There is much more to drag than meets the eye.
More than just costuming, make-up, music, performance, and wigs, drag is truly an art form.
For Nazeem Southgate, the founder of The Drag Cartel, had been thrust into the world of drag by his partner, Maxine Wild.
“Being her partner and being so invested in her drag, I got to learn the ins and outs of drag and it is actually a very specific art form. A lot of drag queens like to use that term. Drag is an art form, it is not just performing. It is an entire aesthetic, from the costume to delivering the performance. Being with her for all this time and seeing how everything works, I was invested in more of the background things,” he says.
Not her formal manager, but rather more of an assistant to Wild during her gigs, last year Southgate made the switch to formally managing her.
“As a drag performer, there are a lot of elements to it. There is the logistical side, getting ready for a gig and then there is also when people approach you to do a gig. A lot of the girls find it hard to negotiate for themselves,” he says.
While he may not have started his managing of Wild off with the intention of starting a drag-focused talent agency, looking into the need for this kind of business led to the official launch of The Drag Cartel in May.The idea was birthed at a gig with other queens last year when fellow queens reached out to have Southgate manage them as well.
“I was not thinking about it seriously then. But as I saw the need to get better exposure for them and what I was doing, it tied in with what we eventually created,” he says.
But this is more than just a talent agency.
Southgate and associate Ronvin Fransman say they are looking to create a support structure for all facets of the queer community.
“There is a huge need for support in the gay community, and no organisation is offering that. Eventually, the Drag Cartel wants to be that support,” Fransman says.
There are several Transsexual women who are part of the cartel.
“The minority of the queer community is Trans women,” says Fransman.
“We want to be that support structure for the Trans community. We do not just want to focus on events, but also be a support structure, focusing on education as well.”
June is International Pride Month. Despite global strides toward inclusivity, locally, much is still needed to create awareness around queer rights, especially in the workplace, says Southgate.
Last week, Wild – who is a transsexual woman – delivered a talk on inclusivity in the workplace at a company. The aim of this is to help businesses understand the queer community, through education.
“Many queer individuals feel ostracised or are too afraid to show who they really are for fear of being judged or victimised. This is a message we really want to push,” Southgate says.
The drag scene in South Africa has grown exponentially over the last few years.In the past, a drag performer would be seen at a club in passing.
Now, audiences go to a club to see a drag performer. This culture has undoubtedly been influenced by the global sensation of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Aesthetics and access to better costuming and wigs – for example, have also added to the overall experience.
“In certain spaces, it is still very unknown, but in Cape Town, the drag culture is very established. The push toward the art of drag is evident. More people and companies are looking to have drag performers for entertainment,” says Southgate.
But within the marginalised queer community, more can always be done to promote inclusivity, Southgate and Fransman say.
Their upcoming event, Strike a Pose, taking place on Friday 30 June in Woodstock, aims to create a platform for the queens to perform, but will also be the launch of their intention to give back to local charities.
“We want to support a local charity. We are saying that a percentage of all the queen’s gigs for a period will go to a charity,” says Fransman.
The aim of this is to again unite the queer community and show they care.
“When a fight is being fought as individuals it is much more difficult, but when we fight that fight as a group or in masses, it is much easier to win that fight,” says Fransman.
“People think of the gay community as a group of people, but there are also subdivisions in the queer community. This is the gap we are trying to fill and create inclusive opportunities for us to stand together as a group and fight those fights.”
Fransman says more can be done to unite all queer groups in the LGBTQIA+ community to be less segregated.He referred to a recent incident where a community figurehead threatened to paint the rainbow street crossing in the Cape Town CBD black, following the City of Cape Town’s installation of it in recognition of the queer community.
“Only a few people showed up. If we were united as a community, there should have been thousands showing up to stop this or protest this,” says Fransman.
While drag is mostly seen as women impersonation, Southgate says their agency is looking to bridge more gaps in the industry by even introducing live queer vocalists and performers and women impersonating men.
Their goal in building this organisation is to create an overarching support structure.
With easier access to the queer community, they are building off this to promote the queer rights agenda.
Eventually, they hope to also offer support to even those who need help coming out to their loved ones, those who need information and those looking for a group of like-minded individuals. An all-inclusive force for the progression of the queer community.
Southgate again reiterates that education will be the answer to not only inclusivity but also acceptance.
“Education is a big thing. It is the basis of how we interact as humans. If I do not understand something, I cannot comprehend how to deal with it. For us to spread the word, we need to be placed in certain spaces to educate people,” he says.
“A lot of this happens with miscommunication around a fire and it ends up being stuff that is just not true. That is where the problem comes in,” he says.
Their upcoming show, Strike a Pose, will feature drag performers from the cartel.
The show will take place at 66/68 Albert Road, Woodstock.
There will be a pre-party meet and greet starting at 19:30, with the main show starting at 21:30.
- Tickets for the pre-party cost R250 – including refreshments, with main show tickets costing R150.
- Tickets are available via Quicket.
