DON'T DREAM IT, BE IT

Hate it or love it, drag culture is on the rise. We sat down with three rising homegrown queens who are paving their own paths, while proving that drag isn’t just a niche curiosity but an art form.

- Nikita Nawawi

A professional photographer by day and a free-swinging drag performer by night, Kumela Kumslut – this story’s lensman’s very own alias – is a creative in every sense of the word. She and her bright-coloured wigs have become synonymous to the local drag scene ever since she made her first appearance at a Halloween bash in 2016. There, she was approached to host a Rainbow Rojak happening, a notorious queer community event, which she said yes to and the rest is, as they say, herstory

That’s an interesting name you got there. What’s the story behind it?

I want to use drag as a medium to speak about an issue that’s important to me which is sex positivity. I also want to start a conversation on HIV and AIDS because a lot of young people in the community don’t seem to care about it and that worries me.

How do you incorporate that in your routine?

I work with PT Foundation quite regularly. Sometimes I’d have their representatives at the parties, and they would provide free screening or give away condoms for free. I’d also get them on stage to talk about what they do and basically share information.

When it comes to the performances, how long does it take you to prepare – and what goes into it?

I would take about three hours because I like to take my time. When it comes to preparing a set, I essentially plan according to what I’m feeling at the time. From there, I’d think about the song selection, the colours that I want to wear, the hair and so on.

If you were to perform today, what would the set look like?

These days I am feeling a little sombre, but I have been performing in colours, for some reason.