Photo courtesy of Jade Sinclair
Jade Sinclair
Behind the scenes of Jade Sinclair's first drag performance.
In our metro’s cutthroat drag scene, the prolific Jade Sinclair’s persona is akin to Glinda the Good Witch. The longtime show director and former Miss Gay Missouri America floats above the ubiquitous shade throwing, and rarely if ever seems bothered by life’s unpleasantries—like when she emerged from her dressing room to find the venue had just been robbed, then glided past the patrons rising from the floor to order her favorite shot, a Grape Bomb.
“I’ve had a few audience members mention they appreciate my emceeing because I don’t poke fun at others,” Sinclair says. “I grew up in a rural area in the ‘70s and ‘80s with few visible, positive LGBT role models. I was made fun of for being effeminate or gay long before I even knew, or admitted to myself, that I was. When I started drag I also had challenges from those who didn’t think I had what it took. I don’t want others to feel the way I did as a child or a younger entertainer. I’ve always tried to treat people how I want to be treated.”
The kind queen’s persona has brought her plenty of friends and fans since she first took the stage in 1996, and later this week, Sinclair will celebrate both her 50th Birthday and her 25th drag anniversary with a spectacular soiree. The public event, Silver & Gold, will be held Saturday night on the upper level of Shamrock Pub (1130 South Broadway) and will feature performers such as Miss Gay St. Louis 2022 Avery C. Lauren and Miss Gay St. Louis 2017 Karma T. Cassidy.
At the beginning of 2017, when Sinclair wanted to start a weekly show devoted to nurturing new talent, it was Cassidy who helped her launch Discovery Night, which still takes place every Thursday at Grey Fox Pub.
Photo by Justin Lehman
Silver and Gold
“Jade has a heart to help others, and Discovery Night was born out of that need and has produced some amazing talent to our local scene,” says Cassidy. “She is tireless in showcasing her talents and is one of the hardest working female impersonators in our city, not only entertaining audiences but giving back, whenever possible, to raise money for charities. I’m honored to know such a warm-hearted and kind individual and to have been able to share the stage with her on many occasions.”
“I’m always truly inspired by Jade Sinclair,” adds Lauren. “[Sinclair] took a chance on me when I moved here from Dallas just three short years ago. She has helped me evolve into the entertainer I have become today, not only on stage but off as well. I owe nothing but gratitude to Jade. She’s a true legend and I’m happy to have her as a mentor forever.”
Sinclair is originally from rural Missouri, but her own drag journey began on the East Coast. She moved to Delaware in 1995 following a romance and lived there for about five years. While the small state is within a quick train ride of hubs such as New York, Baltimore, and D.C., it did not have its own Pride Festival when Sinclair arrived.
“Drinking one night with friends, we decided to start one,” says Sinclair. “We used local entertainers to raise funds. The entertainers decided the Pride Board should make a guest appearance in the show. We did “You Don’t Own Me” from First Wives Club. That was my first appearance, and the proverbial drag bug had bitten. 2022 is the 25th anniversary of Delaware Pride, and I have agreed to go back to perform at the festival.”
Those initial years weren’t without their difficulties. Sinclair says shopping was difficult for a queen in the mid-90s. “It was very hard to find things in stores, and to connect with designers, as the internet was very new,” she says. That difficulty is what led many queens to sew, along with the need to have an endless supply of new, show-stopping looks. Sinclair also noted that the venues were almost exclusively gay, as were the audiences. Because there were so few drag stages, it was a struggle for a new entertainer to find opportunities. The competition was fierce.
But things have changed a lot in a quarter of a century. “Flash forward 25 years, and living in St. Louis, we offer numerous opportunities, and entertainers today have access to opportunities without having to prove themselves as much,” says Sinclair. “The styles are more diverse. Shows exist outside of the LGBT bars. Drag is much more widely accepted and mainstream. We have shows at casinos, riverboats, restaurants, and now even ‘Corporate America’ with Ballpark Village. Struggles still exist today with some of the diverse forms of drag, but it has come a long way since 1996.”
These days, Jade Sinclair performs at least four nights a week: Mondays at Soulard Bastille, and Thursday through Saturday at the Grey Fox. During the warmer months, she even performs on the Becky Thatcher riverboat. The drag stage isn’t always conducive to long runs, but Sinclair’s certainly enjoying one.
She made a name when that was a much tougher thing to do. She survived a plague that wiped out too many of her generation. She’s weathered fickle audiences, rose above cutthroat rivals, and in the face of rampant ageism—with some younger performers publicly calling for the older generations to exit stage left—Sinclair not only owns her age, but celebrates it. She is easily one of the most beloved figures in the drag scene.
“Growing old gracefully is my intention,” Sinclair says. “I’d like to be able to remain relevant. People in general have been respectful to me. I once told myself that I would stop drag at 35, but when I said that, I had no examples of older queens that were still well put together and successful. Today, I see many of them. I’m hoping to have a few more good years in me. I really
enjoy my time on stage and interacting with others. It’s going to be a huge change in my social situation when the time comes.” As for what comes next for Sinclair when she does decide to leave the spotlight, it sounds like she won’t stray far from the stage, even if it’s in a more supporting role.
“I have a few things in the works,” she says. ‘I would like to bring back a pageant or two and provide opportunities for others to experience some of what I have. I can see myself letting some of my peers take on some of my responsibilities as a means to help them broaden their skill sets.”
Doors for Silver & Gold open at 7 p.m. on November 13. The event is free, but a $5 donation for the entertainers is suggested. Rarely is there a chance to see more drag glitterati in one room, or to celebrate the incredible run of someone who took the high road to the top, and who did it in heels.
Read more on Jade Sinclair in Chris Andoe’s House of Villadiva.
