Drag queen P.H. Dee will return to Oxford, the city in which she was “born,” on Oct. 4 for the Interfaith Center’s Coming Out Day Celebration.

Originally from Toledo, P.H. Dee studied at Bowling Green State University before coming to Miami University in 2014 for graduate school. It was nearly six years ago at Bar 1868 where she discovered her persona — through a drag fundraiser hosted by an on-campus LGBTQ+ organization that she was president of.

“In the planning process [of the event], I was talking to some of the drag queens who volunteered to come up and do the event, and I suggested that somebody who’s never done drag before should do an amateur number,” P.H. Dee said. “They basically just looked at me and said, ‘OK, so you’re volunteering yourself then, right?’”

P.H. Dee agreed to put on an amateur performance that night. She purchased all of the necessary costuming and padding, hit the stage and was met with a lively audience offering tips and cheers.

“I felt like a pop star,” P.H. Dee said of her first performance. “And it just kind of snowballed from there.”

P.H. Dee found a creative outlet through drag, an escape from the stress of graduate school. In the midst of academic burnout and a busy schedule, she turned to drag for fun, and, as she said, “the rest is history.”

Following her first performance, P.H. Dee was invited to come back to Bar 1868, and, eventually, was on-cast for a few years while teaching at Miami.

“Many of my students knew who P.H. Dee was and took my classes because I was P.H. Dee,” she said. “Through that, I have gotten to network with and do events for a variety of campus organizations.”

Last spring, she did a performance for Sigma Tau Delta’s literary ball. The theme was based on the “Twilight” films, so P.H. Dee put together some vampire numbers. She also paid a few visits to Bar 1868 and performed.

Typically, P.H. Dee performs at clubs in the Cincinnati area, where she now resides. She frequents bars downtown such as the Birdcage and Bloom, but she does not restrict herself to these settings alone.

“I do pop-up events and corporate events and birthdays and divorces and all of that kind of stuff,” she said.

When she is not in drag, P.H. Dee works a traditional Monday to Friday job in human resources and government. In her limited free time, she enjoys the simple pleasures of relaxing on the couch and watching TV, cooking and doing chores around her home.

P.H. Dee’s shows are usually 90 minutes in length and feature four or five entertainers. Her artistry is in lip syncing, and while she does not consider herself a choreographer, shows include a variety of talents to keep audiences engaged.

According to Marina Young at Enjoy Oxford, “[The Coming Out Day event] is going to be a party where everyone can go to and celebrate coming out.”

The Coming Out Day celebration will be held Friday 6 p.m., Oct. 4. at the Interfaith Center, which is located at 16 S. Campus Ave. To RSVP for the even, you can do so here.

“P.H. Dee is really popular around the Cincinnati area,” Young said of P.H. Dee. “She goes to a lot of drag events, especially pride — she was there last year. She’s really recognizable.”

P.H. Dee wants to see a celebration and safe space at the Interfaith Center’s Coming Out Day event.

“I’m hoping to see a bunch of queer kids leaning into their authentic selves,” she said. “I’m hopeful that events like this make it more empowering and safer for closeted or questioning folks to embrace themselves.”

As a drag queen in a primarily red state, P.H. Dee believes in the importance of community and presence of drag. According to her, visibility is the key to making people feel empowered.

“Drag is an art form that’s under attack by a lot of legislation right now,” P.H. Dee said. “It makes sense to have drag at LGBTQ+ events. Because drag queens are so over the top, [we’re] here to say, ‘If they’re attacking us and we’re not going anywhere. It’s OK for you as an everyday LGBTQ+ person to exist without fear of ridicule, without fear of attack.’”

She continued, saying, “We’re the ones that put the spectacle on us to make it safer for others.”

While P.H. Dee’s career has not been impacted by recent legislation against drag, she still harbors a sense of fear about the reality of the art form being censored and vilified. Fortunately, she feels as if she has allies in her current city.

“I feel like Cincinnati is kind of a safe haven in a red state,” P.H. Dee said. “I don’t necessarily know if that would translate to some place that’s more rural. Living in Oxford for two years, I was scared very frequently as a gay man walking around.”

As parting words, P.H. Dee left some advice for people who are closeted or questioning their identity, or people who are celebrating their first Coming Out Day.

“For the people who are closeted or questioning, my advice is we’re here when you’re ready … we can’t wait to have you,” she said. “For those celebrating their first Coming Out, congratulations [and] welcome. We’re so excited that you’re here. Ask us questions. Get involved in the queer community to keep the momentum going.”