By Rebecca Drew
THIS YOUNG woman wants to show that drag isn’t just for gay men after being inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race to become a FEMALE DRAG QUEEN.
Assistant manager, Parker (21) from Orlando, Florida, USA, had always been a fan of all things to do with theatre and makeup whilst growing up so when she first watched RuPaul’s Drag Race at 19 she was soon hooked on the magic of drag and started to explore how she could become a drag queen as a female.
Taking inspiration from the hit television series, Parker started imitating the makeup of her favourite queens; Brian Michael Firkus’ Trixie Mattel and Matt James Lent’s Pearl Liaison but through Twitter she was introduced to other women who were into drag and she hasn’t let her gender hold her back from pursuing her passion.
It can take Parker up to three-hours to transform into her fabulous alter-ego, Polly Amory, and she has recently started performing lip sync routines as part of her act.
“When I was 19, my manager suggested I watch RuPaul’s Drag Race because she thought I would like it. So, I started watching it that week and became obsessed,” she said.
“I’ve always been a big fan of theatre and makeup so drag felt like a continuation of my love for those things.
“I wanted to try and emulate the makeup of some of my favourite RuGirls, so I just started doing makeup on myself at home.
“I enjoy playing with different styles, but my favourite looks to do are probably when I try to recreate looks from other queens. Everyone has a different way to do their makeup, so you learn so many cool tricks by trying to follow someone else’s makeup routine.
“I also get the chance to find out which shapes I think look best on my features by trying out so many different looks.
“One of my main inspirations when I first started doing drag makeup was Trixie Mattel. I loved how intense her makeup was, and I found myself trying to imitate it very often when I first started out.
“I also used Pearl’s makeup as a reference a lot when I first started doing drag because she always looks stunning. I also get a lot of inspiration from local queens.
“Through twitter I was introduced to the concept of female drag queens pretty quickly after getting into drag, so there was never really a time I thought I couldn’t do drag and enjoy as a female.
“I usually give myself anywhere between two to three hours to get completely ready. Once I finish my makeup, I have to get a wig and outfit ready.
“When I was trying to think of a drag name, I knew I wanted to find a pun name that was also just a cute name. So, one night I randomly thought of Polly Amory, which fit my criteria.
“Polyamory is basically when you have multiple partners or relationships at the same time, and everyone is aware and consenting. Cheating is not being polyamorous.”
Parker loves the process of transforming herself into Polly Amory and loves the fact that she can take on a whole new persona when she is Polly and immersing herself into the world of drag means she has met lots of new likeminded friends who can appreciate her talent for the artform.
Most importantly, Parker wants to show the world that drag isn’t just for gay men but for those who were assigned female at birth and transgender too.
“I like the whole process of getting into drag and going out as almost a whole different person. I’ve been able to meet a lot of new people and form a lot of friendships because of drag,” she said.
“Everyone is going to receive criticism for things they do. You just have to realise that no matter what you do, someone won’t like your makeup, or your outfit, or your whatever.
“As long as you’re happy with how you look and what you’ve created, then that’s what matters.
“I want to convey the message that drag isn’t just for gay men. Anyone can do drag as long as they’re willing to put in the effort it takes.
“AFAB (Assigned Female At Birth), trans, and gender non-conforming performers put so much effort into their craft but hardly get the recognition they deserve compared to the amount of recognition given to white gay males who do drag.”
For more information see www.instagram.com/thepollyamory
