A Daughter and Drag: My Coming Out Story
- Breanna Romero
- Apr 29, 2025
- 2 min read
I was having my weekly catch-up with my mom over the phone when she suddenly asked what I was doing that weekend. I heard a gasp on the other side as soon as I mentioned that I was going to a One Direction-themed drag brunch with a friend.
“Can I go to the next one with you?” she says after a pause.
Let’s rewind to last year. I had always known I liked girls, but it was a part of myself I struggled with. It wasn’tt until after college when I started to date women and make more of a conscious effort to have queer, female friends as well. I realized I had missed out on a sense of happiness by not allowing myself to live authentically. I felt incredibly free and liberated once I made this shift. But despite discovering this remarkably free and beautiful sense of self, I encountered a roadblock: I didn’t know how to express this to my mom.
If someone does not know that I am gay, then they do not know me.
Today, drag as an art form continues to be something that I actively seek out and support. Phoenix offers a breadth of nightclubs and event spaces to support local drag artists, my latest favorite being Desert Ridge Improv, the host of the One Direction brunch that featured Drag Queens and Drag Kings. DRI primarily hosts stand-up acts, but by partnering with Flipphone Events, it is now home to many themed drag brunches. There is a show for everyone, from a Charli XCX-themed drag brunch to a Shrek-themed brunch. And if your schedule is free in May, you'll see me and my mom at the Selena drag brunch!
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