Today we’d like to introduce you to Ren Kauffman.
Ren, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started performing at a young age, mostly for my family. My grandma had a short, wide staircase separating the living room and dining room that looked like a small stage so my cousins and I would always be putting on small productions there. I was never actually a good singer or dancer but I really enjoyed pretending. I thought if I had a voice, I would be an awesome frontman for a band.
As I got older, I tended to shy away from the spotlight because I was realizing things about myself that made me uncomfortable in front of other people. Ages 12-18 are hard for anyone, but as a young trans person, I was having a particularly hard time coming to terms with the changes that were happening to my body. Coming from a small town without resources, I don’t even think I knew what transgender meant at the time, I just knew I hated everything that was happening to me.
Continuing to age, I fell into a sort of fog that I thought was how every young adult felt. After all, we were all nervous about finding a job, or continuing our education after graduation. I thought all of my classmates considered just dying as an alternative to growing up because they couldn’t see a future for themselves. It wasn’t until I finally left my hometown of Wooster, OH for college that I realized I was different than those around me.
The next stop on my journey, Cleveland State University, had a large queer community that I quickly found my place in. I met several trans people here that helped me realize that I am transgender. The LGBTQ+ club on campus was called the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) and I became a regular at their monthly game and movie nights. Each semester the QSA would hold one large social event: in the Spring, it was Queer Prom, in the Fall, it was a Drag show. My freshman year, the President of the QSA had an emergency and could not host the Drag show that Fall, so I offered to fill in and the rest is history…
I hosted the first Drag show I ever attended and each year after that I participated in the Drag show under the stage name Ryder Slowly.
My junior year at CSU, I was finally able to go out to clubs and experience more drag. I ended up performing at an open stage hosted by a Drag King group called the Cleveland Kings Action Pack (CKAP), and they welcomed me into their group with open arms. CKAP hosts benefit shows for different organizations around Cleveland including B. Riley Sober House, Camp Lilac, Preterm, and others. It was at this point that I really fell in love with drag. It was a place where I was always pretending and performing like I was as a child.
Since then, I have achieved many goals that I’ve set for myself. I started making my own costumes, I was the first Drag King ever nominated for Cleveland Scene’s Best Drag Performer, I have traveled out of the state to perform, and I even host a brand-new Drag King show called Ryder Slowly’s Rec Room where I am able to give opportunities to perform to all of the Drag Kings that came before me, and all of those who will come after.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This may be surprising, but things like sexism, racism, and transphobia are rampant in the Drag world. There have been instances at shows where I have been flat out called “she” by another entertainer without any acknowledgment or apology. Later on, when I tried to address the situation, I was called “dramatic” and told I was “stirring the pot”. I’m not usually bothered by things so juvenile, but this is something that happens to trans people far too often. We are outright disrespected, and once we try to stand up for ourselves, we are seen as aggressive or overly sensitive. You can see examples of this everywhere from the Senate floor to Twitter.com to (apparently) dressing rooms at drag shows. We deserve the right to be respected in the first place, and we certainly deserve the right to correct you when you are wrong.
Beyond this specific example, one overarching issue I see is representation reflected in the casts of drag shows. It is very common to see casts of exclusively white cisgender men performing in shows, not for lack of entertainers, this is usually a choice from the show producer and venue. This creates a plethora of issues within a community that claims to be diverse and accepting- it almost completely erases Drag Kings. I know very few cisgender men who are Drag Kings, by only having cis men in these shows Drag Kings barely have opportunities to make money to build their career. Drag is expensive and not making any of the money back that you’re putting in is one reason Kings get burnt out so often.
This is barely scratching the surface of this issue and I could definitely go more in-depth.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Drag King and show host/producer! I have been performing for three years as Ryder Slowly, Cleveland’s Fabio Fantasy. I’m known for probably a few things, first of all my hair is kind of my signature, I have been likened to Thor, Fabio, Jason Mamoa, Brett Michaels and many other guys with long hair. I was the first Drag King to ever be nominated for Cleveland Scene’s Best Drag Entertainer in 2021. I am currently hosting and producing Cleveland’s only monthly Drag King show at The Symposium Nightclub called Ryder Slowly’s Rec Room. I also host an open stage called Casting Call! with my co-hostess, Pineapple Honeydew-Delight where we are searching for up and coming Drag performers to compete for a spot in our show Creatures of CODA at CODA in Tremont.
My signature performance style is very high energy and sexy. I love to flirt with the audience at my shows. People often tell me they felt THEIR hamstrings pull during my performance because I’m always doing the splits, cartwheels flipping or jumping onto or off of something. No worries though I always stretch!
I’m very proud that not only have I earned my seat at the table amongst Cleveland’s Drag Royalty, but I am also making it easier for others like me to come up as well.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m literally just a nerd once I take all of the drag off. I did marching band, I currently play Dungeons and Dragons, I have a million allergies, been a Pokémon fan since I was 7. I even had h o r r I b l e eczema from the time I was born until I was 20. Drag really is all about selling a fantasy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ryderslowly
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryder.slowly.52
Image Credits
Bridget Caswell
Max Torres
Kayode Omoyosi
Ian Argo
