Slushy has a specific order she follows each time she gets ready.
First, she starts with makeup and glues down her eyebrows, applying contour, foundation and concealer. Eyeshadow and lashes come next, with lipstick and gloss as the final cosmetic touches.
After makeup, she tapes and glues her wig down, swishing her long, black hair back and forth as she takes in her new look.
Finally, it’s time for the outfit, which she digs out of her shimmery, colourful closet. This time, it’s an oversized green bedazzled tiger shirt with white gloves, glittery high heels and a thick black belt with a rhinestone gun charm.
This is a routine Slushy has mastered over her three-year career as a drag queen, which began in her first-year dorm room at the University of Ottawa.
What started as applying makeup with friends soon turned into buying wigs and performing at bars.
“I know some people are more drastic and just [got] into full drag one day … but for me, it was definitely a slower process and I’m happy I did it like that,” Slushy said.
Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ont., Slushy said they were never exposed to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community during her childhood.
“I knew I had more feminine or queer tendencies, and definitely it feels other-ing growing up in an environment where that’s not reflected,” she said.
Slushy moved to Ottawa as an 18-year-old and said she remembers her first time seeing drag queens outside The Lookout Bar, a prominent gay bar in the ByWard Market.
“That was a super eye-opening experience for me,” she said. “I feel like drag has definitely helped me express a more feminine side of me and express my queerness, [a] thing often as a child I was ashamed of.”
Now a full-fledged drag queen, DJ, model and Ottawa’s Next Drag Superstar competitor, Slushy defines drag as a form of self-expression.
“[Drag] really reflects what is important to that person as an artist and what they want to share with their audience,” she said.
Slushy said her drag encompasses her favourite qualities from the women in her life.
“[My girlfriends] have such good confidence, and they own themselves as a woman and they give powerful feminine energy, and I feel like I want to emulate that in my drag,” she said.
Ultimately, she said, drag is a big celebration of “femininity and being gay as hell.”
Like Slushy, drag clown Vex Scandal said drag is an “artistically fulfilling” experience that allows them to use aspects from their art schooling in animation in their drag makeup.
“[Makeup] was a way to feel connected with myself visually, because I didn’t like how I looked and I didn’t feel comfortable in my body,” they said.
Vex Scandal first started performing as a drag king because they weren’t aware of the performer diversity within the drag community.
“Everyone was calling me handsome, calling me ‘he’ and it was very affirming at the time,” they said. “The past three years I’ve been on testosterone and the more that people perceive me as a ‘he’ as default, I’ve been not liking it as much.”
Vex Scandal soon found their footing as an MX, or non-binary drag clown, which they said is simply “a clown that does drag.”
Vex Scandal said non-binary and MX performers are a “very recent thing,” as non-binary performers are often sidelined in drag. They said they first saw a non-binary category in a pride pageant drag show when they moved to Ottawa in 2023.
Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Vex Scandal said they expected Ottawa’s drag scene to be “scary and mean like they are on TV,” but soon realized everyone was “really friendly” and “uplifted” each other.
Non-binary drag artist Mx. Tique also highlighted the supportive nature of Ottawa’s drag community.
“I came out later in life, but I feel like the drag community has helped me embrace my identity and I don’t think I would be as at home with [my identity] if I didn’t have drag,” they said.
In 2019, Mx. Tique’s friend introduced them to drag. When they first started competing, the drag artist said they experienced impostor syndrome.
“When I debuted and I got to the venue and I saw everyone else’s outfits, everyone else’s makeup and stuff like that, I was just like, ‘What am I doing? I should have prepared more,’” they said.
But when they have those moments of doubt, Mx. Tique said they remember themselves as a child when their dream job was to be a professional lip-syncer.
“I’m just kind of like, ‘Dude, this is what you’ve wanted forever. Don’t walk away from it now.’”
Vex Scandal said focusing on a cool idea gets them through moments of uncertainty.
“No one else is going to have an S&M Rihanna number where I replace the sexy parts of the song with sound effects and then I get pied in the face,” they said with a laugh.
Slushy, on the other hand, credits the queer community for getting her through times of doubt.
“Community is such a vital part of the queer experience,” she said. “As a queer community, you’re always stronger together. We need each other.”
Mx. Tique said drag is all about being your own biggest fan and championing yourself any chance you get, which they said is “kind of healing.”
“It’s really important for people to see that drag is just such a beautiful outlet for people, [a] creative outlet,” they said. “It’s a family, and without drag, there are a lot of people who would just be navigating the world on their own.”
Featured image by Georgia Looman/The Charlatan.
