ARIÆ LUV

I had been planning to audition for Ru Paul’s Drag Race for the past several seasons, thanks to COVID, and a little inspiration from one of my exes, I finally submitted a request for an audition. My ex just had an audition with one of the prime time game shows and the odds were looking great for him to be on the actual show. I know I have what it takes to win the season, but I am fueled by winning the crown, and more importantly, meeting my real mama:

Mama Ru!

The Ru Paul’s Drag Race audition process stumped me immediately with the second question: what is your drag name? I stopped. I paused. I was taken aback.

I knew this question was going to be asked and I wasn’t anticipating a mental block on filling in the blank box on the screen.

In the heat of it all I always thought my drag name would just come to me when I went through the audition process.

Sorry, not the audition process, nope, I was at the APPLICATION to AUDITION process, I still had several steps to conquer before being given the opportunity to audition.

I was expecting more of a job application.

I wasn’t expecting to have to provide my entire history or HERstory (tm - thanks mama!), so I turned to the only other mama in my life, other than my real mother to at least help me develop a great drag name to fit my look and persona.

I sent her 5-10 great name ideas to choose from. I asked her to wait. I wanted her to take in all of my selections before coming up with better ones or dissing my new ideas - good friends are allowed to do those things, as long as they do them with class!

It only took brief moments for her to come up with some great names, and as we sat there, several states apart, we bounced ideas back and forth and discussed each name in detail.

With each name that she said aloud, I closed my eyes and placed myself into the persona that was inspired by that name. I put myself on the spot and envisioned myself entering the Ru Paul’s Drag Race workroom for the first time as that drag queen, saying my best, on the spot catchphrases for that grand entrance and ultimate RUVEAL (‘reveal’ for you non RPDR fans)!

After several minutes discussing all of the drag names that my mama helped develop she made it to the last one. When it came time for the conclusion, I revealed I decided on one of her first name ideas which she developed in her own thought processes, Aria.

We combined Aria with one of the last names we really loved, Love! In a matter of moments, Aria Love had been transformed into ARIÆ LUV, “if you can’t love yourself baby, I sure will;” “if your daddy don’t love you, come to mama;” - you just g0t Luvved! Twice!

A star was born.

I was so excited over finding a drag name which I felt defined my drag persona so perfectly, I stopped the application and immediately went out to rehearse and live life as ARIÆ LUV.

She was an exhilarating experience and meeting her was like a breath of fresh air. She was funny, witty, and had all of the classiest adult humor - some stuff that would definitely make your mom’s cheeks start to blush up.

{While we’re on the topic of parents: There’s only so many different words for penises and vaginas - ugh, if she’s your mama, she’s had sex! Get over it! Everyboner poops! I mean - everyone poops!}

Fresh into this new character portrayal, and finally arriving upon a name that matched my feminine persona, I went looking for the ARIÆ LUV first look.

I had to be smart with my remaining few dollars and cents, I had just been evicted and I had a shelter for a few days, with no idea of what would happen after those days were up, I thought it best to upgrade to warmer clothing. I was nowhere near prepared to sleep outside in the middle of Las Vegas, where the temps at night hover just above freezing.

Go to the desert, they said. It’d be nice, they said. As a metro-Detroiter and former Coloradan, I acclimated to the VEGAS highs (420 too), too quickly.

I was freezing in an old sweater that could barely stay zipped, so I bussed it over to Ross on my way to a dispensary. The goal was to purchase a nice jacket for under $20.

When I walked in the front door of my local ROSS (Mathews) Dress for Less, I was GÆRY, and by the time I’d be walking out, I’d be ARIÆ LUV, all the way baby.

I did not hesitate one bit to get directions from the COVID counting boy on where the plus sized women’s coats were, and as soon as I arrived in the vicinity I landed on this beautiful tan jacket. It had the most beautiful dark brown leather rope cord around all of the edges. Tied off with a gold zipper.

I wasn’t 100% sold on this look until I cinched it at the color and left the jacket unzipped.

This look.

This silhouette.

This here is ARIÆ LUV.

The camel-toe looking print, as I call it now, thanks to an 80 year old dude who was flirting with me at the bar was definitely a nod to my ex’s style. I had been borrowing Symphonic’s camel-toe flat rimmed hat to cover a horrible DIY haircut, a haircut so bad I had to tell people I did it to secure a wig better.

I was in love with the look and I left paying more than the budgeted $20, the extra $5 on this jacket was well worth it.

I was starting to feel the pain set in that maybe I wouldn’t be able to afford all of the required looks for my audition. The producers were requiring 14 different looks which you have to design and put together mainly on your own. I was anticipating maybe needing 3 looks, or just getting by with one. I desperately need the money and the free Anastasia Beverly Hills makeup, but truthfully, that crap doesn’t really matter. All I want is the crown! The title! The prestige! The tours. The fans. The excitement. Most importantly, to meet my mama, Mama Ru!

As I went through life and returned to being GÆRY, I always wore my ARIÆ LUV camel-toe jacket to stay warm.

It was sure to accompany me everywhere I went.

I paired it with my Burberry inspired COVID mask and went through life as normal.

But from the first moment in the ARIÆ LUV jacket life was everything but normal.

I was walking to ‘the Garage,’ my local gay bar, as a very straight male in a black charger peeled around the corner. He slowed down just enough to roll down his window and say, “that’s a nice jacket!” Peeling off again and lost to the winds of chance, he didn’t turn in the direction of the gay bar. Ugh! So is life.

I smiled and walked to the bar where a long line was forming, I showed a little bit of ARIÆ LUV to all the gay boys and daddies in line, who also LUVVED the jacket and I kept it moving. I avoided them on the way back because I didn’t want to place myself back into the ARIÆ mindset for the gay boys, not to mention I didn’t really have the money for the bar anyhow. I only had enough left for cheap cigars.

My jacket has been inspiring because of how many compliments I’ve had on it from men and women alike.

Drag truly is whatever clothing you decide to wear that day, and whatever makeup you decide to paint on your face. It’s choosing which persona you are going for and what the ‘category’ will be when you arrive.

It’s waking up naked and realizing, like your Mama always told you, that the rest is drag (420)!

Well, she never implied WHICH kind of drag she was referring to….thats my Mama!

When men - specifically when straight men find out that this jacket came off the WOMEN’S rack at my local ROSS (Mathews) Dress for Less, they don’t bat an eye and they don’t treat me any different. They are intrigued and inspired to open their horizons a little bit, which I hope makes them try on the panties too if they ever go looking for a woman’s jacket at Ross (Mathews).

Later that week I sat down and filled out my application to audition for Ru Paul’s Drag Race. I made it quickly through the first two questions where I was stumped at before. The application to audition was long and tedious.

I wasn’t anticipating the millions of questions.

I wasn’t anticipating the tears.

I wasn’t anticipating giving you my life story.

I wasn’t anticipating experiencing so many emotions.

But…

The application may have been lengthy, but it went in like butter! You just got LUVVED dahrling!

In the coming days I would be accepted for the first round.

I had my lawyers review the contract and agreement and I sent it off to the producers of the show.

I sit in limbo now, with just over 15 days to assemble 12-15 new looks for my audition.

Where does ARIÆ LUV go from here?

She would go to www.GreatlyAwakened.com and look for ARIÆ, GÆRY and SKYeWALKER inspired designs today!