
Advocate, emcee, teen drag queen — at age 17 Ophelia’s message has been clear from the start: Youth self expression through the performance art of Drag is coming. It’s a message about love, acceptance and the spotlight.
Life for this youngster hasn’t always been easy. Ophelia has not always had support from her family or peers.
But something changed when on her thirteenth birthday, Ophelia asked for a Drag Queen themed party.
Denver's Hamburger Mary's was thrilled to host her festivities, and rallied to her aid. Dressed in a secondhand prom dress with a rhinestone tiara, Ophelia stepped into her future. Never had she felt more amazing!
Drag turned this Cinderella into a QUEEN and she's been unstoppable ever since!
While the stage-name Ophelia is reserved for the spotlight, she looks upon her Drag as a superhero persona. Her love for dance, performing and public speaking has enabled Ophelia to become a voice for Dragkids like her who have yet to find their sparkle.
Ophelia debuted the cover of Denver’s OUTFRONT Magazine recently. Just like Colorado’s Yvie Oddly, she is breaking the Drag Race norms. Ophelia is challenging parents to embrace youth self expression.
She says “There’s nothing wrong with a boy in a dress. Look at Elton John, Billy Porter, Tim Curry, Harry Styles, Eddie Izzard… it’s about being your MOST amazing self. It’s about having the moment to SHINE!”
Ophelia believes every kid should have that opportunity, and has been the face of Denver’s DRAGUTANTE- a Debut stage for emerging performance artists and 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, that is the veritable Oscars of kid’s drag.
“I don’t do Drag for attention. I do Drag because it makes me feel the most myself I ever have. It makes me feel valuable, beautiful and special.
I love helping other kids who are beginning on stage. I tell them I’m not worried someone is going to see me dressed like a woman, but but I realize that getting up on stage can be scary. Even the professional queens still get stage fright.
I’ve noticed that these days everybody wants to label me. Everybody wants to know if I am gay, or straight, or bi or trans. I don’t think that’s important. I am me. It shouldn’t matter what queer kids are. We are valuable human beings. Drag has been something that made me feel valuable. By being beautiful on the outside, it has helped me understand that I am beautiful on the inside.”
7/2018 Dragutante - Denver Center For the Performing Arts
9/2018 New York - Wigstock - HBO
3/2019 Cover of OUTFRONT Magazine
1/2019 Presenter DIVA Awards - Denver Co.
6/2019 Denver Pride - solo main/center stage
9/2019 Aurora Pride Emcee
9/2019 Emcee Dragutante - Bluebird Theater
9/2019 Kids Drag Independent film - Boomerang Prod. London, UK
9/2019 New York Times article
9/23/2019 QUEER TEEN PODCAST
9/28/2019 Emcee Fashion Show @Colorado History Museum /Thorn Foundation
10/13/2019 Awarded The POWER Award - Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce & OutFront Magazine
5/12/2020 OUTFRONT Magazine article
10/2020 Out Boulder County - National Coming Out Day - Guest speaker
11/2020 Matthew Shepard Foundation - National Coming Out Day - Spokesperson
5/2021 Out Boulder County - Night of Noise
6/2021 Rocky Mountain PBS - PRIDE feature & performance
6/2021 Denver Drag Excellence - Interview & performance
6/2021 WESTWORD magazine - Article by Cleo Mirza
6/2021 PBS Interview
8/2021 Aurora PRIDE Emcee & Performances
11/14/2021 Dragutante / Filmed for TV Discovery+
4/3/2022 North Colo Safe Space fundraiser solo performance & speaker
5/31/2022 OUTFRONT mag article by Keegan Williams
6/1/2022 Discovery+ Network Generation Drag streaming series released. Featured interviews and performances.
6/10/2022 Tribeca Film Festival appearance & interview with Tyra Banks
6/11/2021 Walked runway DCR Studios fashion show, Denver, CO
12/2/2022 Thescon Denver - Superior individual monologue Award & Excellent Musical Theater Award
6/15/2022 Chanel 9 KUSA news interview
6/25/2022 OPENING ACT for Denver PRIDE 2022 Main Stage
6/26/2022 Grand Marshal Denver PRIDE Parade
6/26/2022 DECIDER Mag article by Brett White
8/8/2022 Solo performer & emcee Aurora PRIDE
8/2022 Leadership award CCSD GT Program
8/2022 Selected for ONE COLORADO Youth GSA Council
8/22/22 USA TODAY article by Boris Q'va
9/8/2022 Performance for State Representative Leslie Herod campaign
9/10/2022 Performance for State Representative Brianna Titone function
9/15/2022 DOVE TV Campaign Unilever - The Real Cost of Beauty / End Appearance Hate
9/18 Host - Fashion show - Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design - VOID Studios
11/6/2022 Host - Dragutante Gala - Ellie Caulkins Studio Loft DCPA
3/11/2023 Dove / Edelman - Los Angeles
5/12/2023 NY GLAAD Awards Nominee
6/24/2023 PFLAG Denver PRIDE
Credits:
Song: "Cooler Than Me" by Michael Posner
Original song produced by: Gigamesh 2010
Pride performances by:
Ophelia Peaches
Jeff Vance - Hummingbird
Joshua Lorenzen - Frog
Ryan Hafner - Fox
Madelaine Jaine - Rabbit
Videography by : Sophie Hoover / Medusa Pictures
Ken Young with Listen Colorado @listencolorado
This is a photo from my 13th birthday (the first time I ever was a drag queen). This is the moment I met the amazing Queen who would become my mama; Ginger Douglas. Thank you mama for teaching me that it's most important to be family, to care for others, and to be the best ME that I can.
Copyright © 2023 Ophelia Peaches - All Rights Reserved.
#DRAGQUEEN