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Native 2SLGBTQ+ people remain underrepresented in many civic engagement and voter mobilization efforts. Barriers to participation can include geographic isolation, limited access to culturally relevant voter information, discrimination, lack of trust in political institutions, and experiences of exclusion within both Native and LGBTQ+ spaces. For many Two-Spirit and Native LGBTQ+ people, civic engagement must also be connected to broader questions of safety, sovereignty, healthcare, housing, family, cultural preservation, violence prevention, and the right to live openly within our communities.Drag has long served as a powerful form of storytelling, resilience, and visibility within LGBTQ+ communities. Native drag performers frequently use their artistry to educate audiences, challenge stigma, and inspire younger generations. DTV can create opportunities for people to build relationships, share stories, celebrate culture, and understand their civic participation as part of a larger movement for Indigenous self-determination.
Drag-the-Vote (DTV) Indigenous Drag Performances, an Indigenous-led civic engagement initiative that uses drag performance, storytelling, cultural expression, and community gathering to increase civic participation among Native 2SLGBTQ+ people.
This multi-event initiative will partner with Native-led civic engagement and voting rights organizations to host drag shows that celebrate Indigenous creativity. These shows will serve as cultural gatherings that uplift Native 2SLGBTQ+, Transgender relatives, and performers, to strengthen community connections, and increase visibility. These events will incorporate nonpartisan voter registration, voter education, civic participation resources, storytelling, and opportunities to connect community members with ongoing organizing efforts.
DTV recognizes that civic engagement is more than casting a ballot. It will create spaces where Native people feel seen, valued, connected, and empowered to participate in decisions affecting their families, communities, Tribal Nations, and futures. For Native 2SLGBTQ+ people whose voices have often been marginalized within both mainstream LGBTQ+ movements and broader Native civic engagement efforts, culturally grounded organizing can create a powerful pathway into civic participation.
Performers: Sage Chanell, Landa Lakes, Vicki Dillard, Felimena Pussywillow, Ivana B. Real
Collaborating Agencies: Two-Spirit & Native LGBTQ+ Center for Equity, All Nations 2S, Oklahomans for Equality, Rock the Native Vote
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Event venue
Dennis R Neill Equality Center, 621 E 4th St,Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.
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