Drag queen visits care home which is 'breaking down stereotypes'

Residents at a care home in Durham were treated to a cabaret of sparkling dresses, non-stop laughter and musical numbers including ABBA, Tina Turner and Cilla Black when drag queen Miss Dixie Swallows came to perform.

Christopher Hogan-Hind, manager at Pelton Grange, said: “We asked Miss Dixie Swallows to perform as part of awareness activities during LGBT History Month.

“We believe it’s vital to break down stereotypes and Dixie does that with laughter and music, which the residents find hugely entertaining.”

The act included songs from ABBA, Cilla Black, songs from musicals such as ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen and ‘Do-Re-Mi’ from The Sound of Music. Miss Dixie even changed her spectacular costumes for every song.

Resident Lillian Maxwell said: “She’s comical and makes me laugh out loud”, while her daughter Tina Dickson said: “It was an absolutely brilliant day and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. I haven’t seen my mam laugh so much.”

Another resident Mabel Fenwick revealed: “She brightens my day, I can’t take my eyes off her and I can’t stop laughing.”

"It is great to see people respond to me the way they do"

Miss Dixie Swallows, who has been to Pelton Grange Care Home three times, got the residents and staff singing and dancing along.

“I love to come here. It is great to see people respond to me the way they do,” she said.

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) history month was founded in the USA in 1994 and is celebrated in the USA and Canada every October. In the UK LGBT history month is observed every February.

There are around a million LGBT people in Britain over the age of 55 and research has shown that many people living in care homes feel they have to return ‘to the closet’ after being ‘out’ most of their lives due to fear of prejudice and discrimination.

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