American drag legend Sasha Velour launches her debut book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag (HarperCollins) on her new tour “The Big Reveal Live Show!” which presents an evening of drag performances, storytelling and an public audience Q&A in Montreal on May 4.
The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag weaves memoir, history and theory as Velour explores the rich history and revolutionary spirit of drag. Along the way she chronicles her own journey and history of queer life that made her career possible. The Big Reveal also features photos and original artwork by the Season 9 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
“I can’t believe I wrote a book without a ghostwriter!” quips Sasha who identifies as gender-fluid and uses she and they pronouns out of drag.
We recently sat down for a candid Q&A.
Why did you write The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag?
I wrote The Big Reveal to share my story of what being a drag artist is all about. I also wanted to reveal who the person underneath the drag is, all the layers from the history that inspired me to the family that made me the person I am to the community that keeps my art alive.
Did writing your book begin as a COVID-pandemic project?
I started right before the pandemic, so it was the perfect project to work on when things were shut down. It took me three years to write. I researched the history of drag and combined that with my own story, my family history, my experiences, how I became a drag queen. Writing this book is the most challenging thing I’ve ever done.
Do you want to help preserve queer and drag history?
That’s my hope. Like I’ve said onstage and on RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag performers have been the oral historians of queer history – of our radical history in particular – and of the art that’s always existed. We dip our toe into mainstream culture time and again, but usually the full story doesn’t come through. Drag taken out of context seems like something new. That’s not the case at all. Even from an artistic standpoint everything has been done before. Especially from a political one. It shows that drag and queer expression is part of world culture. So I feel the task of preserving it and telling those stories and getting them down on the page is for everyone, not just the queer community, although we really need it. Drag is part of everyone’s culture, like it or not.
What do you think of the mainstreaming of drag?
I got to witness the transformation of Drag Race to basic cable. I was shocked to discover just how many drag artists have been part of mainstream culture in the past like turn-of-the-20th-century figure Julian Eltinge who had one of the first makeup empires as a drag performer.
Truth is, there’s always been a little distance between the queer community, radical drag and the most commercially successful drag that brings people together and creates employment structures outside of institutions where queer and trans people can be fully themselves and can employ each other and create all this interesting art. There has been crossover between mainstream drag entertainment and this radical world but I feel now people are trying to bridge that even more.
The mainstreaming obviously has some downsides. Trying to market something for everyone always has limitations. But I think more than ever we see it as a strategy for bringing truth about queer people and trans people to the public eye. I don’t think that was ever so true.
What do you think about anti-drag legislation in America?
The scariest thing is anti-drag legislation is being used to restrict trans people and non-binary people in real life. We will always find a stage for drag, but we want our community to be safe in real life. Anti-drag legislation is a smokescreen for fears about queer people existing. Certain people don’t want us to exist or have equal rights. It’s connected to that. I hope that people who have enjoyed drag through TV or at shows who aren’t part of the community feel like they are a part of the community enough to stand up for drag and say clearly what it is and is not to their friends and families. Drag and queer people are part of the culture and we should make room for that to exist, not try to stamp it out.
Does anti-drag legislation scare you about performing in places like Tennessee?
Honestly it makes me want to perform more! I think we have to keep putting on shows and keep making ourselves visible for young queer people who need to see drag and queer adults living happy lives so they can have hope for themselves.
Are you an artist who happens to be gender-fluid or are you a gender-fluid artist?
That’s an interesting question. On some level this world will always see me as a gender-fluid artist. It would be a great privilege to be an artist who just happens to be gender-fluid. The truth is, it’s a very visible part of who I am and how I do art. I’ve always dreamt of gender-fluidity. Maybe someday that won’t be such a big deal.
You grew up in a very supportive family. What was your personal coming out experience like?
I came out a few times: as bisexual in high school, then as a gay man, then as a drag queen, and then as gender-fluid. I’m grateful that my family grew up in the San Francisco area where both my parents were around queer people and hippie activism. My mom was a trans-inclusive feminist. We’ve all been learning new things together.
You received an MFA in cartooning in 2013 from the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont. How do the visual arts influence your drag?
Oh my gosh, so much! I was drawing artwork and comics about drag before I became a drag queen. To this day I still sketch out every look and performance like a comic book and then bring it to life. I loved learning about comics because I was always interested in visual storytelling, first and foremost. It helps me think a lot in terms of shape and proportion and colour. I feel those are great tools for a stage performer.
You met your life partner Johnny Velour (a.k.a. John Jacob Lee) in Vermont when he was acting in a production of Annie. Could you tell us how you met and fell in love?
We met in a straight bar in this small town and immediately recognized each other as queers, hit up a conversation, he gave me his business card, and we went out on a drinks-and-dessert date the next day. From the beginning we talked about our love of drag, interesting art and theatre. He is by far the most gay person I have ever met. We do everything together. I could not pull off these productions without Johnny.
In addition to the public Q&A portion of your show, what can your fans expect to see on this tour?
Since it’s called The Big Reveal, I figured I had to come up with some pretty outrageous performances. I have about five plans for this show.
How do you feel when people call you a living legend – because you are, Sasha.
I feel like I need a few more years putting on great drag to truly qualify as a living legend. But I’ll take it! You know, there’s a quick turnover in the drag scene. So it means I’ve been around for a while, and I wear every one of those years and wrinkles with a great deal of pride.
Sasha Velour headlines MTelus in Montreal (May 4), Ottawa (May 5) and Toronto (May 6) to launch her book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag (HarperCollins). Ninety-minute show, no intermission. VIP tickets include art prints from the book and a meet-and-greet photo-op with Velour before the show. Books are not included with ticket purchase but can be bought in the venue lobby. Tickets and info: www.sashavelour.com.
