The Trans Narrative Podcast · Trans Narrative Pod

Ana Crusis : Drag Pageantry, Imagination, & Civic Engagement | Sex, Stigma, & Misinformation II

·1 hr 6 min·2 clips

She was called a sissy from daycare onward, but she chose to build a positive aura instead of absorbing the hate.

Caroline hosts alongside guest co-host Sharice Alexander-Samore and special guest Anna Crusis, a celebrated Indianapolis drag queen and advocate. This episode explores Anna's journey from a queer child in Indiana to a crowned performer and civic activist. Anna describes growing up in a lower-income neighborhood, facing bullying but finding strength in supportive parents and her older sister. Early artistic influences included *The Wizard of Oz*, Judy Garland, Pee-wee Herman, and Dennis Rodman, who inspired her first full drag appearance as Glinda for her high school senior art show. She began performing drag in college at Ball State, fundraising for LGBTQ+ groups and later winning titles like Miss Gay Muncie and Miss Gay Indiana. In 2021, the city of Indianapolis proclaimed an official Anna Crusis Day, a surprise honor she learned about at her step-down ceremony. Anna testified before the Indiana House of Representatives against the "Don't Say Gay" bill, a frightening but necessary act she undertook with ACLU guidance. She views drag as a platform for advocacy, calling drag queens and trans people "the superheroes of the queer community." Anna identifies as gender-fluid and sees drag as an outlet for expressing femininity while living as Damon offstage. She believes winning pageant crowns is about servitude and leadership, proudly noting her reign avoided the drama often called Indiana's "crown of thorns." The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her reign, leading to creative online performances and masked shows. Anna balances her public roles as a drag performer and a music educator, seeing classrooms as safe havens for queer youth. She draws strength from community support when advocacy work feels heavy, fighting for "space to be heard, to be seen, to be acknowledged." Her future goals include competing nationally and potentially joining the Bag Ladies charity organization. The tone is conversational, intimate, and uplifting, blending personal storytelling with political education. This episode will resonate with listeners interested in drag artistry, Midwestern queer community building, and the intersection of performance and activism. Those seeking purely entertainment-focused content without discussion of political testimony or systemic oppression might find less appeal.

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