By Sydney Morton

After losing everything, Grayson Nordgren found himself and his alter ego, Jenna Telz.

Three years ago, Nordgren was kicked out of the Jehovah鈥檚 Witness church for being gay, and lost his family and friends.

鈥淲hen I first got kicked out, I lost everything, I lost my faith, friends, family, my goals, dreams, and where I was going in life. It鈥檚 hard to sit back and think about that all. Through drag I found my place again and I feel like this is what saved me from a really dark time in my life,鈥� said Nordgren.

Growing up, Nordgren describes himself as sheltered. If anything that referenced the LGBTQ+ community came on the TV his parents would change the channel. It was his curiosity after being exiled that led him to drag.

鈥淲hen I first saw a drag queen, who is now a good friend of mine, I remember just thinking, 鈥榳ow,鈥欌�� said Nordgren.

鈥淚 still remember that feeling, I was super curious about it and it鈥檚 not that I didn鈥檛 understand it. I was not exposed to it. The more I saw it, the more in love I fell with it.鈥�

Nordgren said it鈥檚 empowering and cool to completely transform.

鈥�(It鈥檚) the closest thing I could get to magic,鈥� he said.

Jenna Tellz, a tall gothic vision, drew attention through her renditions of rock鈥檔鈥檙oll and grunge songs, such as Zombie by the Cranberries.

鈥淛enna is my superhero, I was kicked out of my family and it鈥檚 how I gained a self worth again. In my eyes, Jenna is my perfect superhero. She is goth and dark,鈥� he said.

Now a thriving drag queen in 琉璃神社, Nordgren is about to gain national recognition in the next season of CBC鈥檚 hit web docu-series, Canada鈥檚 a Drag.

For the past 10 months, Nordgren has been able to sustain himself by performing as Jenna Tellz. Booking his own shows and venues.

鈥淚 basically started cutting out the middle men in between myself and performing. I put on my own shows because I not given opportunities wanted,鈥� he said.

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Nordgren also travels to schools throughout the Okanagan sharing his story to help youth find their voice and give them advice.

鈥� I want them to come to realize it鈥檚 OK to be themselves and that they don鈥檛 have to go through depression I was going through,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 made my ideal role model out of Jenna, she is who I want to be, with the exception that I don鈥檛 want to be a woman.鈥�

Production is scheduled for Dec. 15 at Munnins Post during his Naughtymare Before Christmas double-feature performance.

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sydney.morton@kelownacapnews.com
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