Don’t be a drag, be a queen

We are familyBetta Naan StopPrateek SachdevaWhatrsquos kept me going is staying in touch with my drag family and my drag sisters through Zoom calls and social media Initially when the lockdown kicked in and everything moved online we did try ticketed shows they were successful initially but after a point it became stagnant However there was an advantage because this put me in touch with many international desi queens Going digital has also removed the physical barrier of travelling But the digital world has kind of limited our reach because the drag scene was very physical in natureI hail from a dance background and I have a habit of doing exercises and stretches every day which turn into solo performances in my room for myself Seeing other drag creators do stuff online has also pushed me to do it Things like experimenting with makeup or creating a list of songs that yoursquod like to perform to also helps I have created a playlist that Irsquod like to perform given the chance after things become safer for live actsFinding purpose was keyMaya The Drag QueenAlex MathewMaya The Drag QueenThe pandemic came as a shock to me because I went from having so many opportunities to it all crashing down one fine day Initially I was in a terrible space I would just sit in my room and stare at the ceiling Then another drag queen and I began story hour sessions online which made me feel like I could navigate through this medium I also found that there was a real need to educate people about the LGBTQiA community because there was quite a rise in homophobia and transphobia last year I was using my art form and my experiences to educate people I did webinars for schools and colleges and also approached the corporate sphere A drag sister and I also took to making Reels on Instagram and I recently branched out into creating videos for an app The problem in India for our art form is that we arenrsquot well paid Sometimes people even ask us to do acts for free but putting on costumes and makeup costs a lot of money That is why we have to find other avenues now and for me creating videos for the app was a step in that directionFor younger queens who are looking to get into this profession the main thing is to have fun When I started it was for the fun of it but later on I realised what my purpose is The point of being a drag performer is telling people to not take life so seriouslyUnderstand the craftGentleman GagaSanket SawantGentleman GagaWhen the pandemic began many did live sessions Personally another drag queen and I would go live on Instagram and share our makeup hacks and conduct live makeup workshops We were trying to create more awareness educate people more about drag and the culture With drag therersquos a huge misconception where itrsquos often confused with the act of crossdressing This is incorrect Even many of my friends use the term wrongly asking me things like lsquowhen are you dressing up nextrsquo I like to guide people because in India drag is nothing new maybe the term is but if you travel back in time drag was very much a part of Indian culture Just because clubs arenrsquot open and we donrsquot have access it should not stop the artistersquos aspirations I do not run behind the fame You can be famous today and tomorrow another performer will take the spotlight Everyone deserves a chanceIconic drag performances to check out onlineWatch The Birdcage 1996 Log on to Prime VideoListen Supermodel by RuPaul on YouTubeWatch The performance lsquoRead U Wrote Ursquo by Katya Roxxxy Andrews Detox and Alaska on YouTube The Ever Best Drag Entrance by Tandi Iman Dupree on YouTube