Charlottetown drag queen earns international nod

A P.E.I. drag queen has been nominated for Mz International Pride X.

The prize is awarded by theInternational Drag Queen and Friends group, founded in Halifax in 2002.

Tye Shanahan, known as Alexas Styles Davenport in his drag persona, was astonished to earn the nomination.

"To be contacted saying your name has been submitted for this title, it was just astonishing" said Shanahan.

"I was completely floored to think that I could live up to the standard of holding this title. It meant so much to me."

Shanahan hopes his nomination brings awareness about what it means to be a drag queen on P.E.I., where the community is very small. He performs more off-Island than on it.

"I get so many people asking me that, are you a cross dresser or do you want to be a real girl? No, I'm comfortable with who I am. Drag is performance," he said.

"I love doing drag but it's lonely at times because nobody understands it."

Shanahan describe Alexas as the opposite of himself.

Voting starts online Dec. 1.