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This transcription discusses the significance of drag culture, the evolving relationship between drag queens and fans, and the impact of drag performances in both physical and digital spaces. It highlights the intimate and co-created nature of drag, the role of fans in shaping drag culture, and the complexities of authenticity in performances. The conversation also touches on heavy topics such as discrimination, violence, and the importance of standing up against oppression. The speaker shares personal experiences related to activism, organizing events, and facing challenges as a queer individual. They emphasize the importance of solidarity, resistance, and visibility within the LGBTQ+ community. The discussion also addresses the intersectionality of identities and the need to combat prejudice and discrimination. Hello and welcome to Death Drops and Discourse, where the wigs are big, the opinions are bigger, and the fourth wall absolutely shatters. Now let's get right into it by clearing something up. Drag is not just makeup, lip syncing, or reality TV soundbites you quote at brunch. Drag is culture, labor, politics, a performance of identity grounded in solidarity. Somewhere between the stage lights, the Instagram grimes, the meet and greets, the comment section at 2am, drag queens and fans are doing something very intimate together. They are co-created. They are working together to negotiate things like love, loyalty, critique, celebration, and sometimes absolute chaos. For decades, drag lived in spaces that were intentionally underground. Ballrooms, bars, basements, spaces where performance wasn't so much about fame but more about community and critique. Today though, drag is televised. Drag is liked, shared, commented on, debated, adored, and occasionally misunderstood. Fans are meanwhile not at all passive. They are interpreting, debating, and negotiating what authenticity means in a performance. Trying to figure out what this authentic performance is can be one that is difficult. Is it about vulnerability, consistency, political values, or is it simply just how close the performer aligns with being women? How the fans want them to be. This is where fan theory comes into play. Since the relationship between drag queens and fans can be deeply parasocial, fans can feel an intimacy with queens they have never met, one that can be formed through performances, social media posts, and moments that truly feel personal, even if they are carefully staged. This means that the performers then must carefully navigate on their parts. Performance scholars have also indicated the importance of live shows. A live drag show, like a live concert, creates connections in a way that digital media cannot fully replicate, but digital spaces can help to extend the life of these performances. The show does not simply end when the music cuts. It continues online through posts, screenshots, comment sections, and memories. So today we are tackling some big questions such as how fans participate in shaping drag culture, relationship changes between performers and fans, and some fun personal questions as well with our upcoming guests. To help us unpack this drag queen discourse, we are joined by Kris Fraser, a historian and a drag queen in Nova Scotia. They are a performer who lives in this world that is so fascinating to dig into, and is someone who truly understands that drag is not just about serving a look, but also navigating visibility, vulnerability, and connections. With that being said, today we will be discussing some heavy topics such as sexual and gender-based violence, homophobia, anti-Semitism, and topics surrounding the current hostilities in the Gaza Strip. We also apologize for any profanities. So whether you're a fan, a scholar, or someone who just loves a good reveal, let's get into it. And we wanted to talk kind of like how fan studies connects to drag in a way. And so we were just wondering, just like starting off, like how do you notice the difference in like, in what ways that fans kind of respond to like queens with like different races or backgrounds, like even your own experiences, have you ever had anything like that? So we're talking about fans in terms of? Fandom. So it could be, it could be about, you feel very strongly about an idea or just passion. Okay, you're passionate about something, so okay. So you want to know how the audiences at Priscilla respond? Yes, I do. It's looking at the ducks, right? Okay, so the people who come to Priscilla, I think, are people who understand what that show really is. And we started that show, there was a racist beating of a gay student in November, who was also an international student, so it just crossed all, it was, you know, it was a, it was. Intersectional. Intersectional. It was a perfect example of why it matters, right? Why it matters for the queer community to stand up against racism. Because there are members of the queer community who are also, they carry that double burden, and if they're a woman, it's a triple burden. And if they're also an international student, it's a quadruple burden. So the intersectionality doesn't go away. And keep in mind a slogan from the struggle against apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s, I was involved in the solidarity movement, and the slogan was, an injury to one is an injury to all. So whatever you think, if you're a white male and you stand aside from the struggle, because you think, well, it doesn't affect me, it does. It does, because if they go after, they will always go after, the oppressor will always go after the weakest group. Which is what's happening in Alberta right now with trans youth. I mean, it makes me crazy. I grew up in that province. My parents moved from Quebec there like six years ago. My mom worked in a school system over there. They both have everything that's happening right now. That has to be resisted by everybody, because if they succeed with trans youth, they're going to find somebody else next, right? And then next, and then next. And that is how fascism comes to power, is in exactly that way, by making people afraid of each other, and they soak up irrational hatred. People tell me, say, after a while, I don't know, what is this trans stuff? And I say, you don't even really know. You don't know why. These are just human beings, and they do not deserve to have their rights taken away from them, ever. Because if they do it to them, one day they're going to come for you, too. So, you have to. So, this is what Priscilla was about the very first year. There had been an attack on a gay, black, international student in November. And we had a little rally on campus. And then, right after that, I don't know if you know who Andrew Murray is. Andrew was jumped by two Syncathics football players. And he was hospitalized. And then, so that was the last straw. And I helped to organize a march from campus to City Hall that fall. And there were 300 people who showed up for that. I was amazed. Right, this is my first. I haven't, this is my first semester at Syncathics. So, I got together with, it was clear we had a problem with gay fashion. Okay. So, I had a discussion with my colleagues, Nancy, and also with Claire. And we decided that we, and young people in the high school were also severely oppressed because of their sexual orientation and their gender identities. And my child was in that school. I remember going to see the principal because they suspended my son. And he was transitioning into becoming gay-proof. So, he was assigned female at birth. And they were hard-line opposed to allowing those kids to have a gay-straight alliance on campus. And so, I remember going to talk to the principal. And I said, what's up with this man? And he says, well, we don't want to encourage them to have sex. I said, are you fucking kidding me? Do you have the same rules as the football players? Because I guarantee you, they're having sex. But what you're telling me is that straight sex is okay and that you're offended by queer sex. And they're not even about sex. It's about having some kind of a social circle. And it's supervised by teachers. So, what you're doing is being an ignorant, prejudiced prick. So, we had to do something. And the other thing, I had to decide right away. I mean, I know I was married, but my sexuality is queer. And I thought, no matter what, I have to be out. I have to be out. And I'll take whatever comes my way. And sure enough, we had a second drag show, a little drag show, and I got jumped. And it was in drag. Well, those fuckers got the worst of it. They did not understand that I was also a hockey player. I was getting into my car outside of Nevis. I dropped off to pick up some cigarettes. And they were coming out of a place called Chuggles, which is now Holstring. Yeah, that was a bar called Chuggles at the time. Anyway, they were coming out of Chuggles, and they tried to force their way into my car as I was getting into it. You know, there's a reason queens wear high heels that are six inches. Because they're very, very useful as a protective weapon. So, you take them off your feet. And no stilettos are dangerous. So, we had Priscilla. And everybody who was there completely understood why. Why that show was happening. It was a show of resistance. And solidarity. Yeah, solidarity. I contacted an organization of drag performers in Halifax called the Imperial Ensemble Chord of Nova Scotia. And their existence was all about raising money for charities that serve the queer community. So, they needed support. And so, I thought, these are the kinds of people that I would ask to come and help us. And they came up, and they performed for free. Because we didn't have the money. We had no money. We had nothing. And we didn't know what was... And it was in the Millennium Center in the conference rooms upstairs. And I remember booking that room and talking to the service. I said, are you sure there's a hockey game that night? And they said, dude, I'm a fucking hockey player. I know how to deal with hockey players. And you think that they're going to come and attack us or the fans. Okay, if they come, then they're going to regret it. So, we're not stopping just because there's a hockey game. Have you played for any teams? I played kind of recreational pick-up hockey ever since 2005. And I just stopped a year and a half ago. Well, I've got arthritis in my hip. But, yeah, no, I played my whole time I've been here. Which is another strategy for breaking apart the homophobia. Because I never did what I was in the locker room. My nails are always painted. My legs are always shaved. So, they knew. But I was also a goaltender. And goalies are always a little bit weird. So, they accepted it. But then, you know, they learned not to be afraid. And this is really all it was. So, we had Priscilla that year. And the people came. Knew this was for political reasons. And it's always been political. I always say this is our house for one night of the year. It's the place where we can come and be safe. And be with who we want to be with. And not be afraid to touch or to hold hands or to be affectionate. Because this show is us. Right? And the performers. And now, we built it up that I can pay the performers. And I pay them very, very well. Because I'm so very grateful for the fact that they come. You know, I was doing a bit with a few years ago. I was working on the history of bragging in Nova Scotia. And I was interviewing performers from the old days. You know, from there. What were then the 70s and the 80s. The ventuary laws regulated that every person had to wear at least three items of clothing appropriate to their gender. That was the law. You could be arrested if you weren't. So, this is how they oppressed drag performers. And they would stop you on the street. And investigate whether or not you were. Right? So, I just always carried myself in a way. I committed myself to building a collective consciousness in the drag community. And I tried to set an example here. That this show is not for us as performers to show our brilliance. This show is here so that we can provide a safe space for our community. Right? And entertain them. Because without them, we're nothing. If nobody comes to our show, then we're nothing. Right? So, there's a relationship you cultivate with the audience. And the audience is as much part of the show of Priscilla as the performers are. So, you're a historian and a drag performer. Would you, like, in this usual space where, like, when you're in drag, do you feel like you're reclaiming queer history? That actually makes you sometimes sanitized? Or, like, is drag your way of saying, if the archives won't hold authorities, I'll leave them all to please myself. Both. Both of them. I see. So, I am who I am. To paraphrase Gloria Gaynor, I am who I am. I am my own special creation. That's the lyric. And so, but I'm standing on the shoulders of giants when I'm performing. You know? The conditions that I've had to work in as a drag performer are not as difficult as those who came before me. And they persevered and they persisted against a lot of odds. And so, everything that I do, and I've said this before about academic work, too. It's never just your own individual brilliance. Okay? I am in debt to my own drag ancestors. And I also am in debt to the drag performers who are my contemporaries who agreed to come here. And I do my best to make it worth their while. We just had two shows in the fall. The sex toy bingo. We do that. And we also do a cabaret in the fall. So, now we have a regular cycle. But I insist. So, I work with the student union on those. And I really insist on those performers being paid appropriately. And we just go out of our way. We pay for their hotel, for their transportation. We pay for their performance fee for the show. We make sure they have everything in the dressing room that they need. Whether it's water or sugar snacks to kind of keep your energy up. All of them tell me that we never get treated this well anywhere else. Right? And we pay them immediately after the show. I mean, I've been in a situation where you don't get paid for weeks. You know, I know the musicians. Right? Because I also perform. And, you know, I told... I was talking to somebody who I mentioned. We're talking about the base rate for performers. And if you're in the musicians union. I don't know if it's still the case. But it's about $350 an hour. And people are like, huh, that's so much money. Well, no, it's not. Because, one, like for the dress performers, you have to buy or make all of your own outfits. Right? It's horribly expensive. It costs a lot of money to lift that good. So there's a lot of effort and expense that goes into it. And it's the same thing with the musicians. They've got their overhead and their expenses. Who's going to pay for their instruments? Who's going to pay for their travel? Who's going to pay for their food and their accommodation? And quite often, they have to bear that themselves. So that $350 covers a lot. It's not just money that goes into their pocket. It's about covering their expenses so that they can continue to do what they do. Fan studies often talk about how fans admire or emulate icons. But drag also lets performers become the icons. In your journey, how much of your drag, and even as an individual, draw from inspirations from past queer figures? That's an interesting question. So I think it's like the same for everybody. When you come into drag for the first time, you're powerfully influenced by the dominant performers. Because they're the ones that people come to see. And so you respect what they bring to the performance. So you learn from it. And you do. You try to emulate it. There's always been trends in style of drag from the way that you do your makeup, the way you do your hair, the kind of costumes you do, whether or not you're doing lip syncing or live voice. How you choreograph. And some of that, we achieve that through the pageant system. Which is a little bit like RuPaul. So you're competing to bring your best to the stage. But then you start to go through an evolution. You start to find your own look. You find your own style. You find your own voice. So now I have two personas. I have my original one, which is Celia Cruz. And that's more traditional drag, really, I guess, in some ways. Although I chose to not do popular tunes. So I do jazz. Mostly as Celia Cruz. And I had developed maybe six or seven, maybe even eight years ago now, a second persona. And that is Joni Cash. So that's live voice with a guitar. So I began doing political music songs that I wrote myself. And that was, I think, really when I first actually hit my stride. I actually found my own presence in the community. I had a reputation before because of Priscilla. But that, to me, was the moment when I really began to separate myself from my previous performances. It just developed into something new. The jazz diva, the more classical thing, is a tribute to the history. That's what I draw from. And it's also my history. But if you stand still, you also run the risk of becoming stagnant and old. And people have been it before. And you're not bringing much new. So people who come to the show are very well aware. And I use that as explicitly as I can. Can I give you an example? I'm going to say this outright. So I have a very firm position on the conflict in just my territories. And when that conflict started, there was an argument in my department. And the majority passed a motion saying that we weren't going to say anything after October 7th. And I registered my opposition to that and insisted that my name and my vote be recorded because I don't want anybody mistaking the fact of where I stand. And then I began to make posts on social media, you know, advocating for an end to the conflict and trying to expose the horrifying crimes that were being committed. And one day I lost my temper. One of the things I advocate for is for a boycott of companies that make a profit off of the genocide. But in this case, I was trying to use an example of why people should consider not purchasing or consuming things that are made by companies that are invested in Israel or the occupation. And for me, that was a simple one. I just chose Mississippi's potato chips. They were my favorite potato chips. So I just said, you know, I made a post that was very strongly worded and maybe a little ambiguous. But I just condemned them for profiting from what I called the murder of children. It is what it is. It is what it is. Well, I ended up being summoned into the dean's office. Somebody complained and said that I had committed to what they called blood libel, which is a practice. I didn't know what it was or what it meant. I looked it up and it's an old part of anti-Jewish, anti-Semitism that falsely accuses them of practicing child sacrifice. Okay? Anyway, I was accused of that. And I said, well, I didn't even mention Israel. I didn't even mention Jewish people. I talked about the occupation. That was it. And I said, but I will be more careful. I'm not stopping. I'm not stopping. But I will choose my words more carefully. And then, so I did. And then I decided I needed to use Priscilla as a platform. So I was performing my last number in the second set. And I chose Patti Smith. And the song is People Have the Power. I wanted to send that message that regardless of what the powers here do or anywhere else, at the end of the day, you who are in the audience have the power to make change happen. And it's a song about change. And to use your voice. The most important thing is to use your voice. If you have any kind of privilege, you are obligated to use that platform to advocate for people who are being oppressed and exploited and to practice solidarity. So I did that at the show. And I closed the show with that. And I brought students on stage. There were two students who were holding up signs that had messages on them. Things like protect trans youth, end the genocide, punch Nazis, whatever they wanted. They got to choose what they wanted to write. And all children matter. And then we staged it so that there were three flags that were going to appear on campus. And the first two was the Every Child Matters flag. The second one was the trans flag. And then halfway through the song, the third flag came on stage and it was the Palestinian flag. And I did this very, very deliberately because the senior administration at this university was in the audience. They had bought two tables. And so they were going to have to sit there and see what students actually thought. And the place went nuts. Right? People stood up and there was a huge standing ovation at the end of it. And I want to just go back to this for a second. It's really important that everybody who comes to that show can see themselves on stage. Right? That's also a political statement. It's really easy to just bring in the biggest, most popular performers and, you know, attract by the big names, but that can lead to erasing. So, you know, we want genderqueer. We want trans. We want, like, everybody. We want to see what the future can be like, actually. Actually. Whoa. This was an electrifying experience. Like, I'm flabbergasted. As we begin to close out today's episode, what layers isn't just the performance. It's the relationship because drag, at its core, is never a solo act. Drag queens, as we know, do perform it. Fans, though, interpret, respond, and carry those performances forward. The meaning of the performance does not just simply live on the stage. It is co-produced through applause, critique, discourse, devotion, and even sometimes disappointment. Performance scholars have told us that performances can hold contradictions. It can be staged and sincere, artificial and deeply meaningful. Drag shows tell us that truth on stage doesn't disappear when something is constructed. Sometimes that construction is exactly how the truth gets exposed. So thank you to Chris for sharing not just the glamour, but the labor of reflection and the lived reality behind the performance. And just your amazing life in general. And thank you for listening, not just as spectators, but as participants in drag culture itself. Until next time, support your local drag queens, respect the art, and don't forget, drag isn't just something you watch. It's something you're a part of.