CA celebrates a summer of drag

Asdrag entertainers find themselves increasingly under attack in many red states, California, not surprisingly, is tacking in the opposite direction.

The state is embracing and celebrating drag in all of its forms, from history-making leaders to exciting and emerging artists. It’s just one of the many ways in which the Golden State is leading – and leaning in – on this issue.

For us, as the nation’s oldest continuously publishing LGBTQ newspaper that got its start covering drag queens – check out our digitized early issues!

– the validation that drag artists here have received marks an important cultural milestone even as states like Florida and Texas attempt to ban drag performers, fine venues that host their events, and keep children from attending them. Some of these laws are now the subject of legal action, but the message they send is nonetheless chilling.

The year of drag laureates

Technically, promoting drag started this spring, when San Francisco Mayor London Breed named Oasis nightclub owner D’Arcy Drollinger as the world’s first drag laureate in May. As we reported at the time, this position was years in the making: naming an ambassador for the local drag community was proposed in San Francisco’s groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Strategy first released in 2018. After the COVID pandemic hit, the position became seen as a way to boost local nightlife venues and drag performers whose revenues were impacted by the global health crisis over the last three years.

Yet, by the time Drollinger was selected, the art of drag itself had come under fire from conservative politicians and other extremists. In this context, having an out, loud, and proud drag ambassador for San Francisco, long known as a beacon for queer residents and visitors, became even more important.

Drollinger has taken the position, which she will hold until November 2024, and run with it. She had a very busy Pride Month in June, attending numer- ous functions and parties. She threw out the first pitch at the San Francisco Giants Pride Night (even baseball Pride Nights became controversial this year, as we reported earlier about the kerfuffle the Los Angeles Dodgers found themselves in by inviting, disinviting, then reinviting the L.A. chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag philanthropic group, to receive an award at its Pride game.)

“It is pretty awesome. I am super proud and excited to, sort of, help define what this role is and does,” Drollinger told the Bay Area Reporter during a May 15 phone interview to talk about being selected. “It just makes me want to be that much more fabulous and sparkle that much more harder.”

Drollinger’s position comes with a $55,000 stipend to help cover the costs associated with it.

But Drollinger isn’t the only drag laureate in California. In West Hollywood, drag queen Pickle was formally introduced as that city’s first drag laureate July 16, which happened to be International Drag

Day. The Southern California city had been poised to name a drag laureate before San Francisco – and in fact approved the creation of the position in 2020 before its northern municipal counterpart did – but officials went back to the drawing board to seek more funding and retool the duties. It now comes with a $15,000 stipend, and Pickle is expected to serve through June 30, 2025.

Pickle has been involved in Drag Story Hour and, since 2017, has led her local chapter of the national organization. She’s also creating a drag-based curriculum tied to the state’s arts education standards so it can be used in schools, as we reported.

“I have built a career of bringing drag out of nightlife, not that nightlife is bad. Traditionally, drag was done in bars because they were safe spaces. But they are not the best spaces for the art form to thrive,” explained Pickle. “In West Hollywood, there are so many drag shows in the clubs and bars. It is great to see that come back and the commerce that brings and the tourism it brings coming back to West Hollywood. I hope to build on that.”

See page 12 >>