Drag queens entertain Mardi Gras crowd

Women on a corner are usually seen as something inappropriate, but the drag queens of Corner Bar proved they can perform on a stage, or in the streets.

Performers Beyoncea Black and local favorites Danity and Dextaci are female impersonators who entertained the Monroe community shortly before the start of the Mardi Gras parade last Saturday.

Every year on Mardi Gras, Corner Bar hosts an outdoor Drag show in its parking lot.

Tina Anzalone, part owner of Corner Bar since 1999, said when they found out the parade was going to pass right in front of the bar for the first time, everyone was excited.

“Then we were like ‘oh my God’. It’s going to be so crazy, busy, packed, and then we were like ‘this might be bittersweet,” Anzalone said.

The parking lot was packed with people of all ages making this show the bar’s biggest and the selected performers feel especially honored.

Danity, portrayed by Dorien Hall, is Monroe’s current reigning Miss Corner Bar Drag Idol and Miss Corner 2017.

For Hall, being Miss Corner Bar gave her the opportunity to show others “it’s ok to be who you are.” “To me, being Miss Corner Bar allows me to just be myself and encourage others who may not be too comfortable performing,” the former ULM student said.

Hall knows he is “very personable with people,” and he wants to give people who may be too shy an extra push to get into something they will enjoy.

Anzalone shared that she’s not even sure if any other gay bar in the state had drag shows in their parking lot.

She knows that Mardi Gras is a busy and fun time of year, and as expected, quite a few people were in attendance.

Dollar bills were flinging everywhere as the crowd tipped the performers.

For Liam Morrison, his favorite performance was Danity’s second number to the song “Candyman” by Christina Aguilera.

“I loved it, because it not only featured a local drag queen, but also featured two awesome ULM dancers,” the sophomore communications major said.

Another former ULM student, Dex Poindexter, performed as Dextaci.

Poindexter has won 12 different pageant crowns since he started drag.

Poindexter is the current reigning Miss Gay Louisiana USofA at Large and is also a three-time top 5 finalist of Miss Gay America.

“Especially in Monroe, La., usually [called] the ‘buttcrack’ of the bible belt,” Poindexter said, being able to perform in Corner’s Mardi Gras show while TV shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” make drag more mainstream meant the world to him.