How I Became A Drag Queen

The onset of pride month usually sees an insurgence of LGBT-related events and news around the world, both for the positive and negative growth of the community as a whole.  It is my belief that every little bit of positive, and inclusive exposure the LGBT community has within the general population does wonders to improve visibility and acceptance. There are plenty of organizations working to accomplish this task every day of every year, especially during pride, and this year has been no different. Every day we hear stories of countries around the world and their journeys towards an accepting community. Unfortunately positive stories are often few and far between, but I am pleased to share a few drag-related events from my own community in hopes to excite and inspire others to take similar efforts organizing events.  First off, let me congratulate and celebrate the House of Homo-cidal ( FACEBOOK LINK ) for everything they do to spread drag through Edmonton, Alberta, and ...

In Response to: “Drag shows aren’t free-for-alls for straight women letting loose” by Jaime Woo, published in the Globe & Mail. Perhaps the stage is a podium, an altar, and a sacred place for people to display their artistry to the audiences of the world, and has been for the duration of history; but if you alienate yourself from all audiences, to whom are you performing? The piece presented previously does exactly that, in an attempt to educate readers, the author alienates a large group of people important to the queer community. A drag show, like any other show, requires an audience to exist, and as a performer you want this audience to grow. Your goal is to spread your art, but if you restrict this growth to within the queer community you prevent yourself from reaching a potential audience of over 7 billion people. Yes, the goal of universal acceptance of the queer community is still a distant dream, but it is still a dream we should constantly pursue. Articles such ...

When I started doing drag I didn't give an inkling of thought towards how big it could become to me. It was something I wanted to pursue for the fun of it, for the artistry and for the escape. I still love it for all those reasons, but now it's become something even bigger. Drag is an art-form, but it's also more than that.  It is not reserved for men parading as women and women parading as men, nor is it reserved for the LGBTQA* community. Drag simply requires an openness and acceptance of all types of people, and acts as a medium for anyone wishing to put their heart and soul into an expression of themselves. It's this acceptance I've come to love and appreciate more than anything else. I couldn't help but feel from the beginning that what I was pursuing would be shunned or disregarded by many of my peers outside the community. What I was surprised to find, was that over time people are willing to accept drag as what it actually is: art, and move away from...