WERKIN’ GIRLS

IN A CULTURAL MOMENT where RuPaul’s Drag Race is bringing unprecedented attention—and revenue—to drag, there remains an open question in the nightlife scene: How can the spoils of the drag boom be shared equitably among performers, even those who don’t have millions of followers on Instagram and lucrative Netflix deals?

The reality is that while winners like Trixie Mattel and Bianca Del Rio are booking sold-out shows across the country, drag remains a labor of love for many performers who may struggle to get paid on time, if at all. In a 2018 deep dive into the economics of the industry, reported that the vast majority of performers are booked through Facebook and Twitter direct messages, usually without a written contract. Because the deal isn’t binding, clubs and promoters can cancel a performer’s slot at any time for any reason. In fact, a drag performer