Poison Waters | |
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![]() Poison Waters in 2022 | |
Born | Kevin Cook 1967or1968(age 55–56) [1] Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Mt. Hood Community College |
Occupation | Drag performer |
Years active | 1980s–present |
Website | poisonwaters |
Kevin Cook, known by the stage name Poison Waters, is an American drag performer. Since the 1980s, she has been an emcee, entertainer, and community activist. She is a longtime hostess at Darcelle XV Showplace and has participated in fundraisers, LGBT events, public service announcements, and other community activities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Cook has also taught at Portland Community College.
Cook was born in Santa Monica, California. [2] [3] His father was Black and his mother was of Mexican and Native American descent. [4]
Cook moved from Southern California to Portland, Oregon in 1979 at the age of 11. [1] He was raised in poverty in northeast Portland's Parkrose neighborhood, [5] where he attended Parkrose High School. [6] Cook first encountered the city's drag scene after graduating, [7] and also discovered he was gay at the age of 18. [8] A performance by a group of four Black drag queens from Darcelle XV Showplace and Embers Avenue led him to recognize that drag was something available to people of color, [9] and he was mentored by his "drag mother" Rosie Waters. [10] [11] Cook named his drag persona Poison Waters after Rosie Waters and Dior's perfume Poison, which he discovered while working at the Lloyd Center. [12] He later attended Mt. Hood Community College. [13] [14]
Poison Waters has been a drag performer, emcee, and community activist since 1988. [15] She is a hostess at Portland's Darcelle XV Showplace and has worked with Darcelle XV at the drag venue since the early 1990s. [14] [16] She has also performed in drag shows and gay pride events in Beaverton, [17] Bend, [18] Hillsboro, [19] and Salem. [20]
Poison Waters has modeled in drag pageants and was crowned as Empress of Portland's Imperial Sovereign Rose Court in 2001. [15] [21] On stage, she was part of the cast of Darcelle Showplace XV's musical Pageant in 2017, [22] and she played Mother Ginger in Oregon Ballet Theatre's production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. [23] She has emceed events, such as the trade show Sexapalooza in Portland in 2012, [24] and hosted drag brunch at Darcelle Showplace XV and Stag PDX. [25] [26] She has also read books about diversity and inclusivity to children at libraries, [27] including Multnomah County Library's "Drag Queen Storytimes" series in 2018. [28] [29] [30] In 2019, she and other drag artists performed at Smith Memorial Student Union to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots; the event was organized by Portland State University and Portland Community College. [31] She performed at a Juneteenth block party in 2020. [32]
Poison Waters has supported many organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Cascade AIDS Project, and Habitat for Humanity. [16] She has volunteered with Cascade AIDS Project since 1988 and served on the organization's board of directors twice. Additionally, Poison Waters has worked with Women's Intercommunity AIDS Resource and Camp KC (Kids Connection) to help families affected by HIV/AIDS. [15] She has also participated in fundraisers for the youth empowerment organization Girls, Inc. and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. [33] [34]
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Poison Waters was a host for Vashon, Washington's online pride festivities. [35] She was also recruited to be Oregon's "drag ambassador" by Drag Out the Vote, a nonpartisan national organization "aiming to educate, register, and turn out voters, while maximizing fun and some glorious looks in the process". [36] In 2021, Poison Waters encouraged people to wear face masks on public transportation as part of TriMet's public service campaign. [37] She also hosted a youth fashion show fundraiser in Portland, in which she modeled upcycled new designs with other local drag performers. [38] During the city's annual Pride Festival, which was mostly held online because of the pandemic, Poison Waters provided entertainment as part of a film screening benefitting LGBT veterans. [39] [40] Additionally, she performed at a socially distanced outdoor entertainment venue at Zidell Yards. [1] [41] In Hillsboro, she appeared at an outdoor pride concert as well as "Pride Storytime" for children at a local community center. [42] She also hosted drag bingo, fundraisers, and corporate events via Zoom. [25]
Poison Waters writes a weekly column for the digital LGBT publication Shoutout, featuring local drag artists, as of 2021. [43] In 2021, Cook taught a course at Portland Community College called "Histories of Drag Performance in Portland". [14] The University of Portland's Gender and Sexuality Partnership hosted the show "Poison Waters and friends" in 2022. [44]
Poison Waters has been described as "iconic", [45] and in 2021, Portland Monthly writers called her "a shining jewel in our city". [46] According to the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest, which named her a "queer hero" in 2013, Poison Waters has also been recognized by Cascade AIDS Project, the Coalition for AIDS, the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, the Oregon Bears, and Pride Northwest for her "steadfast work within the HIV/AIDS community". [15]
Darcelle XV Plaza is a square that was a small park and fountain at the intersection of Southwest Park Avenue and Southwest Harvey Milk Street in downtown Portland, Oregon, in the United States. It received the current name in July 2023. It was named after Hugh O'Bryant, Portland's first mayor.
Darcelle XV was the stage name of Walter Willard Cole, an American drag queen, entertainer, and cabaret owner and operator in Portland, Oregon. Guinness World Records had certified him as the oldest drag queen performer in 2016, with a career as an entertainer spanning 56 years at the time of his death.
CC Slaughters is a gay bar and nightclub located in Portland, Oregon, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Portland bar is located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and the Puerto Vallarta bar is located in Zona Romántica.
The Embers Avenue, also known as Embers, was a gay bar and nightclub located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Embers hosted a variety of events, including comedy and drag shows, karaoke, and live music. The club opened in 1969, and closed in late 2017. The Oregonian reported in late November 2017 that the building owner has intentions to fill the space with a similar venue. It was speculated in January 2018 that Badlands was expected to open that year.
LGBT culture in Portland, Oregon is an important part of Pacific Northwest culture.
Michelle DuBarry is the stage name of Russell Alldread, a Canadian drag queen, who was awarded the title of the World's Oldest Performing Drag Queen by the Guinness World Records in 2015. However, the distinction was disputed by another performer, who was subsequently awarded the title in 2016.
La Femme Magnifique International Pageant is an annual drag pageant. In Portland, Oregon, the event has been hosted by Darcelle XV.
In LGBT culture, red dress parties are events in which people wear red dresses, regardless of gender. The Red Dress Party fundraising event began in Portland, Oregon in 2001, with only 75 people in attendance.
Darcelle XV Showplace is a drag venue in Portland, Oregon, opened and operated by drag performer Darcelle XV.
The National LGBTQ Wall of Honor is a memorial wall in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, dedicated to LGBTQ "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes". Located inside the Stonewall Inn, the wall is part of the Stonewall National Monument, the first U.S. National Monument dedicated to the country's LGBTQ rights and history. The first fifty nominees were announced in June 2019, and the wall was unveiled on June 27, 2019, as a part of Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019 events. Five honorees will be added annually.
Local Lounge was a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2010 to 2021.
Cart Blocks is a food cart pod in Portland, Oregon's Ankeny Square, in the United States. It is operated by Friends of the Green Loop.
Never Look Away is a mural in Portland, Oregon.
Flawless Shade is the stage name of Tajh Jordan, an American drag queen and make-up artist based in Portland, Oregon. A former Miss Gay Oregon, Flawless Shade has been featured in campaigns by Adidas, GLAAD, and Top Level Design. Jordan competed under their real name on the subscription-based streaming service WOW Presents Plus's competition series Painted with Raven.
Mama Đút was a vegan restaurant serving Vietnamese cuisine in Portland, Oregon.
Daniel P. Elliott, known professionally as Bolivia Carmichaels, is an American drag performer based in Portland, Oregon. Since 1995, she has performed at LGBT establishments such as CC Slaughters, Darcelle XV Showplace, and the defunct Embers Avenue, and has also participated in many community events.
The Queen's Head was an LGBT-friendly pub and lounge in Portland, Oregon, United States. Daniel Bund opened the restaurant in late 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Described as an inclusive drag bar and gay club, The Queen's Head hosted burlesque and talent shows, karaoke, poetry slams, trivia competitions, and other events.
Drag-a-thon was a drag show held during July 10–12, 2023, at the drag venue Darcelle XV Showplace in Portland, Oregon. The event was a successful attempt at setting a Guinness World Record for the longest drag stage show. Drag-a-thon was conceived and produced by Emma Mcilroy, co-founder of Wildfang, in response to the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act and similar anti-drag legislation across the United States. Eden Dawn, the host venue Darcelle XV Showplace, and its longtime performer Poison Waters were also credited as co-organizers. Drag-a-thon was also a fundraiser, yielding approximately $290,000 for LGBT support service The Trevor Project.
The year 2023 in Oregon involved several major events.
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