For 26 years I worked full time as an educator in my native Oklahoma. I served as a teacher, an instructional coach, an assistant principal and, most recently, as an elementary school principal. It was also 26 years ago that I began my journey as an entertainer, working as a female impersonator on the weekends. During all the time I was working at both those jobs, I was supported by both sides: gay and straight. This past year, though, when I was hired to be an elementary school principal, the hate directed at me began.
A right-wing news site published a story about my dual careers as an educator and drag performer. Libs of TikTok promoted the story and Ryan Walters, who serves as the superintendent of education in Oklahoma, joined the fray.
In August, a right-wing news site published a story about my dual careers as an educator and drag performer. The social media account Libs of TikTok promoted the story and Ryan Walters, who serves as the superintendent of education in Oklahoma, joined the fray. Walters appeared in multiple videos criticizing me as a person and saying I should be stripped of the position. He said he wanted me fired for being a drag queen. Ironically, Walters had signed my teaching certificate in April, and I had passed all the background checks and fingerprinting required by law. I was the same person then, as I am now.
I received death threats, bomb threats. Stories about me were all over the media. Why? Because others didn’t find my drag performance career acceptable. For the whole 26 years, I’ve been the same person. I have performed on the weekends and also made a difference in the lives of many students, families and teachers. It was once I was promoted to principal that the hate started. I chose to resign this month and walk away from a position I worked so hard to get.
My career in drag began as a single night of performing to raise money for HIV awareness. When I began, “drag queens” could be seen only at gay clubs across the country. Being a drag performer wasn’t easy. Like previous queens from the past, such as Marsha P. Johnson who was part of the Stonewall uprising, we’ve all had to fight to be respected and appreciated. I continued my drag career because I enjoyed being on stage. It was a time for me to express myself and entertain a crowd and bring a smile to their faces. It became very therapeutic for me to perform and forget about the challenges in life.
Over the years, with the popularity of shows such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “We’re Here,” society has taken a more active interest in drag queen performances. One of the results of that has been an abundance of allies flocking to bars to watch shows for birthday and wedding parties. Drag queen bingo and drag brunches across the country have introduced those allies to some of the country’s best entertainers.
“Drag queen story hour” was growing in popularity, too, but then those events were challenged by different groups that felt that these events were pushing the so-called “gay agenda” and grooming children. Conservative groups gave the impression story hours were trying to promote a gay lifestyle and make children gay. However, in actuality, the stories that were read were about loving yourself, being happy with who you are and developing understanding and acceptance. Libs of TikTok, along with conservative groups, began targeting these events and pushing their homophobic agenda.
Yes, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” just won an Emmy, proving that there is a large interest in our kind of performance art. But despite the popularity of such shows, despite the awards and the glamour, there remain groups forcing their hate and judgment on the LGBTQ community. This school year, that hate reached me.
Conservative groups gave the impression story hours were trying to make children gay. In actuality, the stories were about loving yourself, being happy with who you are and developing understanding and acceptance.
As threats against me continued, I was placed at another building from which I ran my school building remotely. Because our school was on the state education department’s improvement list, I continued to attend training assigned by the OSDE and worked with a representative from the department to improve my school.
During this time, I was told by a leader in my school district that the OSDE was watching every move I made. My school district was sent pictures of me in drag from over 20 years ago, a list of dates and times that I performed and encouraged my termination. I was being stalked and harassed for performing drag. Even so, I continued to fight for my right to be me. I never backed down. I was supported by so many organizations, friends and allies. My district leadership and school board continued to support me.
Drag queens don’t belong in the classroom. This is common sense. @libsoftiktok pic.twitter.com/Efnk3yOeuj In December, Walters announced that he was going to introduce changes to the teacher code of conduct. When I returned from winter break, I was placed on administrative leave until further notice. At the end of January, I received notification from the school district that I could resign or be terminated. I was told it was due to the cost of security. I chose to resign. When my resignation became public, Libs of TikTok took credit. Walters made another video stating it was “a great day in Oklahoma” because I’d resigned. At the end of January, I received notification from the school district that I could resign or be terminated. People are people. We all deserve to be loved and supported. Unfortunately, there are those in the world who don’t have an understanding of the individuals that we truly are. These politically driven individuals only focus on what’s best for themselves, the attention they can receive and what they can gain from destroying others. Drag queens are not going anywhere. We will continue to entertain the masses, raise awareness for the LGBTQ community and share our art. Never will we hide behind the curtain.
Shane Murnan
Shane Murnan, Ed.D., is an Oklahoma native who has been in the education field for 26 years with a doctorate in educational leadership with a specialization in curriculum and instruction. On the weekends, Murnan performs as the female impersonation of "Shantel Mandalay," a state, regional and national title holder. Shantel performs weekly at The Boom Dinner Theater in Oklahoma City. 
