Justin Marsh is a queer fifth-generation Vermonter who grew up in Cambridge and never left. They started wearing dresses at a young age, wore makeup in high school and came out as gay in 11th grade. In 2015, Marsh, who still lives on the family farm, began performing as the epically colorful drag queen Emoji Nightmare. Emoji travels around the state, making a special effort to produce drag shows in small towns. Marsh, 35, cofounded the Vermont chapter of Drag Story Hour in 2017 with Nikki Champagne, also known as state Rep. Taylor Small (P/D-Winooski). For the past few years, Emoji and burlesque performer Katniss Everqueer have been reading children’s books about gender identity and LGBTQ issues to kids and parents at libraries across the state. Despite the popularity of TV shows such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” drag has become a flash point in the culture wars. Some Republican-controlled states have attempted to ban drag performances and restrict discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. In Vermont, drag story hours have been canceled in Chester and Brighton after local protests. A bomb threat interrupted a White River Junction story hour earlier this year; on Saturday, July 20, the town’s Bugbee Senior Center will host Emoji and Katniss for another reading, called “Finish the Book.” For the latest episode of “Stuck in Vermont,” Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger followed Marsh/Emoji around the state, from a children’s story time at Phoenix Books in Essex to a Pridefest drag show in Bethel to a Fourth of July parade in Marsh’s hometown. After the parade, she talked with Marsh about their journey and why they choose to be stuck in Vermont. Sollberger spoke with Seven Days about filming the episode. Why did you make this video? I was inspired by the HBO show “We’re Here,” which documents drag shows in small towns across the country. It is heartwarming and often very emotional, as well as entertaining! I like to think that this is the low-budget Vermont version of that inspirational show, with a glittery sprinkle of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” When did you meet Marsh? I met Marsh in 2012, when I was filming a video in Jeffersonville. At the end of that episode, you can see Marsh’s partially finished ankle tattoo of Cambridge’s town boundaries. Since then, they’ve added Mount Mansfield inside Cambridge’s outline. Since Marsh began performing…