“[Confidence] really comes within yourself.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, harassment, verbal abuse and hate speechplagued Asian American communitiesacross the country.
Theyve worked too hard to back down now.
Legislation targeting transgender and other LGBTQ+ rightsmore than doubled since 2022.
There are laws all around the nation actively attacking our trans siblings.
So if you consider yourself an ally, now is the time to act, she said.
And by all means, support Asian American and Pacific Islander queens by seeing their shows.
Kekoa said theres a phrase in Indonesia bhinneka tunggal ika which means unity in diversity.
(Their responses have been edited lightly for clarity and length.)
1.Kekoa
Ive been in drag since 2013, but I got more serious about it in 2019.
So they had us get ready behind a chicken coop and then wrestle each other!
So coming back to New York City was definitely something that challenged me, and Im glad it did.
The thing about New York drag is that we truly are a community.
Shes definitely someone who inspires me to be the best version of myself for sure!
Audacity in being authentically Asian is something I think about a lot.Kekoa.
Even when I was 3, I was watching K-pop.
It was this hyper-feminine fantasy, and they were so honest and unapologetic about it.
I started performing in 2019, after cross-dressing to get into clubs with my girlfriends since about 2015.
That is the greater cause.
I can go home happy if I was successful in that.
A lot of Asian American performers dont feel comfortable enough to perform in a lot of art spaces.
Thats why a lot of them feel comfortable to do it on social media or in their rooms.
I feel like a lot of performers in New York just dont understand the suppression thats built up elsewhere.
Los Angeles, Kentucky, Chicago, Indiana I was hybrid-ing between both metropolitan and rural areas.
Being Korean, I sometimes felt I had to hold myself in because I was so different.
LikeGagaalways says, Youre a free bitch, baby.
Some advice that Id give to a younger, more supple, more collagen-filled Asian drag artist?
Recognize that confidence starts within yourself.
They were political bodies, and all they had to do was show up.
The power of that will never be lost on me.
When I moved to America at the age of 24, it was quite an isolating experience.
How did I start?
Soon it became a hit, and I kept doing it until the clubs finally opened.
I recently performed at Brooklyn Museum with a fabulous cast of AAPI performers.
But I found those spaces to be cis, heteronormative and white.
That said, dont take yourself too seriously.
Drag is subversive it can be stupid and fun, or serious and dark.Kanika Peach, 28.
5.Shia Ho
Interestingly, I was first introduced to drag by my mom when I was 10.
To be frank, I was terrified by how big and loud they were.
Unfortunately, our stories are rarely being told in these queer spaces.
One piece of advice Ive learned through nightlife is, dont be afraid to ask.
Ive learned that if you dont ask, youll never get it.
The worst that can happen is to get a no.Shia Ho, 27.
Theater and Bollywood dance were integral parts of my upbringing.
At that moment, I made a personal commitment to take action.
By staying true to your unique self, youll amplify the impact of your art.
Dont give in to the pressures of drag trends or stereotypes.
Your audience will take notice.Chutney Chataranga.
I was 18 and didnt even know how to get into the clubs!
I would perform at school events in drag, but then the pandemic hit my freshman year of college.
Since Ive started, Ive been a part of a few beauty campaigns, gotten to walk …
I truly owe so many of these opportunities to the NYC drag community!
You dont have to be the only Asian in the room.
Dont be afraid to ask for help becausemostof us just want you to succeed.
Be kind to everyone you meet you never know who will give you your next opportunity!
Also, just have fun.
But I found myself burned out from navigating and climbing the corporate ladder.
I remember getting in full drag in my living room just to film TikToks and take photos.
And then I would study the photos to see where I needed to improve upon.
I want to be that person for the next generation of artists.Felicia Oh.This post was previously published onHuffPost.
