Not that drag queen artist Krystal Ball is seeking validation to be who she is, but she is beyond thrilled to be named one of four honorary grand marshals for Rockford’s first pride parade on June 1.

“It feels amazing,” she said. “It feels good to see that I’m being cheered on not only by friends and family, but also community members and fellow LGBTQ individuals.”

That’s the upside of suddenly being thrust into the public spotlight last summer after accepting an offer by Rockton’s Talcott Free Library to host a drag Q and A event for middle school- and high school-age students.

The downside is nearly one year later, and there is still fallout from the event.

More: Hundreds choose between Rockton Pride party or protest as library hosts drag queen

Since the July 14 virtually-held Q and A , each monthly library board meeting has included topics of discussion stemming in some way from the event.

Such topics have included the inclusion and placement of LGBTQ books in the library and library director Megan Gove being requested by board members to write a postmortem, a report detailing what she learned by hosting the event, and a response to the report written by board vice president Bob Geddeis.

“I don’t get it,” Ball said. “I don’t understand why it has to be such a big deal.”

Ball has been performing for nearly seven years mostly in nightclubs in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. She also routinely hosts Bingo games in retirement homes.

The persona of Krystal Ball was created but “very similar to how I am in my day-to-day life, just maybe amplified,” she said.

Ball accepted the offer to host the Q and A because she enjoys educating the public about drag.

“A lot of people who come to our events maybe want to ask questions, but don’t feel it’s the right atmosphere,” she said.

Ball, who was paid for her time, said she also agreed to host the event because she wanted to be a role model to other youths, something she said she did not have when she was growing up in Belvidere.

As for other means of income, Ball said she has recently transitioned from being a server in the food industry to retail, a profession that she said gives her more flexibility to perform in drag.

Meanwhile, Ball is looking forward to the pride parade, her first major appearance since the Rockton event.

In announcing Ball as a marshal, the Rockford Area Pride Committee said, “Krystal symbolizes resilience against the threats posed to LGBTQ+ culture by bigotry and prejudice, and her fortitude was a guiding light in uniting the community this past year. Her actions encourage so many to be out and proud.”

Chris Green is a Rockford Register Star general assignment reporter. He can be reached at 815-987-1241, via email at cgreen@rrsar.com and Twitter @chrisfgreen.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford area drag queen wants to educate, entertain and inspire