On March 31, the second annual Chicago Trans Visibility Pageant began with some drama. Fire alarms blared in the middle of the opening performance, thanks to an over-abundance of fog from the smoke machine. Still, the performers continued to dance.
The organization Life is Work held the pageant, which featured eight contestants across the transgender spectrum, to mark the Transgender Day of Visibility at Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd.
Life is Work, founded in 2017, is a resource center that connects with and supports trans and nonbinary individuals on Chicago's West Side. This year, the pageant sought to uplift the artistic expression of trans individuals and celebrate the accomplishments of local trans community leaders, and was sponsored by Healthy Chicago, Brave Space Alliance, and the Chicago Blackhawks Foundation, among others.
In light of recent anti-trans legislation across the country, the pageant was charged with a mix of commemoration and fierce resilience. About half of the contestants dedicated their pageant performance to transgender women and men who had been lost in the previous year. One contestant embellished her presentation gown with 300 pink, blue and white roses to recognize those lost lives.
The most prestigious award of the night, the Lois Quartermain Lifetime Achievement Award, was given to DaVon Anderson, associate director of practice management at Howard Brown Health.
Accepting her award at the podium, Anderson said, "Receiving this award has humbled me. My family and friends have come out to support me, and I want to thank them for all they have done. … I want to thank those that didn't believe in me; they made me work even harder."
Anderson called for the renaming of the Lifetime Achievement Award, because at age 60, her life is not over. "I'm here for the fight," she said, acknowledging how much more work is to be done to advance the rights of trans people.
Alexandria Diamond, Mother of the House of Diamonds, was crowned as the pageant's winner. Other featured guests included winner of the 2022 Trans Visibility Pageant Keri Traid, masculine drag performer Switch the Boi Wonder and Jazell Barbie Royale, the star of a reality TV show called Queen of the Universe.
