Two close friends and students, theater major Emmanuel McDowell and business administration major Brandon Beck are also known as Azreil Starr and Rebecca Starrdust respectively. As their drag aliases, the two partook in DragWU’s 2023 lineup with Drag Race superstar Gottmik.
“For me, drag was more so something that I picked up in highschool. I used to do my friends’ makeup–and then I saw season 10 of drag race,” McDowelll said. “I took a lot of inspiration from Queens from that season, such as Monét X Change and Asia O’Hara. I thought it could be something that I could do.”
McDowell says that Drag and being ‘Azreil’ has allowed him to have more confidence in himself.
“I wasn’t really confident in high school, and with drag– it has built up my confidence. The first time I ever got into drag, I felt so overly confident,” McDowell said. “I always say that ‘Azreil’ brought ‘Emmanuel’ out.”
Beck described his drag as everything he loves rolled into one, and he finds his drag inspiration from other hobbies as well.
“I feel like I was always meant to be a drag queen,” Beck said. “I was a theater kid growing up and I always had an interest in women’s fashion, and I always was obsessed with characters like Zelda from Lord of the Rings or Peach from Mario Kart,” Beck said. “My first season of Drag Race was season 9, and I saw Sasha Velour being such an authentically weird weirdo. I really identified with that, I started drag soon after that because it was just everything I loved combined into one art form. I get to sing, act, dance, and do costumes/cosplay. It’s just everything I love in life.”
McDowell remembers DragWU as the event that launched his career in Drag.
“The second year they did DragWU was after Covid in 2021, and I remember a lot of people being excited,” McDowell said. “I wasn’t in the lineup originally, I just decided to go in drag because I thought ‘why not?’ I did that, and Alyssa Edwards had called me out. I think that was my start of drag in college. Once I did that, in the past few years I’ve worked to perfect my craft. Not only did DragWU give me an opportunity to perform here, but now I have so many other opportunities to perform in Charlotte as well.”
McDowell commended Winthrop for having an inclusive space for students to enjoy with DragWU.
“I feel like DragWU is such a good event to have each year because it’s filled with love and provides such a safe space for so many different people. There’s so much hate outside of the doors,” McDowell said. “But it’s good to have moments like those to show how much love we have in this community.”
Beck remembers being asked to do 2021’s DragWU, and from then on, he began dressing in drag and performing more frequently.
“In my high school experience, I didn’t have a lot of performing experience, and with Covid, I went solely online to do drag, so I was grateful when I came to Winthrop in my sophomore year,” he said.
“I was like, I’m going to show as much drag as possible and do it all the time– since we were back to doing more in-person events. I did DSU’s open mic night and got the crowd laughing with stand up-comedy,” Beck said. “After that event I was approached by DSU to do the drag event. And I had never done lip-sync performances before. I was so happy for the opportunity. Beck said.
“By then, I remember Azreil and I were texting, and she asked if she should go in drag. I said ‘abso-fucking-lutely.’ Alyssa Edwards picked her out of the crowd, and from them on we’ve been in the last two DragWUs together and its been incredible.”
A big aspiration for many drag queens is to be on the hit reality TV show, “Rupaul’s Drag Race”, and both McDowell and Beck see themselves getting the chance to fulfill that dream.
“Drag Race is a dream and goal of mine, I plan to do it eventually,” McDowell said, “Will I win? We’ll see.”
While McDowell has yet to audition for a season, Beck mentions he has auditioned before.
“I have auditioned for Drag Race before. It’s a huge goal of mine too–also “Dragula,” which is a spookier, alternative version of Drag Race, which is another huge deal in our community,” Beck said. “I would love to do either but I don’t see myself as a winner. I’m not the winning type. I’m at peace with that, and I think I would give great reality TV, and get to show my drag on a bigger platform, so I could do drag for the rest of my life.”
McDowell and Beck have both become more experienced and have begun building a strong reputation for their drag in the Rock Hill and Charlotte area. Beck won Miss Rock Hill Pride in 2023.
“My auntie, Vegas Van Dank, really got me together and gave me the opportunity to do more shows and make connections. I’ve found the drag scene in Charlotte to be so unique,” McDowell said. “I feel like there’s so many different drag artists around, and I appreciate that. I feel like I can do whatever I want and live freely. I found that for me, I feel a little more pressure performing in front of people I know rather than outside of Wnithrop.”
While McDowell feels less pressure, Beck has felt the opposite in his experience.
“I feel kind of safe and comfortable here on campus and not under pressure to uphold a higher standard. In the Rock Hill and Charlotte area, I’ve felt more pressure, especially since I’m not your standard drag queen and I don’t get booked as often. I’m a bit more camp-ier of a performer which isn’t always well received,” Beck said. “I’m one of the chair members of Winthrop’s Improv Club, and I get to drag every week in the improv club, so that’s how I stay doing drag. I am so grateful for the opportunities not only DSU has given me, but the Improv Club as well.”
There has been a surge of anti-trans bills being introduced and passed, and laws restricting drag shows in states like Florida and Texas. There hasn’t been a law signed into SC or NC restricting Drag shows. However, McDowell and Beck shared their frustrations and optimism of the LGBT community prevailing through.
“A lot of time in drag, I wear feminine clothing and always some type of makeup. I’ve already seen people record me and follow me–things like that–so automatically it’s always going to be scary for me, even though I am just living my life,” McDowell said.
“It’s just people trying to be happy, and it’s just unfortunate that there are people who would rather take that happiness away so they can have what they believe is a ‘stand up’ society. But, I’m always going to be the person to say ‘shake the table’, speak your truth, wear what you want, do what you do and love who you want to love. As far as the people who want to crack down our walls, I say keep trying, but this has been a community for so long there’s no way in hell that anyone can taint us completely.”
“My biggest life motto is that as long as you’re not harming yourself or others, do whatever the fuck you want. I just feel like drag is a love and a light, it’s fun, funny, and fierce,” Beck said.
“Drag has literally saved my life, I am a suicide attempt survivor and drag was the one that pulled me out of that, its given me a purpose and the idea of it being taken away from me and others is so disheartening. To try and tell someone they cannot be authentically themselves is one of the most disgusting things I can possibly think of.”
