From RuPaul to Richmond:
Max Hamme's Journey in Drag
 

If it takes hurling a baby doll across stage to win a drag competition, Max Hamme will

not hesitate to do what he needs to do.
“When I’m designing, I’m in my own reality mode of: ‘This is my reality, this is my

fantasy,’” Hamme said. “That’s the biggest thing, I’m in my own fantasy world that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world.”

Since he was five years old, Hamme adored dance and other various performing arts. As a child, he took

gymnastic and dance classes.

He also put on living room dance performances for his family. “We were on a vacation in Ocean City, Md. and

The Pussycat Dolls were big that summer,” said Chelsea Hamme, Hamme’s older sister. “I think Loosen Up My Buttons Babe came on and he just went full on dance mode in the living room and that was it. He’s a dancer and he’s got the skills!”

It was never his plan to start drag, but after being dropped during a lift, he was traumatized and deterred from

pursuing dance. Thankfully, no injuries were sustained from the accident, but it did create a mental block for him. He then decided to stop taking dance classes, but still wanted to continue performing in any way that he could.

Along with his passion for dance and performing, Hamme always loved clothing and fashion. When his older

sister went off to college, he would sneak into her room and try on her clothing. This was also around the time season nine of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” had just started, and he decided to tune in.

Hamme’s love for the show fueled his desire to become a drag queen. Seeing queens lip syncing for their lives

and strutting in their handmade outfits enamored him. He realized that drag combined all his hobbies and skills: performing arts, fashion, costume design and entertainment. It was the ultimate form of artistic expression for Hamme.

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality website, drag is a type of entertainment where

people dress up and perform, often in highly stylized ways. As part of their performance, many drag queens and kings have a separate drag persona in addition to the self they live as every day. This persona will look different and may also have a different name and may ask to be referred to by different gender pronouns. Drag performers are artists and entertainers, so being in drag is not an integral part of their identity in the same way that gender is.

This was when Blas Femme was born. Blas Femme, a play on the word blasphemy, made her first appearance

in Winchester, Va. She now resides in Richmond, Va., where she primarily performs. Blas Femme has performed in other cities in Virginia such as Blacksburg and Charlottesville.

Hamme describes Blas Femme’s aesthetic as a slutty teenager in the early-2000’s. Her style is crafty with

vibrant color choices and staggering amounts of detail. On an average good performance night, she makes around $100. She’s also performed for crowds of over 500 people at venues where the line would go down the block with the crowd standing shoulder to shoulder.

“Drag is really having a moment,” said Dr. John Musser, visiting lecturer of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s

Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. “With major fashion houses looking to ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ for inspiration in terms of looks and aesthetics or directly booking former contestants for runway work.”

Blas Femme’s performance style combines her Y2K aesthetic with her dark sense of humor. One of her most

iconic moments, which landed her the highest score in a competition, was a performance about teenage pregnancies.

“It was so funny, people loved it,” Hamme said. “I was breakdancing and there was a cage on stage that was

part of the venue. I went to one of the judges and I said, “Hey, can you babysit?” and she said, “Fuck no!” so I threw the baby doll in the cage. That number was just so good.”

She also brings multiple styles of dance into her performances such as tap, musical theater and disco.

Hamme began his drag journey in high school. He performed for the first time in front of his peers during the

Junior Varsity show and other pep rallies. His performances were extremely well-received by his peers and his teachers.

“When he was in high school Max always had a sense of who he was, the direction he was going and what he

wanted to do. He was always true to himself, and I admired that even then,” said Holly Sanders, Hamme’s high school history teacher. “He’s worked hard, his road is not an easy one and I admire the pluck and determination he has to keep doing what he wants to do his way.”

After high school, Hamme attended Virginia Commonwealth University to study costume design. He furthered

his fashion design skills and created unique articles of clothing for drag.

This change of scenery also gave him room to grow his drag career and evolve as an artist. Although

Richmond isn’t known for its drag scene, drag has a very prominent presence in the city. Many people come from Washington D.C., Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Maryland to both watch and perform.

The beauty of drag is that regardless of your gender, sex, sexuality, race and other identifying factors, people

can be whatever and whoever they want. Unfortunately with self-expression comes criticism, and in the case of drag, that criticism stems from hate and discrimination.

According to an article by The Guardian, drag and activism have always gone hand in hand. In June 1969,

Marsha P. Johnson, a Black drag performer, was one of the key players in the Stonewall uprising in New York City; it was an event that inspired LGBTQ people the world over to stand up to oppression and discrimination.

Due to age restrictions, Hamme experiences difficulties finding permanent jobs as a drag performer. He

frequently faces safety threats solely because he is a drag queen.

“Every time we go out in drag, we’re not quite sure if somebody’s gonna bring a gun to the show,” Hamme

said. “But we still have to go onto the floor and perform for the crowd and make our money while having that fear in the back of our head; that some random, sick, twisted person could attack us.”

Hamme has to work hard not only to give a good performance, but to be memorable to his audiences. People

do not realize the drag scene is extremely prestigious and competitive. Even if his safety is in the forefront of his mind, he must go on stage and do his job.

“At the end of the day, if I’ve been scared into submission that means that they’ve won, and if they’ve won

then it’s the end,” Hamme said. “But we still have to do what we do. Despite hate, despite the safety concerns, we can’t be pushed to the back and we can’t be scared.”

As an under 21 drag performer he’s unable to perform at most venues, like bars and clubs. Which means that

when he gets the opportunity to perform, he must give it his all to make a lasting impression on audiences and possible employers.

“I have been severely depressed because I’m watching all these queens be able to do everything they want to

do just because they’re a year older than me,” Hamme said. “I wouldn’t even go drink if I had the opportunity to because that’s my name. I’m representing myself and I need to conduct myself in a manner that’s professional.”

It weighs down on Hamme that he has to worry about perfecting his craft as well as protecting his life. He has

a lot on the line besides job opportunities.

He does know one thing for sure: “I’m bringing excellence and I don’t care if they don’t appreciate it because,

at the end of the day, I’m incredible.”

He has an incredible amount of love and support from friends, family, teachers and fellow drag performers who

will do everything in their power to help elevate his career.

“Whatever level he aspires to be, I will try and always be his biggest cheerleader,” Chelsea said. “And if he

wants to go bigger, using whatever connections I have in live event stuff, I just want to help him and motivate him.”

Hamme’s path is still being paved by drag queens today, it’s taken a lot for him to get to the place he is at now.

He continues to work hard to master his craft and his art. His big goal is to end up on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to be like the queens that inspired him in the first place, so then maybe, just maybe, he’ll inspire other prospective drag queens to begin their journey too.