Last weekend, Mean (aka Nick Nash), joined 150 drag queens – and more than 50,000 drag fans - at RuPaul’s Drag Convention in Los Angeles. The annual glittering event capitalises on the massive popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality TV drag contest hosted and created by RuPaul Charles that first premiered in the US in 2009.
The show, which has spawned 15 seasons and branched out to 15 different countries (including a Down Under version featuring drag queens from New Zealand and Australia) has turned its many winners and contestants into overnight superstars.
At RuPaul’s Drag Cons, which take place in Los Angeles, New York and London, drag queens get to meet their thousands of devotees, perform lip synchs, participate in panels, and promote their individual brands to grow their fanbase, and help secure their careers.
Taking part in the convention has become a rite of passage for performers such as Mean, who won the Down Under version of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2021. She was supposed to attend two years ago, but her US visa was not approved in time. She had another chance to attend a Drag Convention in the UK but fell ill with a life-threatening infection and was in hospital for three months.
In Los Angeles, Mean said it felt like her RuPaul’s Drag Race experience had finally come full circle.
“I have been obsessed with drag ever since I discovered it 14 years ago and have been a loyal fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race ever since it first appeared on TV and blossomed into this beast. Attending my first Drag Convention means that my dreams have finally come true,” she said.
Mean was one of three Kiwi drag queens joining fellow performers from 11 other countries at the two-day event. All the drag queens had either won or competed in the US and international versions of the Drag Race franchise.
The Los Angeles event was also a first-time experience for Feilding’s Spankie Jackzon, who was the second-season winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. She was proud to be part of the Kiwi contingent.
The Los Angeles event was the second Drag Con attended by Auckland queen Anita Wigl’it, who won Miss Congeniality in the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Wigl’it, who then went on to compete in an international version called Canada Versus the World, said going heel-to-heel with the best drag queens in the world was a time to remember Aotearoa’s trailblazers.
“Being in LA surrounded by the most iconic drag queens, makes me aware that I get to be who I am because of the people in New Zealand who came before me,” she said. “Pioneers like Carmen Rupe, Georgina Beyer, Miss Ribena, Buckwheat. What I do today is due to their hard work.”
Right-wing activists and politicians have falsely described events where drag queens read stories to children as “sexualising” or “grooming”. Opponents have protested at drag events, and sometimes show up with guns and wearing militia gear. Lawmakers in various US states like Tennessee and North Carolina have passed bills barring drag performances from being held in front of children.
Last weekend, a small group of protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Convention Centre, holding placards and yelling chants.
Wigl’it, aka Nick Kennedy-Hall, said this anti-drag sentiment has crept into the New Zealand scene as well, with drag queen story time events attracting similar kind of protests and online hate.
“It feels like we’ve gone backwards 100 years, and it’s crazy,” she said.
“But I do believe that it will pass. I think it’d be like any other historical moment where hatred is a focus. Things will be bad but they will eventually get better and the world will eventually become a better place because of it.”
Wigl’it was visited by a four-year-old boy from Los Angeles, who came to the Drag Convention with his father.
“The father wanted to support his son, telling me that his son wants to do drag, do the splits and wear a wig. I wish everyone was like this father.”
Drag Race fans travelled from all over the US and the world, from Panama to New Zealand. Many dressed up to rival the glamour and looks of their favourite celebrity drag queens.
“Being here is like being on a film set, where you are seeing these characters that you watch on TV come to life. They are really like action figures,” he said.
“It’s amazing to see how drag has evolved from an expression of artistry to individuality and performance. I loved bumping into the girls from Aotearoa. They showed the world what makes our drag unique.”
Attending RuPaul’s Drag Convention can be an expensive exercise for the participating drag queens, with flights and accommodation to pay for on top of hiring a booth (which starts from $US1500). Looking good is also a major expense. The event opens with each participating queen strutting down the infamous pink carpet in front of their fans. Their gowns are extravagant, elegant and avant-garde – and can cost thousands of dollars apiece.
However, making a good impression means a greater chance of making money and growing their brand. Having a booth means queens have the chance to sell their merchandise and charge for a meet and greet and photo opportunity with fans, who’ll pay between $US30 - $US60 to pose with their idols.
Wigl’it was lucky; her flights, accommodation and booth were paid for because she appeared in a recent international season, and three mates flew in from Canada to help her manage her booth. She bought decorations from Look Sharp and invested $2000 to produce her t-shirts. She made a profit of $8000 after two days of selling her merchandise and taking photos with fans.
“This is the kind of event when you want to rock up in Ferrari – not a Honda Civic,” Wigl’it said.
By Aroha Awarau
