THE GIFT OF DRAG:
WHY QUEENS KEEP FIGHTING
FOR THE STAGE
To outsiders, drag may look like glitter, wigs, and lip-syncs that are loud, colorful, and fun. But for drag queens who dedicate their lives to the art, drag gives something far deeper. It gives them a sense of purpose and belonging. A chance to live boldly. With stories rooted in the Filipino drag scene, Eliza, Ninja, Kiffy Nicole, and Tiny Deluxe shared what drag has given them and what keeps them returning to the stage despite the sacrifices.
Drag Gives Them Identity and Transformation
Drag Gives Strength Through Struggles
Drag Gives Courage to Push Boundaries
Drag Gives Comfort and Chosen Family
“Ang ganda na may art form where I can set a different persona and still enjoy.” says Eliza who never planned to be a drag queen until she discovered drag. For her, drag opened a world where she could become who she wants, not who the world expects.
Drag is not easy and Tiny Deluxe knows that more than most. Being the most experienced among the four, she says that “If you want to be a drag queen, you should do it because you love it. It requires a burning passion for it.”
It asks for time, money, and mental strength, but in return, drag gives her a reason to keep going to a place where she’s celebrated for being unapologetically herself.
“Drag gives me the courage to express the parts of myself na dati kong tinatago.” says Kiffy Nicole who found power in drag at a stage where her femininity was not a limitation, but rather a superpower. As one of the first bio-queens in her area, she continues to break barriers for women in drag.
For Ninja, drag became a home she didn’t know she needed. “When you’re in a dressing room, that’s technically your home. You need to feel a certain type of ‘homeness’ para maging comfortable sa stage.” Family for her isn’t blood, it's the comfort of being accepted without being questioned.
A Place to Belong
Words by Martin Nicolas
Images by Jannah Ricafort
Drag is more than a performance. It is a lifeline, a place where queer artists are valued, uplifted, and loved loudly. As Filipino drag continues to grow in stages, clubs, and now in families' hearts these queens prove that drag gives not just sparkles but something more that cannot be explained by words.
THE GIFT OF DRAG:
WHY QUEENS KEEP FIGHTING
FOR THE STAGE
To outsiders, drag may look like glitter, wigs, and lip-syncs that are loud, colorful, and fun. But for drag queens who dedicate their lives to the art, drag gives something far deeper. It gives them a sense of purpose and belonging. A chance to live boldly. With stories rooted in the Filipino drag scene, Eliza, Ninja, Kiffy Nicole, and Tiny Deluxe shared what drag has given them and what keeps them returning to the stage despite the sacrifices.
Drag Gives Them Identity and Transformation
Drag Gives Strength Through Struggles
Drag Gives Courage to Push Boundaries
Drag Gives Comfort and Chosen Family
“Ang ganda na may art form where I can set a different persona and still enjoy.” says Eliza who never planned to be a drag queen until she discovered drag. For her, drag opened a world where she could become who she wants, not who the world expects.
Drag is not easy and Tiny Deluxe knows that more than most. Being the most experienced among the four, she says that “If you want to be a drag queen, you should do it because you love it. It requires a burning passion for it.”
It asks for time, money, and mental strength, but in return, drag gives her a reason to keep going to a place where she’s celebrated for being unapologetically herself.
“Drag gives me the courage to express the parts of myself na dati kong tinatago.” says Kiffy Nicole who found power in drag at a stage where her femininity was not a limitation, but rather a superpower. As one of the first bio-queens in her area, she continues to break barriers for women in drag.
For Ninja, drag became a home she didn’t know she needed. “When you’re in a dressing room, that’s technically your home. You need to feel a certain type of ‘homeness’ para maging comfortable sa stage.” Family for her isn’t blood, it's the comfort of being accepted without being questioned.
A Place to Belong
Words by Martin Nicolas
Images by Jannah Ricafort
Drag is more than a performance. It is a lifeline, a place where queer artists are valued, uplifted, and loved loudly. As Filipino drag continues to grow in stages, clubs, and now in families' hearts these queens prove that drag gives not just sparkles but something more that cannot be explained by words.
THE GIFT OF DRAG:
WHY QUEENS KEEP FIGHTING
FOR THE STAGE
To outsiders, drag may look like glitter, wigs, and lip-syncs that are loud, colorful, and fun. But for drag queens who dedicate their lives to the art, drag gives something far deeper. It gives them a sense of purpose and belonging. A chance to live boldly. With stories rooted in the Filipino drag scene, Eliza, Ninja, Kiffy Nicole, and Tiny Deluxe shared what drag has given them and what keeps them returning to the stage despite the sacrifices.
Drag Gives Them Identity and Transformation
Drag Gives Strength Through Struggles
Drag Gives Courage to Push Boundaries
Drag Gives Comfort and Chosen Family
“Ang ganda na may art form where I can set a different persona and still enjoy.” says Eliza who never planned to be a drag queen until she discovered drag. For her, drag opened a world where she could become who she wants, not who the world expects.
Drag is not easy and Tiny Deluxe knows that more than most. Being the most experienced among the four, she says that “If you want to be a drag queen, you should do it because you love it. It requires a burning passion for it.”
It asks for time, money, and mental strength, but in return, drag gives her a reason to keep going to a place where she’s celebrated for being unapologetically herself.
“Drag gives me the courage to express the parts of myself na dati kong tinatago.” says Kiffy Nicole who found power in drag at a stage where her femininity was not a limitation, but rather a superpower. As one of the first bio-queens in her area, she continues to break barriers for women in drag.
For Ninja, drag became a home she didn’t know she needed. “When you’re in a dressing room, that’s technically your home. You need to feel a certain type of ‘homeness’ para maging comfortable sa stage.” Family for her isn’t blood, it's the comfort of being accepted without being questioned.
A Place to Belong
Words by Martin Nicolas
Images by Jannah Ricafort
Drag is more than a performance. It is a lifeline, a place where queer artists are valued, uplifted, and loved loudly. As Filipino drag continues to grow in stages, clubs, and now in families' hearts these queens prove that drag gives not just sparkles but something more that cannot be explained by words.
THE GIFT OF DRAG:
WHY QUEENS KEEP FIGHTING
FOR THE STAGE
To outsiders, drag may look like glitter, wigs, and lip-syncs that are loud, colorful, and fun. But for drag queens who dedicate their lives to the art, drag gives something far deeper. It gives them a sense of purpose and belonging. A chance to live boldly. With stories rooted in the Filipino drag scene, Eliza, Ninja, Kiffy Nicole, and Tiny Deluxe shared what drag has given them and what keeps them returning to the stage despite the sacrifices.
Drag Gives Them Identity and Transformation
Drag Gives Strength Through Struggles
Drag Gives Courage to Push Boundaries
Drag Gives Comfort and Chosen Family
“Ang ganda na may art form where I can set a different persona and still enjoy.” says Eliza who never planned to be a drag queen until she discovered drag. For her, drag opened a world where she could become who she wants, not who the world expects.
Drag is not easy and Tiny Deluxe knows that more than most. Being the most experienced among the four, she says that “If you want to be a drag queen, you should do it because you love it. It requires a burning passion for it.”
It asks for time, money, and mental strength, but in return, drag gives her a reason to keep going to a place where she’s celebrated for being unapologetically herself.
“Drag gives me the courage to express the parts of myself na dati kong tinatago.” says Kiffy Nicole who found power in drag at a stage where her femininity was not a limitation, but rather a superpower. As one of the first bio-queens in her area, she continues to break barriers for women in drag.
For Ninja, drag became a home she didn’t know she needed. “When you’re in a dressing room, that’s technically your home. You need to feel a certain type of ‘homeness’ para maging comfortable sa stage.” Family for her isn’t blood, it's the comfort of being accepted without being questioned.
A Place to Belong
Words by Martin Nicolas
Images by Jannah Ricafort
Drag is more than a performance. It is a lifeline, a place where queer artists are valued, uplifted, and loved loudly. As Filipino drag continues to grow in stages, clubs, and now in families' hearts these queens prove that drag gives not just sparkles but something more that cannot be explained by words.