Drag Performance and Live Q & A

by Hailey Tayathy (Quileute) — they/them or anything said respectfully

This free, virtual event took place on Thursday, July 9 at 7 p.m. PST

On opening night of Gender Euphoria, Hailey Tayathy performed a drag show shaped by their queer Native identity. This was an all-new performance! Hailey Tayathy (they/them or anything said respectfully) is a member of the Quileute Nation, a fiber and digital artist, and Seattle’s premier Native American drag queen. They aim to bring healing to Indigenous communities and to show everyone that Indigiqueers are still here and are stronger and more beautiful than colonized minds can imagine.

For Gender Euphoria, Hailey live streamed a drag performance, followed by a Q & A. Hailey’s performance is a Quileute paddle dance with a twist. The dance was followed by storytelling and performance that recount an alternative telling of a Quileute legend about a rainbow-colored bird and the start of the potlatch tradition. As Hailey writes: “Similar to queer Indigenous people during colonization, the rainbow bird gives up aspects of its beauty to better the lives of its community. However, Quileute stories are full of transformations – so perhaps there’s hope that the rainbow bird will one day get its colors back.”

View the entire livestream recording below:

View the two original drag performance premieres below: