Kimanie Brown ’20, also known by their stage name, Thee Kashantí, performed on March 29 in Walker Auditorium. Brown’s “Thee Kashantí Experience” was the school’s first ever drag performance.
At Hotchkiss, Brown was a member of Varsity Football and sang with Blue Notes. They were recruited to play football at Colby College and graduated with a BA in Theater and Dance, Performance, Global Studies, and Spanish. After graduation, Brown spent a year in Spain, where they discovered a passion for drag and Spanish cuisine. They also founded and run KikizGem, a Caribbean catering business that cultivates experiences that unite drag entertainment and Dominican food.
Can you describe your experience coming out?
I came out as gay in a chapel speech during my Senior year. It was absolutely terrifying. I was nervous about what my friends, my mom, and especially my football teammates would think. I had waited to come out until after I secured my college football offers, because I was worried coaches might see me differently and that it would affect my recruitment chances. But once I gave the speech, I felt this huge weight lift off my shoulders. The reception from my friends and teammates was incredibly supportive—even my future teammates from Colby reached out to tell me they were proud of me.
What is drag and what does it mean to you?
To me, drag is an exaggerated extension of yourself. One of my favorite quotes is from RuPaul, who said, “You’re born naked and the rest is drag.” I really connect with that. It’s about adding a layer onto who you already are, whether through fashion, makeup, or performance. Drag helps me express parts of myself I might be too reserved to show as Kimani.
What role do you think drag has in the broader LGTBQ+ community?
Drag creates safe spaces and brings people together by connecting audiences through performance, music, and shared emotion.
But I also think that drag can’t be separated from politics. Right now, with laws trying to ban drag shows and restrict queer expression, every time I step on stage, it feels like a political act. It’s letting people in power know that I’ll be who I want to be.
Drag gives a voice to people who feel voiceless; in many ways it gave me a voice when I was still figuring out who I was.
What was your first drag performance like, and how have you evolved since then?
My first performance was at Colby. Looking back, I definitely seemed a little crazy, but I had the time of my life and realized that this is something I want to do for a living. I used to have a beard and I went out with a wig and threw glitter around—it was crazy. My wig fell off mid-performance. I spit water into the crowd. But no matter what happened, the crowd seemed to love it. Since then, I’ve performed all over and have polished my look, refined my style, and grown into my drag persona.
How did you develop your drag persona, Thee Kashanti? Where did the name and character come from?
Thee Kashanti is a combination of parts of my identity. I did my first drag show while I was at Colby, and my first drag name was actually Ashanti Babbage. I used to think that name was so great, but now I look back and cringe slightly. Kashanti comes from blending my first name, “Kimani,” with my middle name, “Ashanti.” Adding “Thee” just felt right—I wanted to own the energy and presence.
Thee Kashanti is a superhero version of myself—confident, fearless, and completely unbothered by what others think of her. She’s everything Kimani is but just amplified.
