What’s It Really Like to Be a Drag Star in Asia and Brazil? 6 Queens Share Their Stories.

by Carla Hay

14h ago

Drag queens from the United States and the United Kingdom get most of the attention, but what about all the drag sisters in other parts of the world? Queens from far and wide recently spilled the tea on their experiences for “All Around the World: International Drag Queens,” a panel at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019 that took place September 7 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Many noted that their struggle has a lot to do with their country’s politics and laws.

Moderated by American journalist Roytel Montero, the panel featured several participants who could easily represent their countries in a drag version of the Miss Universe pageant: Vanda Miss Joaquim (Singapore), Angele Anang (Thailand), Mocha Diva (Hong Kong and The Philippines), Art Simone (Australia), Genie (Thailand), and Vera Ronzella (Brazil).

All of them except for Simone and Ronzella were contestants on Season 2 of RuPaul’s Drag Race Thailand, and most of them would agree that drag is more than just showbiz. “This is a political act,” Montero said of the panelists’ performances. “This is something that is really forward-thinking and progressive.”

So what is the drag scene like in cultures outside North America and Europe? We found out from the queens themselves.

Australia

Art Simone, who got rave reviews for a recent “girl power” guest appearance on The Bachelor Australia, said, “It’s my mission to bring drag into the mainstream, to show kids that your tribe is there.”

“I work really closely with a fabulous venue called Piano Bar,” she added. “We have venues across rural Victoria. We bring drag and some really fabulous queer entertainment in a safe space in these rural towns that have never been able to experience anything like that, because they’re two or three hours away from the main city.”

Art Simone at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019.

Simone said that the drag scene in Australia, which made marriage equality legal in 2017, is definitely on the rise. “We’re really moving forward.I’m really happy to help with that journey as much as I can.”

As for the drag slang unique to Australia? Simone described a “three-parter” term that Aussie queens like to use when wanting to seem interested but not really knowing what to say: “Camp. Heaven. I ache.” Meanwhile, the iconic 1994 Australian movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is still a major influence for queens down under, many of whom flock to the city of Broken Hill in outback Australia for the annual Broken Heel Festival, a three-day drag party that celebrates the film.

Brazil

While many countries have become more accepting of drag culture over the years, Brazil has become less tolerant, said Vera Ronzella: “It’s become really difficult. When I was younger, it was less difficult. The new president, [Jair] Bolsonaro… this guy’s a monster! He voted to not have more commercials with queer people. He’s voted to not have more internet platforms about queers.”

Ronzella added, “I pray to all the other governments and countries to stop this guy! Right now, in Brazil, it’s terrible to be gay and to be in drag, but I believe in miracles.”

When asked where queens in Brazil look for validation and support, Ronzella replied, “Netflix is a big opportunity for Brazil. They come to us with queers and drag.” Brazilian queen Pabllo Vittar, who’s become an international music star, is also a big inspiration.

Hong Kong

Born and raised in the Philippines, Mocha Diva currently lives in Hong Kong, where same-sex marriages and civil unions are not legal. “When I moved to Hong Kong way back when, there were no drag shows,” Diva said. “I tried to experiment in bars and clubs to put on some drag shows, and it’s a struggle. You’re not getting paid, and some [places] are like, ‘Oh, we’ll just give you drinks.’ Now there’s one club, Petticoat Lane, that gives us five shows a week.”

Mocha Diva at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019.

Diva’s new goal? To step up her game with her performances. “I have my own drag brunch now. I’m planning a circuit party that caters to drag queens and some other parties called High Tea. I’m trying to create parties, programs, and events where all the drag queens can have a platform to express themselves.”

The Philippines

While the Hong Kong drag scene is still in its formative stages, the Philippines can be “very open to drag and is a very gay-friendly country,” said Diva. But, she warned, it’s still not legal for same-sex couples to have marriages or civil unions. “It’s a Catholic country, and there are a lot of people who say, ‘I’m gay, but I don’t want civil unions.’ I try to use my voice to influence and educate people.”

Drag slang in the Philippines includes referring to a queen as “cyster”—as in popping a cyst—when you want to read a queen. Diva considers the Philippines an underrated drag destination that more people should discover. “Every time I go back there, my God! Those kids! Especially when they impersonate Rihanna or Beyoncé on stage!” she gushed, adding that spins and aerial stunts are expected at most drag shows in her neck of the woods. “There’s this place called O Bar that started small, and now it’s huge! The queens there are stunning and very talented.”

Singapore

Vanda Miss Joaquim shared her stories about Singapore, where homosexuality among men and same-sex marriages are illegal, but the law against gay sex isn’t enforced if the sex is consensual. “The drag scene is pretty small,” she said, adding, “There’s no such thing as ‘death drops’ here. They’re called ‘dips.’” Because Singapore is a multiethnic territory, she strives to weave diverse cultural symbols into her performances.

Vanda Miss Joaquim at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019.

Thailand

Genie, who is of Indian heritage, was born and raised in California, and moved to Thailand a few years ago. Even though India (which decriminalized homosexuality in 2018) and Thailand (a leading country for gender-confirmation surgeries) have not made same-sex marriages or civil unions legal, Genie said that India and Thailand have become more open-minded about drag culture and LGBTQ rights.

Genie at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019.

“It’s so insane because I left America and America is sliding backwards now [on these issues],” she said. “It’s like reverse colonialism. Maybe it’s time for the rest of the world to show America what needs to be going on.”

Angele Anang, who was born and raised in Thailand, became the first transgender woman to win first place on any Drag Race. “Thailand is very open,” she said. “I was lucky to be born in Thailand, being transgender.”

Angele Anang at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019.

She added that in Thai culture, drag queens “don’t have to be feminine. You can be strong and use your [masculine] side. You can be whatever you want to be.”

Main image: Genie (L), Vanda Miss Joaquim, Angele Anang, and Mocha Diva at RuPaul’s DragCon NYC 2019.