Drag, D&D, and Discovering Queer Joy with Hardy Harr

Drag isn’t just entertainment—it’s storytelling, gender play, and queer liberation all rolled into one. For Salt Lake City performer Hardy Harr, embracing drag meant stepping into a role that allowed him to laugh louder and understand himself more completely.

“Hardy is an amalgamation of my sense of humor and the fact that I love—more than anything—to make people laugh,” he explains. But beyond spreading laughter, drag has come to represent something deeper for Hardy.

Humble Beginnings at Club Try-Angles

Club Try-Angles is home to Those Bitches, one of the longest running drag shows in the state of Utah—and the birthplace of Hardy Harr’s drag persona. The annual Those Bitches and Friends show welcomes new and visiting artists to take the stage, and it was at this show that Hardy Harr first performed. “I owe a lot to that group—they really gave me that first stage opportunity,” he reflects. “I felt so comfortable in that environment because you really don’t have to show up in any particular way. You can just show up and try something. That kind of venue is invaluable.”

Hardy’s entrance into drag was marked not by polish but by pure, unfiltered curiosity and excitement. “The first time I did drag, I didn't have a wig on and the makeup that I did was fully from a YouTube tutorial from a drag king. Now I look back at pictures of that show and just think: well, we really figured some shit out, didn't we?” After that very first show at Club Try-Angles, Hardy found himself on a journey to find his signature style: a Borderlands and pop-art inspired aesthetic and a performance that unites humor, creativity, and queer joy all at once.

Navigating Misconceptions Around Drag Kings

As Hardy continued performing, he found himself confronting a persistent misconception: that drag kings are new or niche. In reality, there is a rich history of drag kings going back hundreds of years. “Because there’s this widespread perception that drag kings are a new thing or a novel concept, we’re all still trying to earn our place and prove ourselves, in a way.” Hardy and countless other drag kings in Salt Lake City take to the stage time and time again to challenge that misguided notion. In doing so, each show becomes a statement: kings have always been here, and they each have something important to offer.

The Dungeons & Drag Show

After taking part in several performances, Hardy was presented with the opportunity to organize his own show. “I came from a theater background, so it wasn't too far flung an option for me to put on a show of my own,” he explains. “So for my birthday last year, I put on a D&D themed drag show.” 

Dungeons & Dragons, the iconic tabletop role-playing game developed in the 1970s, invites players to build characters and collaboratively imagine entire worlds. At its core, it’s a game about storytelling—collective, improvised, and deeply character-driven. With drag and D&D becoming notable parts of Hardy’s life over time, parallels naturally began to surface. “Honestly, the venn diagram between D&D and drag is more of a circle than most people realize. In both cases, you’re literally stepping into a different persona.”

With this knowledge in mind, Hardy dove headfirst into organizing the Dungeons & Drag show. This performance drew inspiration from popular D&D shows, like Dimension 20 and Critical Role, and transported the mechanics of fantasy gameplay into real-world drag performance. Dice were handed out and audience members were asked to roll skill checks as performers from all over the realm took the stage, competing for the ‘Crown of Creation’. 

“It was a sold out show in the middle of January, which is a bit of an anomaly for that time of year.” Not only did the audience show up; they showed up hungry for the fantastical, the nerdy, and the unapologetically queer. “In fact, it did so well that Club Try-Angles and Those Bitches asked me to do a second edition show a few months later,” Hardy adds.

But at the end of the day, the show meant more to him than the sold-out venue or the applause. It was a pivotal moment where the presence and love of Salt Lake’s queer community became more visible than ever for Hardy. “That show was a moment where I realized that I really am a part of the community, and I have something that I can provide.” At that moment, Hardy knew that he was more than just a performer, but he was a creator—someone who could build worlds of acceptance, laughter, and joy and invite others into them.

Embracing a Path Nearly Left Behind

Looking back, Hardy sees his younger self clearly: “I was the kid that was very concerned with how others perceived them, and I was always imposing these self limitations. There was a version of my life, especially when I was younger, where I thought I had to put performing on the back burner.” Drag has become his way of returning to that earlier version of himself—the one who always wanted to perform—and proving that dreams don’t expire. “If I could talk to my younger self, I want to encourage that kid to just fucking go for it. I used to major in theater, and then I moved on to something more practical, but this has been my way to come back to that and to prove to myself that I can do these bigger things.” 

Hardy Harr is still exploring, still experimenting, still building worlds both fantastical and deeply queer. To stay updated on Hardy’s drag journey, follow him on Instagram at @hardyharrslc.