When it comes to being oneself unabashedly and fearlessly in the face of adversity, few do it quite like Asian-American drag queens.
With their attack on ethnic and artistic communities in recent years, they have had to be bold. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, harassment, verbal abuse, and hate speech have plagued Asian-American communities across the country. And over the past year, drag performers have faced an unprecedented wave of hatred and intimidation due to right-wing protests opposed to the occasions of the “time of drag queen history. “
Drag would likely be under attack, yet the Asian-American drag artists who spoke to HuffPost refuse to go underground. They have worked too hard to back down now.
“As a first-generation Vietnamese American, I was conditioned to never show vulnerability and assimilate to play well, yet we have that our voices are strong and we’re tough right now,” said Kanika Peach, a 28-year-old drag performer who lives in New York City.
Legislation targeting transgender people and other LGBTQ rights has more than doubled since 2022. And while many drag performers have been at the forefront of speaking out, Peach said other people want to express their rights, too.
“There is legislation across the country that actively targets our trans brothers and sisters. So if you see yourself as an ally, now is the time to act,” he said. “Call your loved ones, stop by a rally, allocate budget to the trans network, but whatever you do, don’t stand still. “
And across all media, Asian-American and Pacific Islander queens watching their shows. There’s never been a better time to do so, given the number of new and new voices on stage, said Kekoa, an Indonesian-born transvestite artist performing in New York City.
“The representation of Asian-American drag artists has increased,” said Kekoa, who uses the pronouns they/them. “Take, for example, the final season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ where the two most sensible contenders were representatives of the AAPI community. “
They added: “I think we now have a post-COVID understanding of Asian representation in society, especially in the media where we can, despite everything, see how our flowers are donated. “
Kekoa said there is an expression in Indonesia, “bhinneka tunggal ika,” which means “unity in diversity. “That term is accurate to describe what’s happening with Asian-American representation in the queer and drag scene right now, they said.
“Every week, my social media is flooded with more queer Asian content, and I couldn’t be happier to see it!” they said.
Here, to celebrate Pride, HuffPost highlights drag artists Kekoa, Peach and Asian-Americans who are turning the game to hell with adversity.
(Their answers have been modified for clarity and length. )
“I’ve been flirting since 2013, but they took it more seriously in 2019. I don’t forget a first concert I had where they didn’t have an area to set us up, and it was an outdoor event!
“So coming back to New York was definitely everything that challenged me, and I’m glad it was. New York City is home to some of the most productive dredgers in the world and to be able to do that right now is insane. The thing about New York drag is that, in fact, we are a community.
“In the beginning, you faint and do competitions, open sets, ‘tip points,’ where you play for tips instead of booking fees, and you just pass out with other artists. My drag mom, Mocha, is of Japanese descent and has been on the scene for over 16 years. He’s definitely someone who inspires me to be the most productive edition of myself, no doubt!
“Growing up, flirting wasn’t something I could use to communicate. Drag itself is an art that has its own language and can unite many other people in tactics you may not even be able to imagine. We often flirt with beauty, horror, glamour, or any other aesthetic delight we need to create.
“When I had my first produced occasion with my drag sisters, seeing the room full of so many young gay Asians in one area sparked something in me. With my flirting, I need them to see that they can do whatever they want without shame, with all their strength and conviction and be humble about it. The audacity of being authentically Asian is something I think about a lot. – Kekoa.
“Growing up, a lot of my inspiration came from the hypersexy bad of global pop culture: Britney, Christina. Then there were more Asian-American pop culture idols: I enjoyed “Mulan,” I enjoyed Lucy Liu, I enjoyed K-pop. Even when I was 3 years old, I looked K-pop. de everything removed and used.
“I bet in 2019, after dressing up to enter clubs with my friends since about 2015. When I can create those communities and atmospheres where other people feel safer and more accepted, especially Asian Americans, then I feel like I’ve done my job. This is the main cause. I can leave home satisfied if I succeeded.
“A lot of Asian-American artists don’t feel comfortable performing in many art spaces. That’s why many of them feel comfortable doing it on social media or in their bedroom. I am lucky to live in a city as charming as New York, where there is a network and if I feel that I am not treated well in a safe space, I have the strength to pass out.
“I feel like a lot of artists in New York just don’t perceive the repression that has built up elsewhere. My parents divorced when I was little, and moving taught me a very valuable lesson because I was able to see so many other environments. Los Angeles, Kentucky, Chicago, Indiana: it was a hybrid between metropolitan and rural areas. Being Korean, I rarely felt like I had to restrain myself because I was so different. When I arrived in New York, everything replaced because I could see everyone living their own life. As Gaga says, “You’re free, baby. “
“Any recommendations I would give to a younger, more flexible, collagen-filled Asian dragster?Recognize that you accept as truth with the inner beginnings of yourself. Yes, there are hair, nails, clothes and all this is glamorous, but those are all additions; It actually comes from yourself. There is an inner beast that needs to be unleashed, and as soon as you let it pass, you will realize how liberating and loose it is. “—Snix, 27.
“I started flirting in the seedy clubs of Mumbai, long after when homosexuality was still criminalised, around 2010. My friends and I would dance at Mumbai’s notorious gay parties where all the fabulous transgender women of the Hijra network appeared dressed in their always fashionable outfits, able to dance to Sridevi songs.
“I immediately felt a sense of belonging and brotherhood, and I knew I wanted to belong somewhere in this network, even if I didn’t identify as transgender. How attractive how this women’s organization was able to form a network around them without delay; Like a magnet around metal, they only had the ability to cause movement. They were political bodies, and all they had to do was run. The strength of this I will never lose.
“When I moved to America at the age of 24, it was an isolating experience. I felt stripped of my net and hated the concept of being in queer spaces because of how alienating it all seemed to me. I began to realize that if you walk into a room and don’t see a representation of yourself, you may have to become one, even if the concept itself is heavy and exhausting. image of yourself.
“How did I start? Well, I was a camera queen, someone who hangs out privately and takes a lot of pictures, for many years until the pandemic hit. I thought I was going to lose my job, so I made the decision to keep my own Bollywood dance elegance in Prospect Park in a completely amateur style to make money. It soon became a success, and I kept doing it until the clubs opened regardless. I hosted my first Bollywood dance night at a seedy sports bar in Hell’s Kitchen in 2021, and the rest is history.
“I just sold my Bollywood drag cabaret show to the Laurie Beechman Theatre (soon to be turned into a tour) with my expensive sister Lady Bushra. I recently conducted at the Brooklyn Museum with a fabulous cast of AAPI artists. I host drag lunches at Priyanka Chopra’s restaurant, Sona, where we read stories to children, play games, and dance to Bollywood songs. Malay, 33 years old.
“As a new dancer, I moved to New York to pursue a career in the dance world. But I discovered those cis, heteronormative, white spaces. I had to perform and drag became a way to share my art with other people who kissed me. There’s something normal about being noticed by the other people you want to see and seeing them back.
“As a new artist, I’m still learning and growing, but I’m very proud of what I’ve done in my time: traveling, performing in front of ‘Dragula’ alumni, generating a sold-out performance in the Red Pavilion, called the ‘Red Lantern District,’ with my sisters Kekoa and Felicia Oh. Quota or check a diversity box.
“For beginning artists, I would let them know that this scene can be difficult to integrate and stay alert. It’s exhausting, but if you’re willing to work, it will be the most rewarding thing in the world. You also shouldn’t forget that, as drag artists, we are the voices of the network and there are everyday jobs that come with that. That said, don’t take yourself too seriously. Drag is subversive: it can be silly and funny, or serious and dark. “28
“Interestingly, my mother took me to be a drag performer for the first time when I was 10 years old. Every year, my mother would take me to AIDS Walk LA, where I watched countless drag queens perform as we marched for a smart cause. To be honest, I was terrified of its length and volume. Shortly before graduation from school, I was running in a 9-to-5 company and temporarily burned out. Nothing about them piqued my interest. I don’t know if it was out of nostalgia or the strange transformation of my worry into fascination, but I sought to try to become a drag queen.
“From the beginning, I knew I was looking to produce events with queer Asian talent, and I stayed true to my mission. Unfortunately, our stories are rarely told in those queer spaces. And when we’re reserved, it’s to play typical Asian numbers: Mulan, Chun-Li, Sailor Moon.
“One recommendation I learned in nightlife is not to be afraid to ask. As the son of immigrant parents, I have been afraid to take a place and ask for what I want. I learned that if you don’t ask, you’ll never get it. The worst thing that can happen is to get a ‘no. ‘”- Shia Ho, 27.
“During the day, I work in health care, but my center has been full of creativity. Bollywood theatre and dance were an integral component of my upbringing. Considered Chutney, the first Bollywood pop princess in New York, I have the strength to captivate audiences with a varied repertoire: everything from Ariana Grande to iconic Bollywood hits of the 90s.
“The absence of American South Asian drag queens on the network has become the driving force of my drag search. Watching season 6 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2014, I was captivated by the good looks and diversity of the show’s queens. However, I still couldn’t help but question the lack of representation of the South Asian queer network, especially within the New York drag scene. At that time, I made a private commitment to act.
“Within the South Asian community, two notable queens were my advisors when I started. LaWhore Vagistan, a true pioneer within the South Asian transvestite and queer community, encouraged me with her courage and determination in her craft. In addition, Lal Batti, my sister from New York, only gave me my first official concert in 2018, but it also illustrated the shameless expression of South Asia.
“For aspiring young Asian drag artists, my message is simple: embrace and celebrate your culture, incorporating its essence into your drag. If they stay true to their unique personality, they will magnify the effect of their art. Don’t give in to the pressures of drag trends or stereotypes. Dedicate yourself to learning the required skills, dive deep into queer and drag history, and most importantly, stay authentic. Your audience will notice. – Chutney Chataranga.
“When I discovered drag, it was like a door opened because there was an art form there that combined everything I enjoyed (acting in school theater productions, putting on makeup) of what a career could do. At that time, I also found my trans identity, and drag became a way for me to be more fit about myself.
“After moving to New York to go to college, I was looking to start my drag career, but I didn’t know how. I was 18 years old and didn’t even know how to get into clubs!I used to perform at drag school events, but then the pandemic hit my freshman year of college. After the pandemic subsided and clubs reopened at the end of April 2021, I entered a local drag contest in Brooklyn and won!
“From that point on, I kept competing, winning and wasting, but this great experience gave me a brotherhood and a network of drag queens, kings and things that I’m so grateful to have. Since I started, I’ve been a part of some good-looking campaigns, I’ve been able to walk in Array. Fashion Week [Brooklyn], I’ve been featured several times in Paper Magazine and I’ve even done the canopy for Harper’s Bazaar Kazakhstan. I owe many of those opportunities to the New York trawl!
“You don’t have to be the only Asian in the room. It can often seem that because concerts are so limited and competitive, there can only be one Asian, but that’s not true. You have a brotherhood and a connection with AAPI drag performers, and there is so much strength to be together and to each other!Don’t be afraid to ask for help, as most of us only need you to succeed. Be nice to everyone you meet, you never know who will give you your next chance!Also, have fun. Explore all facets of yourself and push your own limits to notice where you excel. – Angel Au, 22 years old.
“Although I had a preference to keep flirting in the back of my mind, after school I felt compelled to work 9-to-5 after I graduated. But I found myself exhausted from navigating and climbing the corporate ladder.
“During the pandemic, I had all the time in the world to quarantine at home and explore other hobbies. For some, it was baking cookies and portraying; For me, I became a “queen of the living room” and played with makeup. I crawled into my living room just filming TikToks and taking pictures. And then I would examine the photos to see where I needed to improve. It was such a transformative time for me as I was able to hone my makeup skills before debuting my drag character in the world.
“Drag for me was also very healing and healing at a time when the world was experiencing a lot of turbulent emotions. Regardless, I played for the first time in December 2021, so I’ve been playing for about a year and a half, with a few months off due to work. I’ve come a long way from open stages and loose performances to now facing some of New York’s biggest queer night scenes.
“The AAPI drag network in New York is very close: we all know and protect each other because there aren’t many of us. I wish drag performers started to know that they enjoy them and I’m so proud that they followed this path at such a young age. We wish for more new talent and wish I had the courage to start exploring the past drag in life!I also wish amateur queens knew they can ask me for recommendations: or if they just want tea at the most productive drag jewelry stores, I’m your girlfriend!I know what it’s like to start in the scene because I’m also very new; It can be very lonely, and having my sisters by my side has really helped. I want to be that user for the next generation of artists. “Felicia Ah.