#DragQueenHistory during 2034 12

Hey, sugarplums! Emma here, ready to whisk you all away on another fabulous time-travelling adventure! This month, my magical pink tutu took me on a whirlwind trip back to… December 2034!

Can you believe it’s been 15 years since we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Pride in London? Time truly flies when you’re having fun! Well, not quite “fun” for me this month, because the 12th of December in 2034 was… frankly, a little bit of a downer.

You see, in 2034, the world of drag was in a bit of a funk. The scene had been experiencing a slump. Big budget drag productions, while technically brilliant, seemed to have lost their edge. They were shiny, yes, but a bit… predictable. And sadly, that year, many independent drag artists felt overshadowed by the blockbuster shows. There seemed to be a bit of a creative block.

This is why my time-travelling heart ached a little. Drag was struggling to find its groove, its spark, and my little pink tutu heart just knew that everyone, especially those who weren’t part of the mainstream drag world, were desperately yearning for something new, something that would ignite that spark!

So what was happening in the drag world in December 2034?

Well, the big story that week was the DragCon Tokyo extravaganza! I absolutely adore DragCon, it’s like drag’s Glastonbury, but with sequins and platforms! It was a whirlwind of workshops, panels, and of course, absolutely stunning shows. The Haus of Kiki, from Osaka, won the Queen of the Universe competition! Talk about a drag superstar in the making!

However, the independent scene in Tokyo, particularly in the more traditional Japanese style called Kabuki Drag , felt underexposed, especially during the DragCon chaos.

In New York City, meanwhile, the New York Drag Festival, was reaching fever pitch. The big name shows were amazing! Vanessa Vanjie was on fire! Her act was fierce! But sadly, the city's burgeoning “ New School Drag" was struggling for recognition. They felt drowned out by the “big name” queens, you know?

And in London? Things were actually looking pretty positive! The iconic Queens of the Court , the biggest annual drag production was going strong! The production had taken a rather… let’s say "interesting" turn. They decided to stage the show inside the National Gallery!

Don’t get me wrong, the production itself was visually magnificent! However, this decision to go for “art history drag” sparked a fierce debate in the UK's drag community. There was a group who loved it, praising it for embracing new ideas and pushing the boundaries. However, there were also a significant number of queens who thought the new direction was, well, not a little bit pompous! They felt the show lost its connection to the gritty roots of the drag community and became too… theatrical, like those big budget shows I was telling you about.

As I toured these scenes, something became abundantly clear: there was a lot of creativity, passion, and energy out there, but they weren't quite flowing in the right directions. The bigger shows were amazing, but lacked that little extra somethin’ somethin’, that edge. The indie scene needed that push into the limelight. And let’s be honest, the Pink Tutu of December 2034 could have used a bit of…well, Pink Tutu energy, you know what I mean?

This is what got me thinking about *why the drag scene needed that spark. *Why had things seemed to get so stale so quickly? It’s an issue that has popped up again and again in my time travels, it's like the drag community has this “let’s do it again” cycle! There was the incredible innovation of the 90s, and then things seemed to plateau, you know? We were stuck in the “glitz and glamour” era for what seemed like ages. Then we got that “RuPaul’s Drag Race" boom! It felt like a giant leap forward and a fresh wave of drag culture that energized the whole scene.

Now, 15 years on from the “Drag Race” explosion, it feels like it's happened all over again! So why?

It all goes back to how we, as a community, support, inspire and propel each other forward!

It’s not just about DragCon and big-budget shows, it’s about connection. The drag community in 2034 was facing a crossroads, the future wasn’t necessarily the continuation of the past! And sometimes, I find in my travels, we’re so busy looking to the past or future, that we forget to take a moment, and really be in the NOW and see the true talent and energy around us. We’re in the midst of such a diverse, incredible explosion of creative talent.

Just like the "new wave" of drag in 2019, a lot of the new voices, new ideas and new energies, are happening on the streets! A lot of this, I'm sad to say, had fallen into the shadows because everyone's focus was on these big spectacle shows.

This, of course, makes me even more committed to my mission: to get every single person wearing a pink tutu! That's right, sugarplums! It's not about changing the world; it's about showing that there's more to it than what we think! My pink tutu stands for fun, confidence, and pushing boundaries. So the next time you’re wondering what to wear to a drag show, ditch that boring old dress and grab a pink tutu!

Oh, and one more thing before I go! This week's #pinktutuhaul is an absolute dream! Check out www.pink-tutu.com for details!

Until next time, darlings, remember: drag is for everyone! Now go out there and embrace your inner pink tutu!

💖💕✨