The DRAG DIVAS of TAIWAN
It is the last Friday night before the lunar new year. Backstage at Taipei’s most renowned gay club, G*star, makeup utensils, palettes, and false eyelashes lie scattered across the table. The evening’s performers are busy putting the finishing touches to their makeup as someone in the room yells: “Where is my wig?!”
Tonight is the final of Make A Diva season two, a Taiwanese version of RuPaul’s Drag Race, celebrating the island nation’s burgeoning drag scene. Aired on YouTube channel FJ234, the race features eight talented drag queens battling for the title in a month-long competition.
Tonight’s lip-sync performance is a crowded gig, thanks to Taiwan’s success in keeping coronavirus at bay. Outside the entrance, trendy young men are waiting to enter in a queue that stretches for two blocks. Some of them never manage to squeeze in. For the production team of , the enthusiastic reception for their show has proved one thing: the drag queen scene in Taiwan has never been stronger — something that can in part be put down to the country’s LGBTQ+ credentials which set it apart from
