Grizzly Kiki began in April 2014 as a pop culture and drag-centric podcast hosted by Robert Lechuga & Daniel Silva. We launched with recaps of RuPaul’s Drag Race and other reality programming. Shortly after releasing the first few episodes, we narrowed our focus to create a podcast that was unique in concept and would serve a community near and dear to us: DRAG QUEENS!!!!!!!!!!!!! The podcast is equal parts oral history and good old-fashioned kiki. We found that there were few platforms where Drag and Nightlife Artists could talk about their art and themselves in an open and honest way. Most of what is known about these artists comes from videos posted on the Internet or what they experience in bars and clubs. It was clear that there were stories to be told and shared with the world. Our mission is to create a comfortable and safe environment, where these artists can share their histories and experiences. Ours is a podcast that is meant to serve the drag and nightlife community by capturing the artists’ voices and making them available to the public. Grizzly Kiki is a program for drag enthusiasts, Drag Artists, and everyone in between. Listen and Join the Party!!
https://www.grizzlykiki.com/
Daniella TwoSpiritz Mendez
Daniella TwoSpiritz Mendez is a reality tv star of MTV's "True Life" & E!'s "Botched." Over the past three years, Daniella has been thrust into the public eye, using these shows as a platform to tell her story. While many are vaguely familiar with trans identity and the processes of transitioning, de-transitioning is both a controversial and rarely discussed topic. Daniella, who hails from New Jersey, began performing as a drag queen in New York City, most notably at Escuelita. Escos introduced her to many trans women who accepted her into their community, and would eventually provide the support and guidance to embark on her gender journey. Prior to her appearance on MTV's "True Life," Daniella began having conflicting feelings about her gender as her transition progressed. MTV's production team stepped in and captured this moment in her life, where Daniella halted her transition and took a step back to reassess her gender identity. She was later featured on the popular E! series, "Botched," where she wanted to correct the deformations caused by the removal of her breast implants. Daniella didn't feel comfortable identifying as solely male or female. Instead, she falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, where she can present as the person she is most comfortable being. Daniella's de-transition has been met with a lot of negative criticism, but her journey is a very personal one that she has chosen to share with the world. After much soul searching, she identifies as the most comfortable of all signifiers: Human.