Drag Kids
A daring and touching portrait of four kids chasing freedom and friendship through the art of drag. NOW STREAMING ON CBC GEM
As an art form, drag has always been about breaking down barriers, exploring new territory and daring to do the unexpected. And now, a new type of queen is emerging on the scene: she’s fierce, she’s living in a time of unprecedented access to queer culture and she’s younger than ever before. She’s a drag kid, and she’s a long way from the era of the queens who took part in the Stonewall riots nearly 50 years ago.
Stephan, Nemis, Bracken and Jason are very different kids living in very different parts of the world, but they’re united by a deep love of drag.
Fiery Stephan (a.k.a. Laddy Gaga), 9, lives with his British expat family in the south of Spain, where his explosive performances can’t be contained by their villa, so he has started performing at tourist restaurants.
Shy Jason (a.k.a. Suzan Bee Anthony), 11, lives in the U.S. Bible Belt where his chosen family have formed a protective circle around him that has allowed his sassy alter ego to blossom.
Precocious Bracken, 11, lives in Vancouver, where she struggles for acceptance as a “hyper queen” (a female drag performer) and for opportunities to connect in the 19-plus world of drag shows.
Child star Nemis (a.k.a. Queen Lactatia), 9, lives in Montreal, and with the help of his “momager,” he loves pushing boundaries, from selling his merch at a local fetish store to judging a vogue ball in a downtown bar.
- MORE:
- Drag kids: How their parents protect them from haters
- Is it OK for your kids to watch or take part in drag performances?
- CBC ARTS: Let these four fierce 'drag kids' give your heart a jolt of fabulosity in this new documentary
The four children in Drag Kids have never met, but they’re coming together for the first time at Montreal Pride to perform a group number to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and to compete in an all-ages vogue ball.
As they prepare for the big show, each child faces his or her own unique challenges, as well as challenges he or she has in common with the other performers: deep feelings of isolation (most have never met another “drag kid” before) and the struggle of trying to claim a place of one’s own on the fringes of a fringe culture.
Stream Now on CBC Gem
Drag Kids
CBC Docs POV
