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Drag has come under fire in right-leaning states across the country, but, fortunately, Pittsburgh remains a stronghold for the artform. The scene has generated talent like Dixie Surewood, whose engaging, fun-loving nature has endeared her to audiences all over the city, as evidenced by her new title as Best Drag Performer in Pittsburgh City Paper’s latest readers’ poll.

Surewood, like many local queens, started out performing at the Blue Moon bar in Lawrenceville. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., the Point Park University grad has, since her 2015 debut, become a mainstay at various brunches, private gigs, and live shows where she often shares the stage with other drag queens.

“I do quite a bit, luckily,” she tells City Paper. “I’m very blessed in that area.”

Self-touted as “Pittsburgh’s comedy and Broadway queen,” Surewood combines her love of musical theater with a penchant for comedy. She also makes room for other voices — a refreshing move in a subculture known for its big personalities and even bigger egos — by collaborating with fellow queen Chi Chi de Vivre on cabaret-style singing shows, and hosting events that showcase a diverse array of local drag talent.

“I love hosting,” she says. “Anytime I get to host a show and interact with the audience, I love that opportunity, getting to see people laugh and joke a little bit. … The world is a terrible place, so if I can make you happy for three or four minutes, then I did my job.”

She sees herself as just “a fish in a pond” relative to the large number of drag acts in Pittsburgh, where, she says, in addition to the usual brunches and bingo events, audiences can also experience open stages, solo shows, and “people creating one-of-a-kind art.”

“The drag community here in Pittsburgh is giant,” says Surewood. “There is so much to see and so many opportunities to see it happen. It’s wonderful.”

Surewood says that, given the long list of nominees, being singled out by readers as the city’s Best Drag Performer feels “very humbling.”

“It’s really nice to know that people appreciate, not only what I do, but what other drag performers do in the city,” she says. “It’s just great that the city appreciates all the art that we all do collectively.”