of heteronormativity. When we wear beautiful things like the jewels forged by the Crystal Smyth, we stand out even more, become the center of attention, and show the world the fabulous realms that exist within each and every one of us.
One of the best things about the queer community is that we don’t have to live by the rules imposed by heteronormative society. We are uniquely positioned to take the creativity and fantasy of our childhoods and extend them into our adult lives. I’ve never felt that more powerfully than when I was adorned in jewels by the Crystal Smyth. And in my own life, I create that dynamic through costuming and Haus of Other. This weekend, we will be celebrating queer freedom of speech and expression at Queen On!, but I encourage you to find ways in your everyday life to express yourself fully and lean into the fabulous worlds of fantasy in your head. The world is a dark and challenging place at the moment. We could all use a little more sparkle in our lives.
