San Francisco has crowned its first drag laureate D’Arcy Drollinger, the owner of one of the city’s most popular LGBTQ+ nightclub, Oasis.
According to CBS News, “the position of drag laureate, established for a duration of two years with a $55,000 stipend, emerged from the LGBTQ+ Cultural Heritage Task Force’s comprehensive 2020 report.”
When the pandemic hit, Drollinger started Oasis Art, a nonprofit that sought to support queer artists in the Bay Area. The organization piloted ‘Meals on Heels,’ which provided San Francisco residents with a hot meal and cocktails and a socially-distant drag show, all delivered by local drag queens. It provided work for drag queens who would’ve otherwise had no performance prospects during lockdown.
San Fran mayor London Breed appointed Drollinger, a decision that has brought light to the trans community during a time of nationwide conflict.
“We’ve witnessed drag bans and drag queens being prohibited from performing in public,” Honey Mahogany, a local drag queen, activist and politician told CBS. “It’s a frightening situation because we know that these bans not only harm drag queens, but can also affect the lives of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in their daily experiences.”
Drollinger said her role as the city’s ambassador to the city’s LGBTQ+ community will seek to continue her “mission to uplift fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community and spread joy throughout the city.”
“This role builds bridges and creates partnerships while elevating and celebrating the art of drag,” said Drollinger.
Featured photo: D’Arcy Drollinger, San Francisco Drag Laureate (Image by Rachel Z Photography)
