Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist -
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - “A lot of people do it for the money - not me. I do it because people get drawn into my performance and I get drawn into them believing what it is I’m doing.” Kara Belle is from Paducah, Kentucky and has been a female impersonator for the past nine years.
“A lot of people do it for the money - not me. I do it because people get drawn into my performance and I get drawn into them believing what it is I’m doing.” Kara Belle is from Paducah, Kentucky and has been a female impersonator for the past nine years.
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - “It allows me to be a different person and show my creative side,” Kara says.
“It allows me to be a different person and show my creative side,” Kara says.
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - Becoming Kara Belle has taken some practice, now roughly taking Kara Belle only an hour to perfect. “I had to travel around and actually learn how to paint [term meaning to apply drag make-up] because the transition from Brad to Kara wasn’t really that profound,” Kara says, “It was really just Brad with some lipstick on.”
Becoming Kara Belle has taken some practice, now roughly taking Kara Belle only an hour to perfect. “I had to travel around and actually learn how to paint [term meaning to apply drag make-up] because the transition from Brad to Kara wasn’t really that profound,” Kara says, “It was really just Brad with some lipstick on.”
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - Fake eyelashes, fake contacts, fake hair, heavy make-up, and a massive amount of attitude is most of what goes into ‘becoming Kara Belle.’ “Mostly everything’s fake except my teeth.”
Fake eyelashes, fake contacts, fake hair, heavy make-up, and a massive amount of attitude is most of what goes into ‘becoming Kara Belle.’ “Mostly everything’s fake except my teeth.”
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - “Anything that you do in life that you really enjoy and people accept it - it’s a really cheap, cathartic release,” Kara Belle says.
“Anything that you do in life that you really enjoy and people accept it - it’s a really cheap, cathartic release,” Kara Belle says.
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - Kara Belle says as a kid she was always the chubby one which made her self conscious. It wasn’t until college until she discovered the art of performing as a drag queen.
Kara Belle says as a kid she was always the chubby one which made her self conscious. It wasn’t until college until she discovered the art of performing as a drag queen.
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - “A lot of the girls can be catty in a hateful way or they won’t talk to you because they want to win something that you’re trying to win,” Kara Belle says. “In normal show settings, you’re very friendly with each other, because you know what each other has been through.”
“A lot of the girls can be catty in a hateful way or they won’t talk to you because they want to win something that you’re trying to win,” Kara Belle says. “In normal show settings, you’re very friendly with each other, because you know what each other has been through.”
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - “I finally found something where I can be myself and not be judged for it.” Kara says that being on stage is the biggest release for her. “When I’m on stage they [the audience] are not looking at me - they’re looking at this character that I create.”
“I finally found something where I can be myself and not be judged for it.” Kara says that being on stage is the biggest release for her. “When I’m on stage they [the audience] are not looking at me - they’re looking at this character that I create.”
- Jennifer Gonzalez | Multimedia Photojournalist - “At the end of the day, we’re just boys in dresses, so if you make it very dramatic and drama filled, it’s not going to be fun - but if you make it as fun as it is, then you’re going to have a fun time.”
“At the end of the day, we’re just boys in dresses, so if you make it very dramatic and drama filled, it’s not going to be fun - but if you make it as fun as it is, then you’re going to have a fun time.”
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