“It touches me a lot to see so many people. I was worried it would be too early, but we are used to staying up late! », jubilant Rita Baga as people lined up to speak to her.
A parade of some 75 drag artists on a Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. at the Palais des congrès? With a happy mix of families, groups of friends and fervent admirers with flamboyant looks?
PHOTO ROSALIE BOYER, PROVIDED BY RENDEZ-VEZ DE LA DRAG
Some 75 drag performers took part in the opening parade, but 100 will be there in total on Saturday and Sunday.
If it was impossible to be there in a bad mood, the fact remains that it was an unthinkable event 35 years ago, when Michel Dorion entered a competition for what we called at the time transvestites or , at best, personifiers. “Things are changing,” says the man who founded the first Quebec agency specializing in drag artists.
This weekend, Michel Dorion and Rita Baga are proud to present the Rendez-vous de la drag at the Palais des congrès, the very first major event dedicated to drag culture in the French-speaking world.
We were expecting 1,500 people on Saturday and even more on Sunday.
“Thank you for your continued support of our community,” Rita Baga told the crowd after the opening fashion show where local and international stars like Miss Butterfly, Lolita Banana, Icesis Couture and Drag Couenne walked a long pink carpet.
PHOTO ROSALIE BOYERM PROVIDED BY RENDEZ-VENDOS DE LA DRAG
Stroll on the catwalk with Rita Baga before the ribbon cutting was an emotional moment for Michel Dorion. “The pressure of knowing if people were going to be there was gone. »
Communicate with the public in a friendly manner
Rita Baga and Michel Dorion have dreamed for several years that Montreal would present a “ DragCon” as in Los Angeles and London. “Having participated in it, what I like is meeting the public,” explains Rita Baga. Drag artists work in places limited to an audience and it is often in the evening. Here it’s accessible to everyone, and people can experience all the variety of drag. There are drag kings, drag creatures, gender benders…”
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
There was a long line of people to meet Rita Baga.
Such an event would have been illegal in the state of Tennessee if the famous law banning drag shows outside of adult cabarets had not been blocked by a judge. For Rita Baga, this “disguised transphobic law” is of course disturbing. However, if drag culture is so talked about and has detractors, it is a sign that it is becoming more and more popular and accessible, in particular thanks to the TV show RuPaul’s Drag Race and to all those who followed.
Another example closer to us, in Quebec: the day when people demonstrated on the South Shore in front of the library where the drag queen Barbada was to give story time to children, Mona from Grenoble won the third season of reality TV Big Brother Celebrities.
Rita Baga also recalls that Gisèle Lullaby is the first Quebec drag queen to have won the show Canada’s Drag Race last year.
“Drag has never sold so many show tickets. I’m at 50,000”, argues the one who was entrusted with the show The drag in me. Michel Dorion is at the heart of the docu-reality The Agency, presented on Moi et Cie, where we present behind the scenes of its agency Midor. In other words, drag has become part of mainstream culture.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Michael Dorion
A real star system
Looking at the line that formed in front of Ra’Jah O’Hara’s stand, a real star system was also created. ” I shake », Launched Mylène Guindon. “It’s impressive to see her in real life,” added her friend Joannie Daviau.
Last December, Ra’Jah O’Hara was crowned the grand winner of Canada’s Drag Race – Canada vs. the World, ahead of Rita Baga among the finalists. Since then, a strong bond has been created between the American and the Quebecer. “When Rita calls me for an event, I always say yes! »
-
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Several children were present. We notably met Rose and her mother Marie-Claude. The 6-year-old girl was delighted to be able to meet Barbada.
-
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Steven Peng-Seng, Joannie Daviau and Mylène Guindon with Ra’Jah O’Hara
-
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Virginie and Melinda Demers didn’t want to miss the first Rendez-vous de la drag de Montréal. “We like to encourage local drag,” says Virginie. She and her sister planned to attend Rainbow’s makeup workshop and Gabry Elle’s conference on body diversity.
-
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Big Bertha is part of the French drag delegation.
1/4
In addition to the big show that was presented on Saturday evening, a Drag Gala will take place on Sunday evening. Véronique Cloutier, Varda Étienne, Caroline Néron, Joe Bocan, Mathieu Dufour and Richardson Zéphir will be at the festive awards ceremony. “I sent out the address book and they all said yes. It’s fantastic. They all do this voluntarily,” underlines Rita Baga.
During the day, the workshops and conferences scheduled during the Rendez-vous de la drag continue. If we reveal hair and makeup secrets, we also promote tolerance and equal rights.
As Rita Baga says so well, the voices of drag artists are “plural”. “But our message remains the same,” emphasizes Ra’Jah O’Hara. A message of love and acceptance. »