The world of ‘Drag’ culture is something foreign to many people. I want to shed light on this unique community of talented artists in the next installment for my Stories of Sexuality and Gender series.
Nina Flowers was born Jorge Luis Flores S?nchez.?He is a makeup artist, DJ, activist, and is best known for being a contestant on the inaugural season of Rupaul’s Drag Race.
For those that may be unfamiliar, Rupaul is a legendary pioneer for the LGBT community, becoming famous for his beautiful appearance as a Drag Queen, and his bubbly and endearing personality. This reality show has become quite a success for the LOGO channel which is geared towards the LGBT and ally audience. Nina Flowers helped catapult the show into stardom, becoming one of its most talked about and intriguing figures. I had the great opportunity of interviewing Ms. Flowers recently.
Me: Ms. Flowers. Could you tell everyone where you were born and raised?
Ms. Flowers: I was born and raised in the city of Bayam?n, in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico.
Me: When did you first realize you were “different” as far as your sexual orientation and also your interest in women’s impersonation? Did one revelation come first?
Ms. Flowers: I knew I was gay at a very young age, and even before I became a teenager.??My interest in the art of transformation started when I was 19 years old.
Me: Could you describe for everyone what you would say the difference is between being a Drag Queen and being transgender or transsexual?
Ms. Flowers: In my opinion ‘Drag’ is an art form, and being Transgendered is someone that’s born and to a degree trapped in a different gender than how they truly identify, with Tran-sexuality being someone that has completed the process of changing their sex.
Me: Carmen Carrera has made a lot of attention because of her transition from female impersonator to being a woman on a daily basis now. Do you think there’s a place in the ‘Drag’ community for women who have transitioned? Why or why not?
Ms. Flowers: As a whole and if meant to be inclusive, I don’t?really believe it should be called the ‘Drag’ community, but rather an Entertainers? community. In my opinion, any individual who goes through the process of gender change is no longer considered a Drag Queen. However, at the end of the day Carmen Carrera started as an entertainer, and she remains in the field of entertainment.
Me: How did your Puerto Rican roots play a role in your LGBT experience? Did you ever feel more pressure to hide who you were because of your family/background/etc?
Ms. Flowers: The Machismo in the Latino culture is very intense. There is definitely a lot of pressure. I personally struggled a lot during my adolescence trying to hide my true identity in order to avoid being bullied and rejected by others. As for my family, I am very lucky to have a family that loved me and supported me from day one!
Me: You have made friends with a lot of fellow Drag Queens throughout the years. How do you think your experiences have been shaped by being a double minority (LGBT and Puerto Rican) in the United States? In comparison to your white LGBT counterparts?
Ms. Flowers: I think it has been to my advantage because I have turned every relationship into a cultural experience. I’ve learned from others and in turn I let others learn from me. I’ve never placed myself in a box as a minority.??I am what I am without labels.
Me: You were famously a contestant on season 1 of Rupaul’s Drag Race. Rupaul and the show has received some criticism for its common use of terms like “bitch” and “c–t” and other things that some may see as degrading, especially towards females. How do you respond to this? Is this just an acceptable part of ‘Drag’ culture?
Ms. Flowers: Words are just words! It really depends on the power a person decides to place upon those words.??In my opinion harm, is created and dependent on the tone and situation on how the words are used.
Me: How has ‘Drag’ culture changed since you first started performing? Do you think it has become more acceptable to the mainstream?
Ms. Flowers: We have come a long way.??It has evolved tremendously and I believe it’s definitely way more acceptable!
Me: If you could tell the general public who may not know a lot about ‘Drag Life’, one thing, what would it be?
Ms. Flowers: ‘Drag’ is Art. We do what we do to entertain the masses. If you have never given yourself the chance to go to one of our shows, you don’t know what you’re missing.??Make up, wigs, costumes, acting, and dancing; when you put them all together we create magic. 😉
Ms. Flowers has been in the business for a long time. The evolving dynamic of the ‘Drag’ community has been a beautiful thing. More draq queens have weaved their way into the media and become loved by millions. There is still much discussion surrounding performers like Ms. Flowers, and then the people who struggle everyday with being transgender and transsexual. It is different, but there are similarities. Dealing with not being accepted, intolerance, ignorance, and sometimes violence, can make life very difficult for people who step outside the socially constructed gender norms. Through Drag and shows like Rupaul’s Drag Race, these minorities can have a voice; we begin to see more of them and subsequently, we love them! Thank you to Ms. Flowers for her time and for helping to make ‘Drag’ so popular. Oh, and I definitely agree with her last sentiments; if you haven’t gone to a Drag Show, you should! It is an eye-opening and highly entertaining experience!
edited by Kyla Davis
