A different greeting: Lithuanian “drag” queens greet “drag” mothers | Names

Vytautė Strumilaitė, the coordinator of the Drag events and the brand manager of Balaganza, says that the idea of ​​creating such a video came about because people in Lithuania still know little about this culture and its history.

“In Lithuania, this culture is still very young and only developing. Even if people have heard what dragging is, we note that in society this concept is often shrouded in various myths and stereotypes, and a lot of misleading information. I think due to the fact that there is not much talk about it in Lithuania, people often don’t know what norms or phenomena prevail in this culture, “says Vytautė.

“Precisely because people can get to know each other more closely,” touch “with their own eyes and form an opinion on what” dragging “is, together with music performer Tomas Alenčikas, we started to organize very successful monthly” dragging “events at the Soho Club in Vilnius in September. “Says Vytautė.

However, the organizer of the events declares that she not only wants to create a culture of “drag” in Lithuania and give the performers of this art space to perform, but also to speak about this culture in Lithuania more widely. , more and more often. “Therefore, we always try to find opportunities to talk about what’s important, tell stories to people and present them to as many people as possible. This culture can really be very inspiring,” shares Vytautė.

Drag Mothers are just one of the phenomena of this culture, whose formation was highly influenced by discrimination Queer cultural difficulties in the seventies and eighties. It was during this period that House Drag became very popular in the United States. Drag home), where experienced drag queens, the so-called drag mothers, embraced and taught the art of dragging to young gay men who wanted to get involved in this field of art and were often driven from their homes.

As such situations are less and less common in today’s world, it can be said that the concept of “drag” mother adapts and acquires different meanings. But despite everything, even a newcomer to the art of trawling needs emotional support, which can best be provided by a trailing mother.

Asked if Balaganza can be called home, Vytautė replied that he had not thought about it and never mentioned it, but he admits that these events really came very close to the queens who often appear on the Soho stage. “The official Drag House I know so far is a so-called Saiko House,” shares Vytautė.

Trailed mothers and biological mothers are not the same, but their primary mission and responsibilities do not differ much. For young and novice drag artists, they actually perform the duties of a mother: they provide emotional support, support, help shape the artist’s personality, teach the subtleties of drag culture, and share their wisdom. They are like mentors on the journey of a young drag creator.

We invite you to watch a short video in which drag queens Vanda Saiko, Aura and Hime Umiko Saiko greet their drag mothers and share personal stories.