Denver Drag Artists Who are Pushing the Boundaries
Why should we care about unconventional drag? Because it is a key part of the rapidly evolving drag scene, and is a beautiful representation of the diversity and uniqueness of the queer community. Drag has slowly become a more inclusive community, allowing queens who defy the norms to take the stage.
Here are some local Denver queens who are pushing the boundaries of convention in drag, and slaying it.
Indy Fire is a Denver bearded queen who also does work for the group Burning Loins boylesque. Not only does Indy keep her beard while performing, she also doesn’t shave her chest hair, something that isn’t very common for queens. Indy Fire recently did drag imitating Rococo paintings, slaying her followers with fierce and creative looks.
Kelela Cortez from house Cortez is a queen who chooses not to shave her chest. Locally known as a Tracks star, she defies conventional drag looks and pushes through with her own individual style.
Her? is part of a new movement of “Hyperqueens,” queens who don’t fall into the category of cisgender gay men, that has begun to stir in Denver. She is defying the opinions of many in the drag scene, including RuPaul, who say only cisgender men should do drag. Thankfully, many in the community believe all LGBTQ people should be welcome to do drag.
June is a local queen with quite an alternative style, often seen without breast padding and even shirtless, unafraid to show her body. With her unique style, she is sashaying her “genderf*ck” style right into the heart of local drag culture.
Bambi Ball-Gag is a non-binary drag queen, another member of the Hyperqueen movement, and is a unique mixture of club-drag and fantasy. She creates her own cutesy looks, plays with themes of innocence and animals, and is currently one of my favorite local queens.
Yvie Oddly is reminiscent of the once popular club drag, where queens go beyond looking feminine to being a living and breathing art piece. As a person of color, she is pushing aside other queens and taking the spotlight with her intense looks and creative make up.
Miss Phitt pushes bearded drag to the next level through styling and dying her beard for performances. You can probably catch her at X-Bar, strutting her way into the local scene.
Willow Pill is strongly influenced by vintage style, but manages to put her own twist on these looks through her dramatic makeup and hair styles. She also isn’t afraid to show her un-padded chest on stage, fighting against the standards for drag.
Bella Couture-Le Cher is one of the few queens who often goes without a wig while performing. You might have seen her at Tracks, proudly flashing her looks and on-point make up.
Denver is full of queens that are changing our community for the better, bringing back tradition with a new flame of passion. Make sure to support your local drag scene, and come see some of these amazing queens!
Article’s main photo by Chris Gibson
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