21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Drag Queen Duo

Drag queens Mary Jane and Aradia LaFay pose near an abandoned plastics factory in Appalachia. “I think drag really is a big deal in small towns like this,” says Mary Jane. “Maybe if I would have seen it sooner, I wouldn’t have ended up in juvie or doing drugs as an outlet. Now I feel like I’m getting to live in a way I didn’t get to before. I’m very proud of all of us. I wouldn’t ever stop dragging.”

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2022
Date Uploaded: 10.2023
Photo Location: Cumberland, Maryland, United States of America
Copyright: © Michael Snyder
Awards
Finalist