Drag kings reflect on their journeys and the history of the art form in Vancouver

For drag king Romi “SKIM” Kim, working in the Vancouver drag scene is a combination of hard, incredible, and community-focused.

“It’s a small scene, but it’s also a very big, vibrant, and robust scene. There are just so many talented people and a lot of supportive people who are always uplifting one another,” Kim said.

“I think over the past couple years, I’ve just noticed more people supporting drag kings, which has been really beautiful and heartwarming to see.”

Drag kings and their history within the city were at the centre of a panel on Oct. 19 at the Museum of Vancouver. Kim, who is also the director and producer of Long Live Kings, a web series starring Vancouver-based drag kings, moderated the discussion, which heard from fellow drag kings Edward Malaprop, Buster Cherry, Luke Wolf, and Theo Rhetical.

The four panelists, who are each featured in Long Live Kings, spoke on their journeys with the art form.

Theo Rhetical said one of their favourite gender-bending artists is American singer-songwriter Dorian Electra.

“I think [they were] the first non-binary artist I saw in action who really spoke to me,” Theo Rhetical said.

“I was just starting to understand my two-spirit identity and how femininity and masculinity were both alive in me, and seeing a non-binary person do such beautiful, successful things in the world … really touched my heart.”

Luke Wolf said Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was among his inspirations, particularly him in the “I Want To Break Free” music video, where the late British singer donned a bob-cut wig, tight top, short skirt, and his signature moustache.

His other inspiration came from the movie Victor/Victoria, which centres on a female singer who, with the help of a gay performer, personifies a woman while dressed as a man.

“That [film] blew my mind, and I’ve lived my whole life with that same script,” he said. “I’m happy to say that’s a big portion of why Luke Wolf exists.”

Buster Cherry said while his drag persona has not changed at all, what has is the face of Vancouver, considering the loss of many venues over the past 15 years.

In response to this, he said he ran drag shows in his home on the West End, which hosted 135 people.

When it comes to preparing to hit the stage for shows, Edward Malaprop said if he is performing with people, it is important to “do a little dance ahead of time and give each other high fives.”

“I try to remind myself to have fun because if you’re having fun, then the audience will have fun, regardless of what happens,” he added.

Following the panel, audience members got to watch three short episodes from Long Live Kings.

Kim said the inspiration behind the web series came two years ago, following the death of Indigenous drag king, King Fisher, who was one of their close friends.

“After he had passed, I think I had realized within the community, there were very few drag kings who were performing actively, really on stages, and who were people of colour other than me and him for that long of a time,” Kim told The Runner.

“I realized we just needed more representation. We needed to uplift the younger drag kings in our community.”

The event also included drag king performances from Theo Rhetical, as well as artists Jeff Garbage and Percy Pegg.

The museum’s coordinator of Indigenous programs and community engagement, Jasper Berehulke, came up with the idea for the event after following Vancouver drag kings on social media, going to their shows, and watching the series premiere at The Birdhouse.

“I really just want people to see drag as more than just drag queens, seeing the different type of artistry and character that comes with it — that it is also local,” Berehulke said. “It’s happening right in our town.”

Kim hopes audiences will be more interested in the local drag scene from the event.

“I think a lot of our local queer history has been lost, forgotten, or seen as maybe not there,” Kim said. “But I think with this [series] … I was able to learn so much about drag king history in Vancouver, like way past how long I’ve been performing, and then also to recognize there are still … performances and shows and drag kings producing events currently.”