Humans of OUTniagara
During the 2019 Wine Festival Parade, drag performers were invited to march as a way of representing Niagara’s inclusive community. The parade has never before offered a group of drag performers to join. It was a wonderfully progressive step for this community. As an amateur drag king, I was excited to have the opportunity to join this group. I was with drag performers Dee Love, Karma Kira and Chase Hart.
While I had dressed myself up in drag as a male impersonator to attend shows I had never done it in front of people who I knew were watching. I wasn’t just blending in with the crowd, I was on display with everyone else and it was the first time.
The experience was mostly positive with lots of compliments for all drag performers participating. Lots of people asked for pictures and everyone got wonderful compliments on their outfits. While we experienced a few negative comments from parade watchers, it was mostly positive. We simply smiled and waved and the people showing negativity and did not let it bruise our pride.
The experience was mostly surreal to me as I smiled, waved and rolled my chair along with everyone else. Using a wheelchair for mobility sets me apart from people in many ways so I felt extra self-conscious. The fellow drag performers with me, as well as parade staff, were very inclusive and allowed me to feel part of the group. Thank you, Niagara and fellow drag performers, for a fantastic experience.
– Sarah Hirniak (Ben Dover)
Humans of OUTniagara
