Alice Vol. 4 No. 2

By Irene Richardson
As drag queens become more popular in
mainstream media, society is beginning
to recognize drag performances as an art.
Several new and experienced drag queens
discuss the misconceptions that lie behind
drag culture and how performing has shaped
them personally.
Leland Hughes always knew he wanted to
be an entertainer. He just didn’t know the route
he would take to get there until he discovered
something he was really good at: drag.
Before January of 2005, when Hughes first
started performing, drag was never something
he considered. After watching movies growing
up, such as To Wong Foo, Thanks for
Everything! Julie Newmar, a comedy from the
90’s about three drag queens who take a road
trip, he thought it was supposed to be funny,
something people laughed at. But that belief
changed when his friends took him to a drag
show on his 18th birthday and he thought,
“Maybe I could do that and do it better.”
Today, drag has transformed and expanded,
featuring different styles and forms. For many,
like Hughes, who has performed as Genesis for
over a decade, it’s a career that goes beyond a
few minutes on stage.
“One of the biggest pleasures I get from
entertaining is you’ve got all this bad stuff in
the world going on all the time,” Hughes said,
“but for three to four minutes, maybe multiple
times a night, people forget all the negative
stuff going on in their lives… and their troubles
kind of fade away for a moment.”
The way a crowd reacts and the
unpredictability of a show contribute to where
a queen will take their performance. Hughes is
concerned about everyone having a good time,
but he also knows more can come out of a show.
“[Performing is] being able to just see how
people react to [drag] and being able to maybe
change their mind about something they didn’t
know before,” Hughes said.
Drag queens provide entertainment, but
performing is also an artistic expression
and requires the skill, patience and practice
associated with all other forms of art. When
Ryan Pearson steps on stage as Liz Anya, the
show culminates from several years of selftaught
stage makeup, dance routines and
sewing skills.
Alice Spring 2019 65