By Victoria Hincapie Gomez
Sat.,Jan.14, 2023
Two members of Toronto LGBTQ+ community say Gay Village has given them the
space to feel safe within a city that has not been entirely supportive or inclusive.
Victor Keita, aka Naomi Leone, is a 32-year old drag performer from Sierra Leone,
who moved to Toronto in 2012. Since then, Keita was been modeling men’s clothing
for FAT(Fashion Art Toronto) on numerous occasions and performs in drag as
Naomi Leone in drag venues around Gay Village such as Woody’s, The Drink, and
Crews&Tangos.
Photo by: Fabian DiCorcia
Keita says he was drawn to start doing drag upon his arrival to Toronto, when he
discovered some legendary drag queens performing in Gay Village.
’’I felt inspired by watching legendary drag queens in our community like Michelle
Ross. She paved the way and I remember starting drag and looking at her
wondering, is that Diana Ross? It was incredible, I was watching an artform and as I
was watching her, I told myself I think I could do this,’’ he says.
Keita eventually became a known drag queen and member of a staple drag house in
Gay Village, the Haus Of Darlin. Some of his many achievements are partnering up
with the LCBO in a campaign for Pride Month earlier this year, being the longest
reigning queen of El Convento Rico pageant and having a photo shoot with local
photographer, Fabian DiCorcia.
Keita won the El Convento Rico pageant in 2019, a known drag pageant that has
been running in Toronto for the last 30 years. Keita says that despite being the
longest reigning queen due to COVID-19 he feels honored to have carried the title
recently passed to Miss Shay Dee.
’’El Convento Rico pageant is about being your authentic self, showing your art, and
about showcasing the audience that part of you as a drag queen. It was a blessing, I
worked my ass off for that title and I am honored to have earned it, especially
because I have seen many of my peers, so many talented people, who have
participated in this pageant over 30 years. So winning it, and having the longest
reigning ever has been an amazing journey, I have grown and learned a lot about
myself,’’ he says.
Keita says he was shocked by the opportunity to partnering up with the LCBO and
having a photoshoot with Fabian DiCorcia within the span of two weeks.
‘’ It left like it was destiny for my growth, having those experiences allowed me to be
comfortable around cameras and taught me a lot of professionalism,’’ he says.
Keita says that although drag has become mainstream and more doors have been
open for drag performers like himself both within and beyond Gay Village, there must
be more diversity in the drag community and opportunities for newcomers.
’’ Drag is for everybody, there should be more opportunities for drag queens that are
just starting. I want all sorts of art forms represented, for there to be more trans and
drag king representation within the drag community,’’ he says.
Keita says that apart from having more diversity in the drag community, queens
should support each other more.
”Sometimes It’s hard to be a drag queen in this community, there is a lot of
competition going on, everyone wants to be the best, and that creates this lack of
support system with each other. We need to lift us up, not down. I wish we could
support each other more, without judgment,” he says.
Joshua Hughes, aka Star, is a 23 year-old drag performer of Filipino and Scottish
lineage, who started doing drag while studying in York University among his drag
sisters Aurora matrix and Aurelie Talented in 2019.
Photo by : Quinton Cruickshanks
Like Keita, Hughes began working in multiple drag venues inside and outside Gay
Village, after being an spectator first.
’’I discovered Gay Village after high school in 2017, this was the year after I attended
my first Pride. I remember being so fascinated by the Village, and I really enjoyed
going to the drag bars,’’ he says.
Hughes says this discovery meant so much, after years of feeling he wasn’t in the
right place.
’’This meant the world to me because finally, I had found a safe space. I remember
going to ‘straight clubs’ with my friends, and feeling unsafe and out of place. In Gay
Village finally, there was a place for me, and all my friends, straight or not to finally
go and feel safe and have a good time without fear of not being able to be
ourselves,’’ he says.
Hughes says this unsafe feeling he felt in ‘straight clubs’ is because Toronto as a
whole is not very accepting of the queer community.
“ I believe that the village is the safest place and where drag, and queer people are
the most accepted. I think that overall most of Toronto is not familiar with what drag
really is and the many queer identities that are in the LGBTQ +community.
Hopefully one day all Toronto and Ontario will be familiar and accepting of drag performers
and queer people,’’ he says.
Hughes says he grew up watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, and that was what inspired
him to start doing drag.
“I was in high school and I was always doing make-up, styling wigs, and I loved
making my own costumes for Halloween so I decided to finally put myself out there
after going to Theatre School and having experience with dancing, and performing to
finally do drag,” he says.
Hughes says he has achieved some dream goals, since he started doing drag.
“ I am proud of getting signed to my agency Lavender Promotions, an agency
specialized in queer talent and event management. I am also very proud that I
recently released my very own original song, Shiny, now streaming on Spotify and
Apple Music, and all other streaming platforms,’’ he says.
Hughes says he sees Gay Village as his home, and that although there is more
diversity nowadays, there still room for change.
“ As a working drag queen in Gay Village I’ve noticed that it has become very white
washed, and they book a lot of white performers. I think that drag and overall the non
mainstream and mainstream queer community should have a more diverse range of
representatives,’’ he says.
Instagram handle of both interviewees
- Naomi Leone: @naomileone_
- Star:@ theequeenstar
Hope you enjoyed this article that I decided to showcase in my blog, as much as I loved writing it. Feel free to comment by downloading the Wix app and follow my Instagram account at @victoria_hincapie
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