WHO ARE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES?
Ella Fitzgerald. Aretha Franklin.
Whitney Houston. In my opinion,
they are the Holy Triumvirate of
vocal performance. Honorable
mention to Leontyne Price and Dinah
Washington, as well.
YOU STARRED IN THE OFF-BROADWAY
PRODUCTION OF “THE VIEW UPSTAIRS.” AS
A MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY, WHAT
WERE YOU FEELING WHILE YOU BROUGHT
THEIR STORIES TO LIFE?
It was so humbling and such a great
honor to bring to life those stories,
particularly because so many of the
characters and their stories represented
LGBTQIA people of color. Those first
days of rehearsal were really powerful
because, as a cast and entire production
team, we sat and talked about so much
of the historical context of the piece
and what it meant to be gay in the
Deep South and also a person of color.
I love how my character—this tough
but soft butch black woman matriarch/
patriarch—managed to create this
magical safe space for so many people
in the community.
YOU’VE SAID ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS
THAT YOU’VE FACED HOMOPHOBIA,
BIPHOBIA AND RACISM. HOW HAS THAT
SHAPED YOU AS A PERSON AND TO WHAT
DEGREE DO THOSE PAST EXPERIENCES
INFLUENCE YOUR ACTIVISM NOW?
I’ve experienced homophobia, biphobia,
fatphobia and racism. I think it has
been most hurtful when it comes
from other oppressed groups of
people. It is particularly hurtful
because I consider myself a part of all
of these communities and I stand at
an intersection that inspires the kind
of dialogue that makes people feel
uncomfortable.
Here’s the amazing thing though,
my experience of -isms and phobias at
that intersection have liberated me in a
number of ways because experiencing
public humiliation and shame will do
one of two things: it will destroy you
or it will push you to really do the work
of loving and accepting yourself, and
for me it’s done the latter. The more
I’ve learned to accept myself, the more
unapologetic I feel about who and what
I am. And the more unapologetic I feel
about who and what I am, the more
clearly I can see that the way other
people process that isn’t my problem.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE
LGBTQ YOUTH AND POC FACING THOSE
SAME STRUGGLES?
My advice is this: When writing the
story of your life, don’t let anybody
else hold the pen. At the end of the
day it doesn’t matter what anybody
thinks about you. It is your life and you
are responsible for making it beautiful!
You are enough. You are not a mistake.
Self-doubts are normal, insecurities
are normal. If you’re artistic or creative,
bouts of sadness will be normal. Most
of our wounds aren’t even our fault; but
healing them, that is our responsibility.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD
TO EXPERIENCING WHILE IN ORLANDO?
The thing I most look forward to is the
fellowship and the interaction with the
people. It is always something that fills
me with joy to see LGBTQIA people,
particularly the youth, enjoying themselves
and loving themselves and feeling free to
be themselves. So I’m looking forward to
experiencing that joy with them!
| ���� | Frenchie Davis FROM PG.34
38 COME OUT WITH PRIDE 2018