Drag Diaries: Vanilla Tight Ass is Florida’s Sweetheart
Vanilla Tight Ass, a.k.a. Michael O’Hara, is a gender-fluid drag queen based in Sarasota, Florida.
Galore sat down with Vanilla to ask him to reveal what it’s like living as gender-fluid, Vanilla’s fantasy, and how drag has become a form of therapy for O’Hara.
Check out the video and interview below!
When/how did you get into drag?
I started doing drag about a little over a year ago when I found out my Nana was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer – drag was something I always saw myself getting into but I recall truly embracing the moment when I was in such a sad state of mind. Drag shook me of my sadness.
How has drag helped you be better to yourself?
Drag has helped me better myself because it has brought to life the woman living inside of me. Being gender-fluid, I am able to live out my masculine moments as myself. Vanilla helps me embrace my female side and it’s incredibly refreshing.
What is the most important thing about drag that you would want people that know nothing about it to know?
I would want people to understand that drag is a form of therapy. I truly believe men and women should all try drag. The whole process of drag is to bring out an alter-ego living inside of yourself. It’s so much fun and it should never be too serious.
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What is your favorite thing about your local drag community?
The best thing about my local drag community is that we’re small. Being so small – it’s easy to get to know the other queens and learn from them and become inspired.
Tell us a little bit about Vanilla.
Vanilla is the most popular girl at Malibu High School. She’s the bleacher make-out queen with all the football players, she’s the president of the yearbook committee, her father is a successful lawyer and her mother is vodka-induced maven that gives Vanilla the fabulous credit-line.
Vanilla has everything she wants, gets everything she wants, but is also very kind and sweet. She attends her local synagogue every Sunday and she has a 4.0 GPA. Vanilla is the real deal.
Where do you see Vanilla going in 6 months?
New York City and beyond!
What is Vanillas dream outfit?
Anything pink! Vanilla loves pink shades and white and cream tones! Vanilla also loves to show skin – ands lots of it!
What’s the weirdest thing you do to get ready before a show?
The weirdest thing I do to get ready for a show is eat. I will literally chow down right before I put on my lips. Vanilla loves, like, garbage food, too – pizza, cheetos, and taquitos. Vanilla will inhale an entire pizza and then put on a corset. She’s very talented, to say the least.
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Video shot and edited by William Bond
