Behind the Glitz and Glamor of Drag

Article by: John Marvin Corsino, Anessa Denise Grey, and Hailey Jade Miranda

Graphics by: Marcell Patricio and Chalxiene May B. Koh

On a brightly decorated stage, accompanied by flashing lights and blasting music, strikingly sharp silhouettes stand preparing for their grandiose entrances. Drag is often a masterclass in creativity and high-energy performances, but what lies beneath the humor and spectacle is a fierce clawing and grasping of things so close, yet so far.

As Mapúa University (MU) and the whole world celebrate Pride Month, the Council of Organizations showcased the excellence of Mapúan drag queens in the Drag Race Sustainable Wear Fashion Show, “Vanguard in Vogue: AFLAME,” last May 23 at the Intramuros Campus Gymnasium. Now, the lights have dimmed, and the stage swept clean, but the stories and fights of these rainbow warriors rage on.

The Royalty: Ms. Veescious

Photo by: Jerome Ian B. Marcos

For many, drag begins with glittering gowns, towering heels, and makeup sharp enough to cut through the spotlight. But for Ms. Veescious, every perfectly blended contour and gravity-defying death drop carries a message that extends far beyond the stage. Behind the dazzling persona is Mervin Harley V. Baniqued, a non-binary artist who proudly embraces authenticity both in and out of drag. "I am part of the LGBTQIA+ community and identify myself as a non-binary person," Veescious shares. "Kahit anong pronouns, I can deal with it."

With confidence as fierce as every runway strut, Ms. Veescious transforms drag into a celebration of identity, proving that the boldest thing anyone can wear is the courage to be unapologetically themselves.

Inspired by internationally recognized queens such as Laganja Estranja and Khianna with a K, Ms. Veescious found a space where creativity knows no limits. Rather than following rigid standards of beauty or performance, drag became a canvas for freedom. "My inspirations are how drag queens do stunts, lip sync, and do makeup with no standards. It's more of them showing and embracing themselves," Veescious explains.

Drawn to the artistry of stunt performances, the queen built a reputation for electrifying routines that combine athleticism with theatrical storytelling. Yet beyond the breathtaking flips and dramatic reveals, lies something even more captivating—a performer encouraging others to embrace who they are without fear of judgment.

Away from the spotlight, drag has profoundly shaped how Ms. Veescious sees life and people. The culture has fostered empathy, challenged assumptions, and encouraged openness in a world often quick to judge appearances. "It teaches me... don't judge a book by its cover," Veescious says, adding that drag has made them more open-minded toward different identities, experiences, and conversations. Those lessons have also strengthened personal resilience, reminding the performer that confidence grows through self-acceptance. For Ms. Veescious, drag is not simply a persona worn for a performance—it reflects living authentically every single day.

While audiences often admire the glamour, Ms. Veescious hopes they recognize the dedication and meaning behind every performance. "The essence of drag is about celebrating the art and expression of every queen," the drag artist explains. At the same time, the performer acknowledges the challenges local drag artists continue to face, noting that many are overlooked if they have not yet gained national recognition.

Rather than focusing on fame, however, the queen urges audiences to appreciate the artistry itself. "Even if sabihin mong lip sync lang 'yan," Veescious adds, "may mga nagstu-stunt, dancing... maraming elements of being a drag artist." Behind every performance are countless hours of preparation, creativity, discipline, and heart—qualities that deserve applause long before mainstream recognition arrives.

As Pride Month shines a light on visibility and equality, Ms. Veescious believes drag has always been more than entertainment—it is an act of protest wrapped in sequins. "Drag is a protest," Veescious declares, explaining that every performance carries a deeper meaning beyond applause. Citing the message behind the performance piece Dilaw, the queen hopes audiences learn not to become blind to the realities surrounding society today. "Huwag tayong maging bulag sa katotohanan," Veescious says.

Reflecting on the legacy of the Stonewall movement, the performer also reminds people that the fight for equality has never been limited to one community. "We wanted to fight for the rights to have equality and be protected by people. Hate crime should not be a hobby," Veescious emphasizes. Through every fearless performance, dazzling look, and unapologetic statement, Ms. Veescious continues to prove that true drag royalty does not merely serve glamour—it serves truth, resilience, and hope.

The Voice: Krottting

Photo by: Jedidiah Carell E. Guiyab

Kurt John Axl Navarro, or Krottting—yes, it has 3 ‘t’s—when in glam, is a 4th year Multimedia Arts student who likes to mix things up. Full of dualities, Kurt balances life as a student and a drag artist, blending their unique artistic identity with the broader community cause. Kurt sees their drag persona as an extension of their multimedia artistry, using their academic background to elevate their striking stage identity with impactful visual storytelling.

Before the emergence of Krottting, Kurt saw drag culture through a cynical lens. “Kasi nung una is… parang naipakita sa akin na puro negative yung nasa environment ng drag, which is yung sa Drag Race ng UK or RuPaul's Drag Race. Kasi mayroon pala doong part na kung saan, alam mo yun, mag-aaway yung mga bakla,” said Kurt in retrospect. Fortunately, college proved to be an undeniable testing ground, where Kurt developed an interest and love for dressing up.

With this newfound pursuit, Kurt was introduced to the local drag community by another drag artist, Jessie WannaLuvMi James. Over the years, Kurt was immersed in the culture and personally met several prominent drag queens, who encouraged Kurt’s flourishing makeup skills. Besides natural talent, Kurt attributes a significant portion of their success to their parents and sister for loving and supporting them as they embraced this new identity.

Kurt shares how their family inspired them to grow and be the best version of themselves, “sila yung parang naging strength or naging reason kung bakit parang super confident ko… sila yung nagtutulong sa akin, suporta financially din sa pag-ano ng makeup ko, sa pag-ano ng mga damit ko.” And thus, in May 2024, Krottting was born and stepped into the limelight for the first time.

As a queen, Krottting is defined by their showstopping visual storytelling, using their body, clothing, and the entire runway as a canvas to paint a picture of a performance. And yet, despite their very individualistic style, Krottting is grounded in the community’s collective reality. For Krottting, the glitter and glamor serve as a visual megaphone, and their visibility as performers carries the weight of a larger responsibility—to broadcast, as loudly as possible, the shared struggles of the people around them.

Krottting takes the stage only to amplify Kurt's voice and advocacy, who believes that drag is not only for the spectacle of the show but an inherently political endeavor. “Hindi lahat ng mga drag artist or yung drag performances namin is more on about sexy, more on about funny-funny lang. Sana maitatak din sa kanilang [mga] ulo na kahit funny-funny siya, kahit sexy-sexy siya, may message pa rin siya na ipinapahiwatig namin sa mga tao,” says Kurt, to drag antagonizers. Kurt believes that drag can be a medium for not only entertainment, but significant societal change, saying, “ito yung nagbibigay-saya, at the same time nagbibigay-boses sa mga taong hindi kayang bumoses.” And as many issues remain unsolved in the meantime, Kurt, dressed as Krottting, uses their platform to give voice to those who are unable to speak for themselves.

The Phoenix: Jo Ignis De Vante

Photo by: Jedidiah Carell E. Guiyab

To the queen known as Jo Ignis De Vante, drag allows her to amplify the flames of truth, and light the way for those in the darkness. This persona was unexpectedly brought to life by Jo-Irene “Jo” C. Miguel, a creative Senior High School (SHS) student with a penchant for advocacy and public speaking. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, she aspires to promote queer rights and social harmony through her work in the Mapúa SHS – The Glee Club and The Cardinal Print—MU’s Official SHS Student Publication. Unbeknownst to her, these endeavors will not be the only platforms where her craft shines.

Jo’s interest in drag flourished with the encouragement of her fellow Glee Club members. “They [Glee Club members] saw me as like, someone na vocal and I spoke... a lot about politics and the government,” Jo shared. In particular, Jo uses social media platforms such as TikTok to raise awareness of current social issues and share public speaking tips. This experience with social media, as well as support from her orgmates, gave Jo the confidence to join Vanguard on Vogue: Aflame—her very first drag competition.

To Jo, her participation in the competition was a chance to promote social consciousness among the audience. In her transformation into Jo Ignis De Vante, she described, “Gusto ko talaga magpakita po as, like, very fierce but also a really active person.” Her goal was not just to captivate the audience with her charm, but also to alarm them about our present society. “Gusto ko [...] mag-salita talaga, [at] i-mention lahat ng gusto ko, kung ano ba talaga meron sa government,” she stated.

Preparing for the competition was no easy feat for Jo. She recalls binge-watching multiple episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race to learn from the voguing performances of the competing drag queens. Upon applying these to Jo Ignis De Vante, she found that her gestures and her sashay needed the most work. Having competed in a straight gown, she had to master exaggerated hand gestures to convey her desired feistiness.

When asked about the inspiration behind the fiery Jo Ignis De Vante, Jo likened her persona to that of a phoenix: to burn with a flame that shines even brighter when attempted to be put out. “So, what I want [them to see] is that I'm on fire and I want to be [...] shining and shining through the light and become reborn.”

Despite being completely new to the dazzling world of drag, Jo Ignis De Vante shone like she already owned it. To her, the essence of drag is to, “…be politically aware, or maging aware ka lang sa surroundings mo and kung ano ba talaga yung nangyayari.” As such, Jo sees drag as both a medium of entertainment and a form of enlightenment. “So, para sa akin, if you love entertaining a lot of people, [and] nag-perform ka ng something that helps people to be politically aware, makakatulong yun sa kanila,” Jo exclaimed.

Yes, glitz, glam, and grounding flames of power were important to this queen. But what truly mattered most was using her platform to spark positive change within her community. As such, Jo admires her fellow queens who share their pageant benefits with marginalized sectors. “...that's one of the things that I really love about them. Kasi yung mga ginagamit nilang pera for the pageants that they won, [sa charities] po nila dino-donate.” To Jo, drag can be mobilized to encourage people to support each other. At the end of the day, drag queen or not, we are all humans who deserve to burn bright in a world that accepts us.

Ms. Veescious, Krottting, and Jo Ignis de Vante are only three among hundreds of drag artists in the country today. The stories and experiences of these queens reveal that drag is a stage for both picturesque performance and passionate protest. Amidst the socio-political turmoil present in our society, these queens show up to fight for a better world while living their everyday lives, reminding us that beauty is still all around.

Human rights are the center of every discourse in the modern world. In truth, the equality and inclusivity promised by many countries’ constitutions remain unfulfilled. Civil unions, anti-discrimination, freedom of expression, poverty, and corruption—the people of the LGBTQIA+ community still fight for their many causes, and while progress has never been quicker, the surface is still barely scratched.

We see exquisite makeup applications and captivating acts for our audiences—ultimately letting us know that, through drag, we can sashay into a future where we can be proud of ourselves and our society.