When Michael Williams began building a cottage garden at his home in West Point in 2020, he imagined more than the rosemary, wildflowers and native plants that now grow by the dozens throughout the front and back yard.
He pictured neighbors, strangers and friends gathering in a space he would open for everyone.
Now, that garden will transform for a second time into a (non-alcoholic) speakeasy, complete with a small outdoor stage, a glittering disco ball, local art and performers who will bring it to life – exactly as Michael had imagined years ago.
The Great Catsby Herb Cartel, Michael’s garden business, will host its second “The Cat’s Meow” Drag Show and Pride Bash this upcoming Saturday from 7-10:30 p.m. The event is pay-what-you-can, with refreshments available and security on site to help maintain a safe, welcoming environment.
The evening begins with a social hour and includes a drag show, photo sets, a dance floor and more. But a night of fun isn’t Michael’s only reason for putting on the event.
“Part of my ‘why’ is pride,” Williams said. “There’s not much to do in the area, especially in the Golden Triangle, and there’s so much need for a pride event … The queer community and the allied community need somewhere to enjoy a queer space. That’s what the garden is going to become – not just a way to entertain, but a way to create community and a safe space for people to have fun and let loose.”
West Point’s history of community arts has inspired Michael since he was young.
“(West Point) has a really rich history of creating community through art and expression,” he said, referencing the Prairie Arts Festival and his childhood memories of a local artist, David O. Malone, who would deck out his yard for Halloween and then invite families to enjoy his creation.
“Growing up here inspired me … we’re serving the queer community and making a queer space, but also giving artists an opportunity to express themselves.”
What to expect
Last year the event raised $575 for a scholarship fund, and Michael said he has high hopes of beating that number this year. The goal is for the scholarship fund to eventually support queer high schoolers from the Golden Triangle with the cost of college, whether it be housing, books or classes.
This year, five to six drag queens are set to perform, all of them local to the South and Mississippi. There will be a photo booth called the “Glitter Box” and a themed playlist that Michael said is built to get people dancing.
“This year the theme is ‘Rhythm and Hues,’ … hues of the rainbow, but also rhythm,” Michael said. “I’ve curated a playlist of music that I’m really excited about … It’s both nostalgic and new … I want people to come in and just experience something fun – something immersive, a little like club culture, something different than what we can find around home.”
For those who have never attended a drag show and don’t know what to expect, to put it simply: a drag show is a live performance art where entertainers – drag queens and drag kings – use exaggerated costumes, makeup and music to play with gender norms and entertain an audience.
These dynamic shows typically feature lip-syncing (or live singing), dancing, impersonations and comedy routines. The shows are highly interactive and the crowd is encouraged to cheer loudly, clap and sing along.
Newcomers should note that tipping the performers is a big part of drag culture. Audiences typically bring cash (like $1 or $5 bills) to hand to the queens and kings or throw onto the stage during a performance.
“Drag is the art form of becoming the image of your own imagination,” returning host and MC Hunny Blunt explained. “Everyone is wearing some kind of drag all the time. We wake up and we put on the version of ourselves that we want people to see. The beautiful thing about drag is that being unapologetically you is one of the foundations of living a happy life, and drag at its core is that. It’s an illusion, but at the same time, it’s so transparent. Drag has grown in so many ways. It’s not just, you know, gay men putting on wigs anymore – so many people are doing it.”
A rare gathering
If an event like this feels rare, it’s because, statistically speaking, it is. According to a thesis study on Southern drag by graduate student Christina Alison Huff at the University of Mississippi, research on Mississippi LGBTQ+ communities is scarce – meaning information on just how many Pride events exist isn’t readily available. Michael and Hunny both agreed that Pride events can be few and far between in the area, making this event a special moment for the community.
But Huff’s research ultimately found – despite the scarcity of visible events – that many LGBTQ+ members are thriving in “historically conservative rural Southern areas by carving out spaces for their own existence.”
One of those spaces is Michael’s garden, which has begun to make a name for itself in the community.
All five drag performers are Mississippi-born, with Jada Lee Symone of Columbus among them. During Huff’s research project, Jada told Huff that she uses drag to accentuate her LGBTQ+ identity, beginning with makeup play in middle school and evolving into performance through her love of art, music and theater.
The two-time MC, Hunny Blunt, is a Delta native (Cleveland, to be exact) who attended Mississippi State University before settling full-time in Memphis. Hunny said coming back to the Golden Triangle feels like coming home, in a way, since her drag career first began at Rick’s Cafe in Starkville. She added that she is excited to host again.
“My favorite part of hosting was watching the looks that these girls turned out and watching everyone receive them so well,” Hunny said. “We had one girl dress as a fairy and fly around the garden.”
Hunny added that one of her favorite memories from last year was when the sun began to set and “the garden was all aglow,” giving the space a “magical” feeling.
And for her, raising money for the scholarship is especially meaningful.
“I’m also really looking forward to being able to raise this money for this scholarship for a queer person in Mississippi,” she said. “It feels good to be helping people that were like me … it really is such a full circle moment.”
“If you’re a queer person in a small area, there may not be a lot of events that you can actually attend and celebrate with your community and feel that kinship,” Hunny said. “Michael is a perfect example of making the world a better place by making his area a better place.”
At the end of the event, when Michael’s herbs and wildflowers have finished sharing their spotlight with “several fabulous women,” Michael said he hopes visitors leave with more than memories of the performances. He wants them to know they’ve found a space that celebrates who they are – even in small-town West Point.
“I do want to give a big shoutout to West Point,” Michael said. “This town is the reason this is happening … it’s just a little artsy mecca, and there’s no reason why drag and dance can’t be a part of that.”
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 28 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
