Where I’m going: RuPaul’s DragCon 2017

  • Shantay, This Way!
  • 7x35 at DragCon 2016
  • Panel Discussion at DragCon 2016

DragCon is an amazing gathering of fans, artists, and glitter–and I can’t wait to head to LA this weekend to get back into the thick of it!

I’ve loved drag ever since I attended my first show at the student union of my college. At the time, I loved the pageantry and humor of it all. That’s still one of the best parts of drag, of course, especially to an audience member, but I also love learning about the culture and artistry that underpins the craft of drag.

My sister and I attended DragCon 2016 and had a blast. Leading up to it, I obsessed about what to wear (are you beginning to sense a blog theme, yet?). I wanted a wig. I wanted BIG makeup. I wanted…to put on a costume and act more confident than I felt. Now, I don’t mean to imply that everyone who does that is faking something. Not at all! Dressing up and wearing different looks can be a powerful mode of self-expression. I have enjoyed it in the past and I’m sure I will in the future. But for me, at that moment in time, it wouldn’t have been an authentic expression And I’m 100% sure that I would have felt uncomfortable every minute of wearing it.

via GIPHY

Looking back, I realize had a lot of anxiety about travelling with my sister for the first time. I wasn’t sure if she’d judge me, or if we’d fight, or what. It hadn’t been that long since I had shared with her that I was in recovery from bulimia, and I felt a lot of uncertainty around how she might see me. So I packed a wig, and makeup, and about a billion outfits. And when we got there, I worried to my sister that I would look huge and awful. And she said, “Isn’t drag about the exact opposite of judging yourself that way?” Yes. Yes little sister, it is.

via GIPHY

So I didn’t wear the wig. I wore a bold lipstick shade I loved, and an outfit I was mostly comfortable in. And I took pictures, even though I felt very self-concious, and I had a great time. This year, we’re going again. I’m packing a new shirt and a favorite sack dress and big fun jewellry that I can wear with confidence, and I can’t wait to get there! In the immortal words of Mama Ru:

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“If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love someone else?” // 7×35

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