Meet Monjour Davis

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Monjour Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Monjour, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

It was a long winding road, however, it was always right there in front of me. As a kid, I would always put on the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston CDs (yes CDs) and put a t-shirt on my head to imagine I was Mariah Carey performing at a concert. Although I was only performing to my unamused siblings and teddy bears, I felt like I was Mariah Carey and I will living in this fantasy. It wasn’t until years later when I was an adult making my own decisions did I find my true purpose as a drag artist.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

For those who may not know who I am, my drag name is Kira Phoenix. I am a drag artist from St. Louis, MO. I started dabbling in drag when I was 18, fresh out of high school. I am sure my mother saw this coming because I used to put T-shirts on my head and pretend, I was Mariah Carey when I thought I was alone and safe in my room. In my room alone was the only time I could let this inner Queen out. I was able to explore this inner hidden (in my mind) femininity after I became an adult and could finally live by my own rules. A friend took me to a hole-in-the wall gay club in East St. Louis called Faces. That night I had no idea what was in store. I saw all of these beautiful humans covered in sequins and feathers and performing gay classics like Cher, Tina Turner, Beyoncé. When I saw this, it was like my world turned from black and white to technicolor. I had found my place. I found my people. I found what I was supposed to be doing. I felt it inside, I knew it. Literally two weeks later I entered myself in the amateur show. I went to the mall to buy women’s clothes and asked a friend to do my makeup. When I hit that stage, I was home. I felt so free and beautiful. Apparently, the crowd loved it as well because I won the show that night. I would continue doing the amateur shows winning consistently.

While I was competing at a pageant in 2021 a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to be part of a house that he was putting together. I said why not? At that time, I was introduced to the ballroom community. Ballroom is an underground community where LGBT folks come to show off their creativity and to display excellence. It came to prominence in the late 80s when black and brown trans women grew exhausted from not being completely accepted in a white pageant world. They created houses that accepted gay kids that may be kicked out of their parent’s homes for being gay. They created a new world where these kids could be celebrated for who they were and could show off their god given talents. Not only that but provide a safe environment that let them know that they were worthy of a good life just like everyone else. This is a world where I too found myself and where my creativity is seen and celebrated. Now I walk and attend balls all around the country and the world.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

First, I was courageous. I was going to say fearless but that’s not entirely true. There was a lot of fear. Fear of what my family might think, fear of being made fun of, and fear of societal expectations for men and especially men of color. Even though drag is not completely accepted in our society I knew without a doubt that it was true for me and something that I needed to do. I was also not afraid to make mistakes. And I made a lot of mistakes but those mistakes were integral learning lessons to my journey. And trust me no one starts off as an absolutely sickening drag queen. And lastly, I would say my best quality is steadfastness. I continue to more forward. There where times where I wanted to give up and I did at one point because of what men thought of dating a drag queens. I stopped to be accepted by men, but looking back I wasted a lot of time pleasing other people and not pleasing myself. I still got back up after learning the lesson and I continue to keep moving forward.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

The world can be overwhelming on a daily basis. People’s opinions, decisions, actions can weigh on you. Your own expectations of yourself can overwhelm you at points. I always make sure to come back to my center. My center where I feel grounded. I do this by meditation and listening to a watching inspiration, spiritual, uplifting content. I believe that what you ingest whether it’s food, books, TV, News, etc. has an effect on your mental health. We MUST be diligent in watching what we put into our bodies and minds. Make sure you put the good stuff in and leave the bad stuff out.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monji25/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monji29