Walking into the 3rd annual DragCon at the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend, I expected to see a lot of what I saw right off the bat: Tiara vendors, totebags screaming "YAAAAAAS," RuPaul's Drag Race and World of Wonder branding, thick pink carpeting, Jeffree Star phone charging stations, and 20-fuckin-dollar-lobster-rolls being sold in the direct sun by the entryway.As the day went on, I forgot my expectations. I became obsessed with the way so many drag icons were shielded by bodyguards while they maneuvered through the crowds of 40,000. People of all genders kept screaming and grasping for stray fallen hairs—occasionally trying to squeeze a hand of their idol in passing. This is what I imagine Michael Jackson went through in the sequin glove era.
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I did not expect to see so much youth. I'm not talking about youthful energy—which there was a ton of—but I mean actual children, like middle school age and younger, waiting in lines that snaked around corners for hours to meet, air-kiss, and hug their favorite queens.The schedule was filled with the sort of programming that you'd expect from RuPaul: "Wig-ography: A Master Class," "Tucking 101," live tapings of tv shows. But other panels were different, and that surprised me. Where drag is about fantasy—these were about surviving as a queer person in the current political climate. "What Is Drag In Trump's America" discussed the challenges and opportunities of doing drag under this administration, while "The Truth About Trolls" focused on proud trans women in the drag scene and how to thrive in a world filled with social media meanies. Youth-specific panels spoke on young adult fiction, television stars, coming out stories, and Drag Queen Story Time.The positivity and lightness felt at RuPaul's DragCon was a welcome distraction from every day life. This wasn't just a space to celebrate the superficial distraction of drag—it was about diversity, community, acceptance, and a cute vision of what the future holds. I've been around since before the "trans tipping point," and when I grew up—I had nothing like this to look to for fun, or to find confidence in the freedom of expression.
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I've been photographing LGBT communities all of my adult life. I've been moved countless times by the individuals who I've photographed; transgender people who dare to live every day, despite this country. Seeing drag queens and trans women out—below the same bright daylight warming those lobster rolls—I felt hopeful. But when I realized how many young kids idolize and support queer, non-binary and trans artists and performers—the future began to feel a little less scary to me.All Photos by Amos Mac.
