{"id":334394,"date":"2026-06-13T00:58:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T00:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/334394\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T00:58:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T00:58:29","slug":"pickup-lines-kristi-waters-shares-journey-from-bullied-student-to-beloved-san-antonio-performer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/334394\/","title":{"rendered":"Pickup Lines: Kristi Waters shares journey from bullied student to beloved San Antonio performer"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Kristi Waters has spent years entertaining audiences across San Antonio, but during her recent appearance on KSAT\u2019s \u201cPickup Lines,\u201d<\/a> the popular drag performer shared a deeply personal story of perseverance, self-discovery and survival.<\/p>\n

Waters joined host Ernie Zuniga for an emotional conversation that traced her journey from a bullied child in Corpus Christi to one of San Antonio\u2019s most recognizable drag entertainers and LGBTQ+ advocates.<\/p>\n

Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Waters described growing up in a deeply Catholic family and attending private school, where she often felt isolated and was bullied for being different.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was bullied in elementary and middle school,\u201d Waters said, recalling years of struggling to understand her identity while feeling out of place.<\/p>\n

A move to public school during high school proved transformative. Waters said she found acceptance, friendships and confidence after years of feeling excluded.<\/p>\n

Her path eventually led her to theater and later to a career in education. Before becoming a full-time performer, Waters taught fifth grade and balanced classroom responsibilities with weekend drag performances.<\/p>\n

Waters said she never intended to become a drag performer. What began as a one-time appearance at a talent competition quickly evolved into a successful career. Her stage name, \u201cKristi Waters,\u201d was inspired by her hometown of Corpus Christi and its coastal roots.<\/p>\n

After years of juggling teaching and performing, Waters made the difficult decision to leave education and pursue entertainment full time. Despite giving up the stability and benefits of a teaching career, she said she has never regretted the decision.<\/p>\n

In 2025, Waters faced one of her greatest challenges when doctors diagnosed her with Stage 3 cancer. She continued working while privately battling the disease before eventually stepping away to undergo treatment. With support from family, friends and the community she helped build, Waters completed treatment and is now in remission.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on Pride Month and San Antonio\u2019s LGBTQ+ community, Waters praised the city for its welcoming spirit and acceptance.<\/p>\n

For anyone struggling with their identity, Waters offered simple but heartfelt advice.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be scared to come out,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s always someone there to talk to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the full Pickup Lines with Kristi Waters in the video player above.<\/p>\n

More Pickup Lines episodes:<\/p>\n

Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Kristi Waters has spent years entertaining audiences across San Antonio, but during her recent appearance…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[14019,82,84,83],"class_list":["post-334394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-pickup-lines","tag-san-antonio","tag-san-antonio-headlines","tag-san-antonio-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}