Stoney’s first public drag queen is “excited” to begin planning for the Nation’s second pride event after the success of the inaugural Morley Pride earlier this year.
“The first pride in Morley was very phenomenal. I didn’t expect the amount of support we received from the community and Canmore and Banff and other surrounding areas. It was a huge success and because of request and by popular demand, the casino contacted me and asked to do another event,” explained Argintina Hailey, stage name of the two-spirited former Morley resident who organized and performed at the inaugural August event.
Growing up in Morley, the 36-year-old two-spirited queen said she was never really “sure of myself and how my community would receive me” but since hosting the first pride event on the Nation, Hailey gets teary-eyed discussing the impact the event had in the community.
“When I think back to that night I’m very emotional because deep down I don’t pat myself enough on the back and say ‘good job, you actually brought the community together’ – it is a big thing for me, I did this,” Hailey said humbly.
“Since the event, I’ve had elders come up to me and ask where my next event is.”
After the “tremendous” success of the first pride – organizers were only expecting 150 attendees and maxed out the venue with 255 guests, bringing in extra staff and setting up extra tables with standing room only by 10 p.m. – a cabaret event for January is in the works with details being finalized in the next couple of weeks.
“We will be launching the event next week … it will be more of a big cabaret with Broadway numbers, we are going to ring in the new year (while also) raising funds for Morley Pride next year,” Hailey explained.
Many, including Eagle columnist Trent Fox, who was not able to attend the event but congratulated the former Morley resident on a “fabulous show,” have praised the event.
“Education is important in creating awareness and change. In bringing Pride to the Morley community, Argintina has initiated dialogue and I applaud her courage,” Fox previously wrote.
The former Miss Gay Calgary said she is “honoured” to bring events such as these to the Nation, giving two-spirited residents and allies a safe place to celebrate their uniqueness.
“Even after the event was over, people in the community thanked me for doing something different, for bringing diversity to the community,” Hailey said.
“Now, we can be proud to be two-spirited and not worry about the whispers amongst each other. I had a lot of the younger generation, people in their teens and 20s, come up and say thank you. I also had the older generation say, thank you and, excuse the pun, we never had the balls or courage to come out before’.”
Hailey has been performing for the last 15 years in Calgary and the surrounding area and has received several titles since adopting her stage persona including Her Imperial Sovereign Majesty Empress in the mid-2000s, where Hailey travelled around North America as a gay ambassador for Calgary and area.
“I see another light in my community, before I always felt so out of place and I wasn’t sure I fit in with the community because I’m a drag queen and do shows but all of those insecurities after that weekend kind of just went away and I feel very honoured and very humbled,” Hailey said.
To keep up to date on Hailey’s events and more details on the fundraising cabaret in January, go to the queen’s official Facebook page at “Argintina Hailey.”
