In May 2023, an anti drag bill, HB 359, was passed in Montana. Charlotte “Charley” Macron, a local artist and creator, was in the courtroom testifying when Montana governor Greg Gianforte signed the bill banning drag performances from being hosted in government-funded locations, as well as banning minors from attending such shows.
Macorn highlighted the fact that, “…these shortsighted anti-constitutional bills [are] not a local grassroots movement in Montana. These are people from out of state who are spreading this moral panic across the country.” Macorn mentioned a Montana representative speaking during the trial, “…and he was reading from it, and he didn’t know the words in it. He did not write it. Someone else wrote that. That was not a Montanan doing what’s right for Montana.”
The representatives who signed the bill did not respond to requests for comment to voice their beliefs on the bill for this story.
Now months later, despite the prohibition on drag, Macorn’s drag troupe House of Mysteries is putting on a drag variety show called Let’s Duet September 29th and 30th at Westside Theater.
Macorn’s troupe came to fruition after she and her friend Heidi J met while collaborating on a mural project for Missoula Base. Each of them had a background in creative cross-dressing, and they “both kind of felt that (they) wanted to…do more of it, but not just…to lip sync or to dance. We wanted to try to…blend other art forms into drag to see what happens. And so the experimental drag troupe House of Mysteries was born.” said Macorn.
To give a taste of the show, Macorn said her favorite element has been the ongoing building of a storyline in between various shows. “We’ve been building a feud between Iris von Moxley and The Millennial of Mayhem: Margaret Murder, where they’ve been kind of in each other’s faces…appearing and disrupting their performances at different shows, building up a rivalry.” said Macorn, “And now we’re going to put them together, where Iris will be challenging Margaret for the Montana Drag Wrestling Championship.”
Tickets are available at westsidetheater.com. If you do plan on going, please note that, due to the bill, the show is 18 and up.
