It's Sydney Mardi Gras weekend so who better to ask 10 Questions to than the iconic, renowned, fearless and fabulous Etcetera Etcetera:

What does being part of Sydney’s Mardi Gras mean to you?

Mardi Gras is protest and power. It’s where our community comes together to remind the world of our resilience, strength, and creativity. As a drag queen, I’m a conductor of the orchestra of chaos, but I’m also playing several instruments — and we make the most beautiful sound when we all come together.

During WorldPride, drag was everywhere. Big brands were slapping us across billboards and the whole world wanted a piece. But over the last few years, drag has become a subject of intense political discourse — and conservative figures have demonised drag artists as “groomers” and “dangerous.” The brands have since pulled back, scared to align themselves with the controversy of using drag as part of their marketing or brand identity.

There’s less money, less opportunities, and more politically vocal queens and kings don’t get the same platforms anymore. It’s crazy that Drag Race can be such a huge show — but locally we are losing more opportunities than ever because of hate against the LGBT+ community.

Mardi Gras is a perfect time to remind people that drag is a legitimate and very complex art form rooted in our experience as queer people — when straight people do it, they’re called pop stars! We are only being relegated to the background and not celebrated because we are visibly queer.

There should be no shame in drag — and that’s what should be celebrated not just at Mardi Gras, but all year round. I refuse to be celebrated only when it makes someone else money! It leads to people legitimising drag and the reality that people have enjoyed this art form for thousands of years.

When people don’t see drag celebrated, they don’t believe it’s worthy of celebration. To see is to believe.

Tell us about your look for Mardi Gras?

I think I’m obsessed with polkadots at the moment! I want dots on dots on dots! I’ve got 20 metres of polkadots fabric and six hours on Saturday morning free. The world is my oyster!

Tell us about your drag origins?

I started doing drag because I had a stalker and I didn’t want to run into him at the club, so I’d go incognito - dressed up as a giant cockroach or covered head to toe in glitter. Then people started wanting to pay me and the rest was history!

I’ve always been a creepy crawly from the gutter, but I learnt how to glam up pretty fast. While I was starting drag, I was at film school and really found it hard to connect with the industry, so I started executing my ideas and concepts through my drag.

I found I had more control of my narrative and the way people saw me - it was like I could be the leading lady in my own 24/7 cinema. I’ve been so lucky in my career: I’ve ridden camels in drag, worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, toured internationally - but I keep coming back to the Inner West in Sydney.

There’s something about the community here that is my energy source, my fountain of youth! I started in the dumpster and now I’m Inner West royalty!

Best drag show you’ve ever been to?

One of my own! I’m so lucky I get to go to every one.

Are you a Real Housewives fan? Are you excited to see Erika Jayne?

Love the Housewives, but I’m a real fan of the old-school seasons before any of them realised they were going to be famous. For me, The Real Housewives of Melbourne will forever be the greatest franchise of all time, no competition. Gina Liano is the greatest drag queen Australia has ever produced.

Favourite song to perform to?

This Is My Life (La Vita) - Shirley Bassey!

What’s something that’s important to you that you want to continue using your platform for?

I want nothing more than for all trans and gender-diverse people everywhere, around the world, to live unencumbered by hatred and violence. Using my platform to speak up and speak loudly for trans people is not only a responsibility, it is a privilege.

I stand on the shoulders of giants who spent their lives knocking down the doors of intolerance and hatred.

What’s inspiring you right now?

I’m inspired by powerful queer people here and around the world standing up against the injustices of fascism. To make art right now as a queer person is an act of defiance to many who’d wish to see us silent or cease to exist.

So it inspires me to make my art bigger and louder and more visible in every way I physically can. I believe fashion and art have the power to amplify our voices, and it’s inspiring to see people in those industries using their voices and positions of influence for good!

Tell us why you chose these “supporting” drag queens for our story?

Each of these drag artists are bold, unique storytellers, using their drag to communicate something deeper about their experiences as queer people on different intersections of identity.

These are all artists who have less work and less opportunities because of the current political climate, and are fighting to create their own spaces. They’re having to invest thousands of their own dollars into queer spaces to keep them alive and it can’t last forever.

They deserve to be celebrated and welcomed - especially in the fashion, music, and art industries where drag is always on the moodboard. No shade! You can’t be pulling inspiration and then locking the door on us.

Drag is beautiful, drag is c*nty, but when drag is done well it also means something. All these artists use their work to speak loudly, not quietly, about EXACTLY who they are.

What’s next?

Being sent to space, and depending on how I feel... I might not come back.

@etceteraetcetera

Creative Direction & Photographer Arvin Prem Kumar
‍Stylist Yuzhen Wang
‍Makeup Direction Mikele Simone using Haus Labs
‍Hair Direction London Briidge
‍Photography Assistants Ash Mountford, Steph Pedersen & Kane McIntosh
‍Styling Assistant Paul Jagger Halton & Marvin Ye
Talent Etcetera Etcetera, Amyl, Nikita Iman,Minnie Cooper, Charlamaine, Gogo Bumhole & Izzy Ashido
Special Thanks Imperial Erskineville