PRIDE: Miss Boom on subverting the drag queen archetype and RuPaul's Drag Race
Meet one of the drag queens who are paving their own paths, breaking the rules along the way, as they fight for the freedom to be their authentic selves.
A short black bob, a crop top, a pair of denim shorts and boots that were made for stomping. Miss Boom’s entry to the dragosphere was a head-turning one. Bringing the house down with her rendition of Anna Wintour by Azealia Banks, Miss Boom left everything on the floor as if she had been working on those moves her entire life, which isn’t far from the truth. She had been singing and dancing her whole life and her passion for pop culture—she’s a card-carrying member of the Britney Spears fandom—had only fuelled her desire to be in the spotlight.
How did you land that first gig?
I was actually invited by the organisers and I jumped at the chance. It was around the time I started dabbling in drag, trying on wigs and figuring out my aesthetic as a queen. Also, my drag mother Celeste was one of the organisers.
Drag mother?
Yes, we met on a gay dating app many years ago. I was very “femme-presenting” on my profile so she hit me up and was like “yes girl, work it” and “sending you support”. She was the one who guided me through the whole process like helping me fix my wig, do my eyes and so on. She’s just very motherly.
What has been the most difficult choice you had to make to be a drag queen?
Just allowing myself to be visible. Like, my parents know that I do drag but I don’t necessarily talk to them about it. The difficult part would be when or if other family members find out about it; they would bring it up to my parents and it’d just be an unnecessary energy to deal with.
How did your parents react to you doing drag?
They’re very neutral about it. My family sort of perceived drag as a very bad thing because that was considered as the extreme of being queer. But then I started watching RuPaul’s Drag Race around the house and they would notice it. I think that kind of normalised drag in my household a little bit.
Speaking of perceptions, what are the biggest misconceptions about drag queens that you’ve heard?
That what we do is immoral. There’s also the misconception that most us are transwomen or want to transition. For me, drag at its core is about playing around with your personal concept of gender. I’d like to see more cisgender straight people experiment with drag because I do believe that it is for everyone.
What are the best and worst parts about being a drag queen?
The best part is just the glam, the thrill of being on stage, being able to walk so fiercely and serve attitude. The worst would be “tucking”. It’s the act of pushing your genital to the back and concealing it to create a feminine crotch.
How much, if at all, does your personality change when you’re in drag?
I personally don’t see much of a disconnect because even in terms of my drag persona, I don’t necessarily fall into that exaggerated, over-the-top queen category. When I do my makeup, for example, I feel like I paint more like a cisgender woman. My presentation is pretty much female-passing.
What advice would you give to the young ones out there who are trying to make it like you did?
There are no rules in drag. Sometimes shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race can create pressure for people to look polished and perfect but the truth is you don’t have to be stereotypically flashy or over the top. It’s all about following your true desires and allowing yourself the space to explore your identity.
PHOTOGRAPHY Carlos Khu (@CARLOSKHU)
