CUNNING STUNT
(Cunning) My favorite part of drag and my least favorite part of drag…
My favorite part of drag. You know, it might be this feeling of like when you work really, really hard. And you sort of have your head down and you're just powering through.
And then you look back at maybe the last four or six months and you go, Oh, wow, like I've really achieved a lot in the last couple months. Like this is really working for me. And that self-doubt sort of melts away.
And that feels good. And my least favorite part of drag. I really don't love competing in comparison.
So, I've done a lot of drag competitions. And I've lost every single competition I've ever been a part of. And they got me a lot of bookings. They got me a lot of great references and professional relationships. But I never won. And it makes you feel like your drag is bad.
And then the comparison. Like you look at other people's drag who you really like. And you start to feel like, oh, am I not as good as them? Or do they have something that I don't have or can't have?
(Cunning) No.
So, I am currently Mr. Gay United States Masculine Illusion NYC. So, NYC. So, when I went to nationals competing in Mr. Gay United States Masculine Illusion. That was the only time that I was competing with drag kings. However, I was very surprised to see that there was far more trans men who wanted to compete in pageantry. As opposed to drag kings.
If that makes sense. And so, if the competition, if the category is called Masculine Illusion. These men are not performing an illusion.
They are men. And so, I was really shocked that they were more offended that this was how the category was shaking out. But they were happy.
I was not happy. I hated how that went. But when I do...
So, I also do pageantry. Which I think I'm one of the only kings in the city that not only does competitions but does pageantry.
(Cunning) Great question. So, a competition is smaller. And like a local group or organization puts it on. You can win a title like you're the winner of that season of that competition. But a pageant is a registered with a pageant system.
So, they are more formal. They're more competitive. And people put more into these packages, I think. Yeah. And they're supposed to come with more prestige when you win. But with my...
I'm not going to talk shit about my...
(Cunning) No, I'm in an interview. No… I've not really done much as Mr. Gay United States NYC with my crown. And I have that crown until next fall.
(Cunning) So, it's my responsibility to hold prelims for Mr. Gay United States NYC Masculine Illusion for next year. It's my job to cast and find and have compete a guy to go fill this spot.
But it takes a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of travel to compete in nationals. And I just don't know any kings off the top of my head who I think would want to go.