Jennavesia Touche

What's your preferred name?

Out of drag, I go by Manny but in drag, I go by Jennavesia Touche

What are your pronouns?

He/Him out of drag, She/Her in Drag.

Share with us how you identify and how you came to that understanding of yourself.

I have always known I was attracted to other men, but I never had the courage to pursue it. It wasn't until the age of 18/19 after dating a few girls, that I finally realized that I wasn't bisexual or attracted to women, but that I was fully attracted to men, and I now identify as a cisgender gay man.

Tell us about how your self-expression has helped you grow.

Being in drag has really helped with my stage fright and my fear of being in front of others. My biggest fear, other than drowning, is definitely speaking in front of a big group, but being in drag, I forget about all that stuff, and I'm fully in the moment, and Manny has left the building, and Jennavesia has taken over. I truly love it when people watching me are having fun, and I can not only hear it, but also feel it.

Where did you grow up? What was a formative experience you had in childhood that led you to where you are today?

I was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, until I was 16, when my parents decided to move to Reading, Pennsylvania. It was there I lived until I was 18, when I moved out of my parents' house and became an adult. It wasn't until I was 21 that I decided to leave the East Coast, and I moved to Washington State in February of 2010. I didn't become a drag queen until the Summer of 2020 when my life partner, Gina Touche, asked me to do it for the first time, and I've been in love with it ever since.

What is a life goal that you are working on or have achieved? How has working toward this goal helped you understand yourself as an individual?

Right now, one of my biggest life goals is to learn to sew so I can audition for the amazing show "RuPaul's Drag Race". I have purchased my sewing machine and gathered a bunch of fabrics I will be working with to see what I can create. I've had a lot of followers and people in my life tell me it's something I should try, and I'm willing to put in the work. I don't like to say, "If I ever get on Drag Race," because I'd rather say, "When I get on Drag Race," because yes, I will be there one day!!

Who is someone who inspired you to be your true self? What was their influence on you?

I will say that Gina Touche, who is also my partner in life, has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest, influences and inspirations for me doing Drag. When I met them, they were already doing drag and producing tons of shows across the PNW. On Aug 20, 2020, I did drag for the first time, and I loved it. They encouraged me to keep doing it if it was something I wanted to achieve. They booked me for my first gigs, and I was able to work on my craft and have been doing it now for 6 years this year. I'm very grateful that they saw something in me to even ask me to do it in the first place, but I love them for letting me keep doing it and pushing me towards my success in Drag.

What's something that you worry about?

The thing I always worry about is making sure I leave a good impression on those around me, and that any mark I leave is a positive, self-loving one. I've struggled with self-love for quite some time now, but I'm finally learning that I have so much to give, and in return, people just want to be around me and love me for me, not someone pretending.

What gives you hope?

A bright future where everyone lives in unconditional love and unity, where no one feels like the target of oppression or an outcast from society. No one should feel like they don't belong, and I hope for one day when this amazing country can truly become one nation united under no false pretenses or false hope.

If you had a message for your younger self, what would you say?

I would love to tell my younger self that it's all going to get better and that he should truly love himself, starting back then. I would let them know there will be trials and tribulations along the way, but never to run or steer away from them, cuz they are the primary things that will make him the strong, tall, and proud person who stands in front of him now. I will let them know they were never alone cuz they always had themselves to push forward. I would tell them how proud I am to be part of them, and I would never let them go!

What's a piece of wisdom you've learned that has helped you?

"What others think of me is none of my business." It's something that I've had to work on for a really long time, but I now understand that what others say about me isn't about me but more about them and their character. Always stay true to who you are cuz that's the person you're meant to be, and the person people will always love you for.

What is something you wish other people would know or understand?

I wish people would understand that Drag is not a crime. Drag is an art form of self-expression and creativity. When a person can truly express themselves in their art form 100%, they are truly giving you their love, character, and their person genuinely and wholeheartedly, and we as a society should be able to embrace that in the same positivity. Drag has and will always be a part of the queer culture and we're just getting started.