A land that truly has it all: lakes, rivers, mountains, poutine, hockey and drag! Canada is making a name for itself in the world of drag with some amazing shows, causes, and performers. Below is a roundup of just some amazing Canadian queens and kings to look out for!
Canadian queens are here to slay and have something to say! Let’s start with the best – ahem - west coast:
Queens of the West
Vivian Vanderpuss (Victoria): Creative and memorable, Vivian Vanderpuss is ready to bring the sparkle to your next event. She can turn it out dancing, hosting events with humour and singing, and is a total wizard with a makeup brush. She is also a self-proclaimed “kooky cat mom” – meow.
Kendall Gender (Vancouver): Try and keep up with Kendall Gender! This activist bi-racial queen has been keeping busy since making a splash in 2014. From performing at the Rugby 7s in 2020 to taking the crown at Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar in 2017, she’s a talent that won’t be stopped.
Mona Moore (Calgary) Mona Moore is a triple threat: singer, dancer, and queen extraordinaire. From serving looks at the Canadian Miss Continental Pageant to belting it out at live shows, she defines enter-taintment.
Berlin St. Le Bon (Vancouver): Berlin St. Le Bon is a star in the drag circuit and a role model with a proud voice regarding her transition, sobriety and how transformative drag has been in her life. A talented makeup artist and performer, she isn’t to be missed.
Beardney Spears (Vancouver): It’s Beardney, bitch! Serving the fantasy and lip-synching the house down, Beardney Spears shows are a celebration of fun. Beardney is a regular volunteer performer for Freedom Circle, an organization working with LGBTQ refugees, iconic!
Jaylene Tyme (Vancouver): Jaylene Tyme is it! Jaylene Tyme is an Indigenous Two-Spirit Trans human who regularly transforms and performs like some of our favourite celebrities, including Mariah Carey, Dolly Parton, Cher and more. Jaylene is an accomplished activist and Empress 35 of Vancouver.
The East Coast has no shortage of absolute icons, too.
Queens of the East
Luna DuBois (Toronto): Luna DuBois is known around town as a fashion icon. It’s clear her background is in fashion and makeup with the looks she turns. Luna DuBois is known for her infectious personality, amazing performances, and always looking flawless.
Steak (Toronto): Hope you’re in the mood for Steak! As a professionally trained dancer, you can count on a memorable, high-energy performance from Steak. A proud trans queen, Steak started to drag in 2018 and has been on the radar after winning and holding the title since of Crews and Tangos’ Drag Race winner.
Tash Riot (Toronto): Tash Riot, or “the queen of lesbians,” is a trained dancer, singer, actor, and makeup extraordinaire. Tash Riot brings the energy in every single show while advocating for queer inclusivity as one of only a few females drag queens on the scene.
Virgo Queen (Toronto): It’s Virgo season all year round. Virgo Queen is a stunning queen who is the current reigning Miss Future Fierce. Virgo Queen is an accomplished singer, dancer, and all-around performer. She brings style and class to every show while championing the black and queer community.
Verona Verushka (Montreal): Artistry perfected! Verona Verushka is a fabulously talented queen with makeup skills to make your jaw drop. Verona’s shows are surprising, creative, and memorable.
Feather Talia (Winnipeg): Feather Talia is a proud Indigenous, Two-Spirit drag queen who shares all about her identity and life experiences through her performance. She is known for her hilarious comedy, beautiful looks, and dancing the house down.
Too much of a good King
Can you ever have too much of a good King?! We think not. Drag King artistry is one of a kind in Canada, with some real ballsy performers who can perform the house down.
Kings of the West
Ponyboy (Vancouver): Blurring gender lines and the binary while putting on a damn good show is Man Up’s coordinator, Ponyboy. Ponyboy performances are a celebration and strive to bring the queer community together.
Duke Carson (Calgary): Giddyup for Duke Carson, Alberta’s Drag Superstar 2018 winner. Self-proclaimed “weathered rock star,” Duke Caron’s shows are not for the faint of heart with tons of energy, tricks, and surprises.
Rose Butch (Vancouver): Superstar “drag thing,” Rose Butch is something to behold. Rose Butch is an experienced performer, always staying relevant but surprising while maintaining their “1960s mod Rococo clown doll” look.
Chaz Avery (Victoria): Chaz Avery is an established drag king known for their charming and high-energy performances. Chaz’s work is inspiring and strives to bring people together.
Homo Hardware (Vancouver): Dads and drag? Homo Hardware brings the dad energy fantasy with their gender performative drag. Expect high energy, horny, non-binary dad jokes and performances when you catch the iconic Homo Hardware. Look no father than Vancouver for a bit of Homo Hardware.
Oscar Milde (Vancouver) Born to be Milde? Oscar Milde pushes gender boundaries while leaving you impressed by their go-go dancing. At just 5 feet, Oscar Milde has self-proclaimed “big dick energy” that you can witness in Vancouver.
Kings of the East
Gay Jesus (Toronto): Sunday service is looking a little different with Gay Jesus. Gay Jesus is a LatinX performer whose shows always have an important political and substantial message while spreading positivity and self-love. Witness their holiness in Toronto.
Krēme Inakuchi (Toronto): Experience the fantasy (and innuendos) of Krēme Inakuchi, a notable FilipinX drag king. Bringing art, makeup, looks and humour, you can catch Kreme online and in person.
Alexandher Brandy (Toronto): Serving stunning makeup with a hint of sass, Alexandher Brandy is a comedic king with a strong and defiant voice in support of queers and queer-centric spaces.
Manny Dingo (Toronto): Taking silver at the Atlantic Drag star competition, DJ, performer, and dancer Manny Dingo loves to take the stage to share his identity, fashion, queerness, and power as a black man.
Zackey Lime (Toronto): Zackey Lime is one of a king! They are a performer, ventriloquist, puppeteer, and founder of House of Kings. A proudly trans, masc. non-binary human, they advocate for the queer community while bringing their zany and quirky talents to the stage.
Rock Bière (Montreal): 2018 winner of Mtl Drag, Rock Bière takes the stage to share political messages through lip-synching and artistry. Rock feels it’s important for drag kings to continue to show up in a world dominated by drag queens. Enjoy Bière in Montreal.
How to support our Canucks?
The remarkable performers above are only scratching the surface of all the talent our country has to offer! But, in a country obsessed with hockey players, they need our support!
- Follow and share: It’s free to follow drag performers and share their content to help them get even more recognition. Many performers are now on Youtube, so why not enjoy a free show!
- See a show: Head to your local queer spaces and see the performers doing their thing! Always remember to respect their space and show your admiration through cheering and tipping.
- Tip: It’s just good manners! Show Canadian royalty you appreciate their magic and hard work by tipping. If at shows – do not throw loonies or twoonies – use bills. Many performers also have their PayPal/donations on their socials too, which is super appreciated.
- Volunteer/Activism: Support the queer community, drag performers and especially our trans siblings through volunteering your time or donating some money to local organizations that are at the forefront. Or start a fundraiser yourself amongst your friends, work, or family and donate the outcome. You could even use your performance as a drag star as the fundraiser itself after you learn how to become a drag performer.
