#htxdrag

On a couch inside Siphon Coffee, the first HTX Drag interview took place. It felt fitting having this conversation with a drag performer just down the street from The Menil Collection. Just as the de Menil’s impact on the Houston art scene has been closely studied and widely celebrated, the drag in Houston deserves the same treatment. Drag performers are their own canvasses; they adorn themselves in fabrics, rhinestones, sometimes even balloons. They are the scientists who make themselves the subject of their own artistic experimentation. 

I’d like to tell you a bit about the drag history of Houston, which dates as far back as the 1930s. According to Houston LGBT History, a public online archive, the Wagon Wheel Night Club was one of the first spaces for “female impersonator” performances. The club’s existence was only a few years due to two arsonists setting the building ablaze in 1938, according to a “The San Antonio Light” article featured on the site. The kings and queens throughout past decades have fought against efforts to eliminate their presence in the city. Thanks to them, we can have our drag shows today. 

I met Sauvignon Blanca in 2023 while working at the Nook Cafe and Rooftop, a two- story coffee shop and bar. She and other drag artists- some of which you will meet later- would arrive on Monday evenings to compete in the first season of Persephone’s Game of Drag. Christopher Gonzales (he/him) began experimenting as Sauvignon Blanca (she/her) in the small town of Marfa, Texas, where he said, “there was little to no drag.” Gonzales and his partner, Paul Chavarria, responded to the scarcity of a night life by acting as a source of it. Through parties and pride events, the duo created a vibrant queer space in the desert town from 2018- 2020.

Top photo: Sauvignon Blanca striking a pose on stage at Marfa Pride 2022. Bottom photo: Sauvignon Blanca for season one of PGOD. Photos provided by Christopher Gonzales.

It only feels right to say that since her move to Houston, Sauvignon Blanca’s presence has aged like fine wine. In a city that feasts on nothing less than interesting art, she established herself as an exciting addition to the drag menu. After the first sips of her aesthetic and energy, you’ll see that it’s a messy delicacy you can’t find anywhere else. This interview spills the ingredients of her character, walks you through the process of her artistry, and gives you a perspective of the creative lens she views the world through. 

HTX Drag is all about the Houstonians who are defining the artform in their own ways today. Flourishing with diversity, Houston offers an undeniably excellent drag scene and overall queer culture. As present-day legislation attempts to lay a blanket of restrictions over the LGBTQ+ community, it is proven through these stories that we are still thriving through unshakeable foundations. 

This is the first of many stories. 

Stay tuned for Sauvignon Blanca’s interview next week!

In Houston’s drag world, legacy is built not just on glamour, but on discipline. Few performers embody that principle as clearly as Chevelle Brooks—a pageant queen whose career spans more than three decades and whose reputation is rooted in precision, presentation, and community.

For many in Houston’s drag scene, Brooks represents a particular tradition: the polished, pageant-trained entertainer who approaches drag as both art form and profession. From national titles (Miss Gay US of A 2000; Miss Continental Plus 2002; Universal Show Queen 2019; and many more) to local recognition as Houston’s Entertainer of the Year, Brooks has spent over 30 years building a career that blends theatrical performance with the meticulous standards of competitive drag.

Chevelle Brooks photographed by Gavin Calais

Her story, however, begins far from the rhinestones and crowns.

Brooks was born in Louisiana but grew up in Houston after moving to the city at just three years old. By the early 1990s, Houston’s LGBTQ nightlife scene was vibrant and expansive, with drag performances happening not only at nightclubs but also at daytime art festivals and community gatherings.

It was in these spaces that Brooks first encountered drag—not as a distant spectacle, but as a living, breathing art form happening all around her. Watching queens move between venues and command audiences sparked something in her. Drag looked like freedom: a way to express creativity, confidence, and star power all at once.

That spark led to her first performance in 1991 at a talent show at Studio 13, one of the many clubs that helped shape Houston’s queer nightlife history. The debut, she recalls, was far from glamorous. “I didn’t have anything ready,” Brooks says. “No shoes, no dress, no hair.”

But Houston drag has long been sustained by the community. Friends and fellow performers rallied for Brooks, pulling together pieces of a look so she could still compete. What could have been a disastrous first outing instead became a defining moment. Oh, did I forget to mention that she won that talent show?

It was proof that the stage was exactly where she belonged.

Stay tuned next week for more on our beloved Houston icon!

Chapter Three: Houston's Mother

Chevelle Brooks is so much more than a legendary pageant queen—she’s an empowering light in Houston’s drag community. As a drag mother, she has opened her arms to countless performers, among them the late Jiggly Caliente and the iconic Mistress Isabelle Brooks. For Brooks, being a drag mother isn’t just a title—it’s a calling, filled with both responsibility and deep joy.

“Being a Brooks isn’t about the celebrity of my name. When you’re my child, it means I’m here to guide you through this lifestyle,” Chevelle told me warmly. She’s seen firsthand the realities of this lifestyle—like the struggle to find health insurance when you’re pouring your heart into full-time performing. “Drag taught me to save for a rainy day,” she confided. More than anything, she wants to shield her children from the hardships she’s faced herself.

When Brooks takes someone under her wing, it goes far beyond costumes and bookings. She’s there to help them find confidence, build community, and discover their own unique voice. Empathy, patience, and a fierce commitment to lifting others up—onstage and off—are at the heart of everything she does.

Brooks is passionate about seeing her kids shine in whatever path they choose—whether drag is their main gig or just one piece of their story. She’s always reminding them to keep a steady head and be financially prepared for whatever life throws their way. “I’m so proud of my kids,” she beamed. “Some run nonprofits and businesses; some are technicians.” But the love and support branches far beyond the chosen family tree.

"What's next for Chevelle Brooks?"

"Right now, I’m working on a nonprofit that helps entertainers get their affairs in order," she shared. In every sense, Chevelle Brooks embodies what it means to lead with heart. Her legacy lies in the countless lives she’s touched and the community she's built. Through her generosity, strength, and unwavering love, Brooks continues to inspire the next generation—not just to perform, but to thrive, to care for one another, and to believe in themselves.

Photo by Gavin Calais Photography

Sauvi's Recipe

The experience of interviewing Gonzales while he got into drag is a story within itself. Sauvi’s look was pieced together with an impressive flow as our words exchanged over a bright mini mirror and a colorful array of supplies. It was a pleasure to witness a performer draw themselves into their own element. As Gonzales painted Sauvi’s stunning face with a delicate hand, he also painted the picture of what makes Sauvi the queen that she is.

Sauvignon Blanca photographed by Gavin Calais . Edited by Arthur Mangum.

Just like how grapes are harvested for wine, elements of Gonzales’s personality are accentuated as Sauvi’s “flavor.” “I feel like my personality is just enhanced more. I’m a pretty boisterous person. I feel good, I feel powerful, I feel funnier,” Gonzales told me as he began applying concealer to his face. I learned that an element about Sauvi that catches Gonzales off guard is the impression of her fierce presence. “I do fucking love that people are intimated by drag queens, because intimidating is not something that I have ever thought of myself as.”

The sweet, bold, and absolutely imperfect ingredients are mixed in a lab flask that holds the experimentation of Sauvignon Blanca. With a background as a research engineer, I was curious about how Gonzales’s scientific mind interacted with drag. Breaking away from the mirror, Gonzales thought for a moment. “I would say it’s like trial and error,” he said. “It's like, it didn't work? Can we fix it? What's the best way to do it? And sometimes you can't.” He continued as he proceeded to blend Sauvi’s first layer. “And that's kind of like half the battle of drag, where it's like, okay, what's actually possible right now? And just being okay with having to go back to the drawing board. So it's more like a mentality rather than like a method process for me.”

To Gonzales, the transition from Marfa’s drag scene to Houston’s consisted of pressure to stand out. However, that did not mean that one’s persona was void of influence; it was actually a result of embracing it as part of your creative process. “You can take other queen’s elements and techniques and make it your own,” Gonzales said. Gin Martini, a designer in Houston, and Paul Chavarria have played a pivotal role in assembling the visions for some of Sauvi’s garments. “A lot of the costume designers here in Houston, if you let them hold your hand a little bit and help... Let them also speak to your creative vision, they will fuck you up in the right way,” Gonzales said.

Sauvignon Blanca wearing Gin Martini.

Houston’s drag scene is like a mirror ball. It can only shine as bright as it does when unified. Captivating us in its collective light, each figure that it’s made of also holds a reflection of the community dancing around it. In the third and final chapter on Sauvignon Blanca, we dive deeper into the impactful ways she pours back into the community that has nurtured her growth as a drag performer.

Houston drag is loud. Houston drag is legendary. Houston drag is living herstory - and we’re gonna cover it all. 💋