Last month, the American drag queen Mama Tits surprised when facing religious fundamentalists during the LGBT Pride in Seattle, in the United States. Full of attitude and sharp speech, she enchanted the Brazilians, who shared the act of courage without realizing it.
"Wow, a militant drag", they were surprised. The applause is indeed deserved. And the story is a good opportunity to remember the Brazilian drag queens who are engaged in activism, who use glamorous uniforms and colorful makeup to break prejudices – and who are almost never recognized.
One of the greatest milestones in history occurred in the first LGBT Parade in São Paulo, 18 years ago, when the police wanted to prevent the demonstration. According to the veteran Kaka Di Polly (credit: Edu Moraes) she decided to lend her large body as a barrier: she lay down on Avenida Paulista, blocking traffic and thus making walking possible.
Character of José Manoel, who has a 30-year career, Eula Rochard It is also an example of militancy. A participant in numerous demonstrations and political acts, she is vice-president of the Diversidade group, from Niterói, and says that she was dragged away by the police during a demonstration against homophobia, when the city's mayor wanted to ban the Parade, seven years ago.
+ North American drag faces religious fundamentalists
For the artist, everyone should be aware of the strength of the wig and especially the power of the microphone. "Make a different speech, a clever joke or a parody. Try to include this (militancy) in some way", she suggests.
SOLDIER OF GOOD
With the Drag Squad, honored by the Chamber of SP
The drag Dindry Buck, journalist character Albert Roggenbuck, takes the Christian maxim: “love your neighbor”. Since he started writing for LGBT outlets, he wanted to use words to change the world. But it was when the character emerged that she discovered that this was possible.
Dindry has been in the São Paulo LGBT Parade since the second edition and says he has done a little bit of everything. "At the time, the shows held at the Diversity Fair were all without remuneration, for the cause", says she, who today teaches the workshops "In Bed with Dindry Buck – Sexual Diversity and Safe Sex" and "Nasce uma Drag Queen", about the profession.
The artist – who makes a living from animated telegrams – is also a member of the Municipal Council for Attention to Sexual Diversity and is part of the Drag Queens Squad project, which aims to promote citizenship, awareness, training and information for young people. And she still works voluntarily – and even in drag – in the Christian parish of Itaquera.
"Drag has the power of playfulness and humor in its hands. The information reaches the other person deep down in an unpretentious way", he explains.
IT'S NOT JUST BEAUTIFUL
Lohren does not want young people to suffer the prejudice he experienced
In Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo, drag Lohren Beauty – by the artist Chesller Moreira – says he experienced a lot of prejudice in his adolescence when he was the only openly gay person in the city. Today, Lohren helps other young people with their citizenship.
She is president of the E-Jovem group, is part of the National LGBT Council, representing the country's LGBT youth and is the creator of Escola Jovem LGT, better known as the first "gay school" in Brazil.
+ Drag queen from Rio de Janeiro works as a pastor in a church
"When I met (my husband) Deco Ribeiro and the NGO he founded, I decided to join to do volunteer work and help other people not go through what I went through", she declares. Drag also takes lip-synching shows to the public square with the aim of helping new artists.
Despite her engagement, Lohren claims to suffer prejudice. "Militance is one of the ways to end prejudice, but it also has a lot of prejudice and egocentrism. You have to have your head focused. In it, I learned the value of the word respect, I grew as a professional and as a human being. Oh, and I also found my husband".
NEW PAINTED FACE
Tchaka dreams of a transvestite president of Brazil
The drag Tchaka – actor’s character Valder Bastos – works with animated telegrams. And that doesn't mean she stops attending 99,99% of the demonstrations, kisses and festivities for which she is invited in São Paulo. She states that since she created the character in 2005, she realized that her figure brought people together and began to prepare better for the answers.
"I wanted my speech to be didactic, but without losing humor. The press is cruel, they want blood, noise and they look for us to see if we can release 'those' answers. With Tchaka, I can even attract attention, but whoever is in the The direction of what I say is me, Valder, and I show that we have content, data, statistics…”, he argues.
When commenting on whether activism interferes with her professional life, she responds that it does not – "the public is demanding, in terms of costumes, diction, speech…" – and that it is fundamental for new projects. "In my new job, which is giving a "Playful Motivational Lecture", I have been helping large companies build better citizens."
Tchaka dreams of a transvestite president of Brazil and that all LGBT acronyms have the same job opportunities.
DRINKING DRAG
At her first gay event, Eddylene suffered threats
Eddylene Dirty Water – character Rafael Menezes – was created at the same time that the desire to become a soldier emerged. She reveals that she tried to organize a gay weekend in Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, but that she received threats from a supposed extermination group.
"This ended up in the UN, in all the newspapers and activists, such as the late Hanna Suzart, came to Cabo Frio and encouraged our politicization. We managed to reverse the situation, but it wasn't easy", she reveals, using humor and awareness to reach the public.
"People listen to what Eddylene says. In the middle of a joke, she talks about the importance of using condoms, voting consciously... Everything in her way and that the public understands. She performs in all Parades in the Lagos Region , and cultural events in the coastal lowland cities".
+ Drag faces subways, buses and even motorcycles to work
And, with everyone doing their part, prejudice becomes distant. And the laughter of equality and good humor takes over the lives of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transvestites, transsexuals and heterosexuals. It's drag power!
Eula: "Drag queens have to understand thatmicrophone has power"
