Queer Across America: Las Vegas Drag!

I’m in Las Vegas, Nevada this week for my Queer Across America roadtrip. With past residents like Lady Gaga and Britney Spears, shows like Rupaul’s Drag Race LIVE!, and events like the annual EDC, Sin City invites queer people from all over the world. 

However, it also invites vacation gays. Not that there’s anything wrong with enjoying some time off (lord knows we can all use a break right now), but there is a significant difference between those that are in town to unwind and the actual queer community in Las Vegas.

I’m no local but, being from Los Angeles, I’ve made the four-hour drive more than a hundred times in my life. When I was in my early 20s, the Strip was all that I knew, so I assumed the entire city was just one street. When I began exploring queer communities, I learned that there is so much more to queer Las Vegas, but you have to venture beyond the boulevard to find it. 

My traveling funds are once again running low. Naturally, I have the most brilliant plan to fix that: gambling what I have left. After playing Pai Gow, Black Jack, Poker, and Roulette for the last few hours at the iconic Flamingo where Rupaul’s Drag Race LIVE! is held, I’m worse off than I began. Much worse. I decide to take some time away from the tables and explore the local queer community beyond the Strip to give my wallet a break.

The first place I venture to is The Garage, a gay sports bar a couple miles away. The dingy establishment is filled with pool tables and other bar sports. There aren’t a lot of people here because, according to the gruff bartender, the nightlife in Vegas doesn’t pop off until around midnight or 1 a.m. Surely I will be missing the festivities because I will be laying cozily in my hotel bed by that time … right?

Though the Strip provides plenty of fun and stimulation, it can’t compare to the bars beyond it. The same tequila drink I order at the casinos for $18 is only $5 at the Garage. There are also no tourists—no disrespectful frat bros twho lack common decency, no wannabe ballers who treat Vegas like a rap video, or middle-aged white women crawling on the floor trying to be sexy.

Despite visiting Sin City so many times, I never noticed how EVERY establishment has gambling machines. The Garage invites me to play video poker at the bar. After an undisclosed amount of drinks and an even more undisclosed amount of money I fed to the machine, I leave the bar to seek fortune elsewhere. My strategy for playing poker is, “Well, there’s no way I could lose five times in a row” and, boy, do I terribly miscalculate that false statistic. 

Around the corner is a place called The Dive Bar, and it is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a grungy, dark bar that caters to all things punk including live music, burlesque, professional wrestling matches, and drag shows. Britney Glam, a drag entertainer, graces the stage, lip-syncing to Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time.” I giggle hearing the pop song at a punk venue, reveling in the fusion of the two sides of my musical taste. 

I continue to Piranha, the most popular queer bar in the area. The trendy, multi-story nightclub is massive! Another drag show takes place. I’m surprised to learn that drag is much different in Las Vegas than other cities. It sticks more to the classical Sin City roots of impersonation. Despite it being a Saturday night, there is only one performer, and they’ve done multiple numbers impersonating Christina Aguilera.

The performances are incredible, and the resemblance to the “Fighter” singer is unmatched. Unfortunately, Piranha also has poker machines on their bar. I sit gambling, watching drag, and consuming an unholy amount of tequila.

To no one’s surprise, I don’t win a million dollars to fund my journey. However, I think it was all worth it. Seeing that there is more to Las Vegas than just the tourist-littered Strip has changed my perspective of the city. There’s a rich queer community of locals that is much more fun and supportive than the community of vacationers. For any queer person visiting the city, I highly suggest exploring the local queer culture … and maybe keep your gambling in check.  

My Queer Across America adventure has been a dream come true, but with little planning comes great consequences. Like I did in Seattle, I must once again stay in a city for an extended amount of time to replenish my funds, but will be back on the road soon.

Photos courtesy social media and London Alexander private collection