Photograph by Alejandro Parmelee
The second annual Mx. Cincinnati Pride pageant crowned a new winner last month: Chasity Marie.
The Cincinnati-based drag queen accepts the crown from 2024’s Mx. Cincinnati Pride, Kora Sline.
Following a 12-year career in drag, Chasity Marie’s decision to leap into pageantry resulted in a claim to two significant titles in the LGBTQ+ pageantry scene; alongside holding the title of Mx. Cincinnati Pride, she earned Bloom OTR’s Miss Heart of Cincinnati as well. Both pageants exist to recognize and celebrate pride within the local LGBTQ+ community, featuring gender-inclusive events that celebrate all drag aesthetics.
In her new role as Mx. Cincinnati Pride, she will make appearances at various Cincinnati Pride events this year, throughout Pride Month in June and the remainder of the year. We sat down with Chasity Marie to discuss her new title and her experiences working in drag.
What made you decide to participate in this year’s Mx. Cincinnati Pride pageant?
Pageantry is something I’ve always wanted to do, but if I’m being very honest, I am a sore loser. And I just think if I don’t do it, then I can’t lose, and obviously can’t win. This year it has been my goal to really push myself out of my comfort zone. I’ve done a lot of amazing things over the course of my 12 years of drag, but it was time for me to really push myself out of my comfort zone and do pageantry.
What was preparation for the pageant like?
I started preparing back in November. I’m the type of person who cannot stand doing things last minute, so I had all my stuff together by the end of last year. The prep was honestly easy for me. I did have backup dancers, so that was probably the hardest thing—doing rehearsals for a month and a half beforehand. One thing I loved about this pageant was that all of us [contestants] were obviously there to compete and win and go against one another, but behind the curtains, we were having so many laughs and just having so much fun with one another.
Photograph by Alejandro Parmelee
What does it mean to you to have won the title of Mx. Cincinnati Pride this year?
It means a lot. For me, it was conquering my goals and overcoming my fears. And I have shared with so many people that pageantry was one of my biggest fears. I hope that by doing this, it can show other girls that you can do it too. I’m really excited to work with Cincinnati Pride this year and do all the events with them. And I mean, Cincinnati just has my heart.
Speaking of Cincinnati Pride, what sort of events can we expect to see you participating in as this year’s title holder?
I will be doing a lot of events with Cincinnati Pride. I’ll be doing pride night at the Reds. We are doing a movie night in Washington Park where I will be Glinda from Wicked. And then we will be doing a lot of charity shows and stuff to raise money for pride. There’s so many great upcoming events.
Photograph by Alejandro Parmelee
The Mx. Cincinnati Pride pageant asks contestants to show their pride. What does pride mean to you, and why do think it is so important to emphasize today?
Years prior, Pride Month and everything around it was more like a celebration to me, but now it’s not about the party anymore. It’s time for us to stick together. The queer community is so strong and resilient, but it’s not just a celebration anymore. Our trans brothers and sisters are getting attacked. I know we’ll come through all of it at the end, but it’s going to be a fight.
What else should Cincinnati know about 2025’s Mx. Cincinnati Pride?
I’m very grateful to [have been doing drag] full-time for 12 years. Not all local entertainers and drag queens are fortunate enough to have a sustainable career like I have, but I give a lot of that to the girls that were before, that helped me get to where I am. And if there’s one thing that I want to do, it’s that I want to be that girl for the next generation. I want all these girls to know that I’m here for them no matter what they need.
Facebook Comments