Where can I go see some in-person drag shows?

WOQBC staff writer Sophia Kelly recently spoke with Drag King Justin Abit, Mr. Gay Vancouver 41.

Justin spoke to us about the Rhinestone Pheonix Charity society’s new non-gendered Drag performer title and becoming Mr Gay Vancouver as a new performer during a pandemic. He also pointed us to the few venues that are once again hosting live drag shows.

Justin began attending the Man Up drag shows. “When I went for the first time, I was telling my cousin I'm really getting into drag. I've been watching it for a while [on TV]. It's amazing with fashion and everything and then she's like I've been going to drag shows for ages by myself. You should come along and I was like ‘absolutely’ so then we went. I saw this drag king and I was suddenly Like ‘oh, this is something I could do’.”

Justin made his drag debut at the King and Queen of Hearts pageant held in February, winning the title of King of Hearts. With that win came an invitation to their annual pageant where they elect Mr. Ms. and at the time Miss Gay Vancouver.

“Commercial Drag did (a show called) kings and things and it was exactly one week after I debuted, so I just went from that, and I jumped into doing a whole new number for this show. And it was a total blast. And then COVID happened about a week after that. And then there was no shows. So, I started doing digital drag.”

And then “my friend who was Miss Gay 40 posted ‘Hey are you interested in being Mr. Miss or Miss Gay Vancouver applications are being accepted now’. His friend (Miss Gay 40, Sister Fancy Pants) talked him into applying for the event, hosted by the Rhinestone Phoenix Charity Society, and despite being relatively new to drag he ended up winning the title of Mr. Gay Vancouver. The performances were all given digitally, and the event did not receive many applications from drag artists working in the less familiar digital medium.

Justin has embraced the digital drag performances made necessary by the pandemic, and as Mr. Gay Vancouver 41 began raising funds for Qmunity and the Delta Pride Society.

Genders of Drag Titles

The 40-year-old Rhinestone Phoenix Charity Foundation has had some changes to drag titles over the years. They started with Mr and Miss Gay and then brought on a Ms Vancouver title in 2003 and a Mx Vancouver title in 2021. According to the September 2021 announcement of the new title, the Miss title had been “introduced for, and by, Jaime Lee Hamilton in their year (2003) as a title specifically for members of the Trans community”. However, the title excluded transmasculine and enby performers, so the Miss title was changed to Mx as of 2021. Similarly, another show held in February has been renamed to the King, Queen and Ruler of Hearts. Justin let WOQBC know that all performers are now able to choose which title they want to compete for regardless of their gender or how they identify.

On being a drag king at the Pacific National Exhibition

Justin Abit was recently signed with management company Tuck Entertainment, who got him a gig performing for the PNE in 2021. Due to covid restrictions, they weren’t allowed to meet and greet audience members after the show, but parents and their kids would come to the side of the stage to speak with Justin through the fence.

“I'd walk over and this one mother with her kid was like ‘we were really hoping that you'd come out so we could talk to you, but my daughter just wants to know are you a woman dressed as a man? Because if you are, that's what she really wants to do’ and I'm just like I'm melting.”

You can see and read more about Justin Abit and book him via his instagram @justin.abit.dragking/ or his management Tuck Entertainment.