We'll Carry On: Portland Pride Waterfront Festival's Drag King Hour

On any given day, you are more likely to find me at the local hardcore show rather than a drag show. I am, admittedly, a bit disconnected from the local drag scene in Portland. It is not that I don’t appreciate drag. I definitely recognize the importance of drag in our culture and, as a trans person, I know drag has given so many opportunities for my trans siblings to discover and express themselves as well as build community.

I think, however, part of why I never connected as much with the drag community was, as a transmasculine person, I had not seen many drag performers with whom I could relate. Drag kings and things are often underrepresented in drag culture. That is why the Drag King Hour at the Pride Waterfront Festival was so important and why the performances resonated with me in a way I never would have anticipated going into the festival. My naïvety led to unexpected catharsis and opened my eyes to the various ways in which drag can be executed.

What I didn’t know going into the festival, however, was that this was an intentional act – Pride Northwest had people like myself in mind when they planned the Drag King Hour. Landon Cider was specifically chosen to host the drag king hour based on his advocacy work and the visibility he’s brought to drag kings. Prior to the festival, he held a workshop with the local kings and things, offering advice and sharing his knowledge with the community, and, though he was technically the “headliner”, he made sure to give the spotlight to our local kings and things who are already standing out in the community and creating opportunities for others.

Before the performance, I rolled backstage and, without ever hearing his name prior to the festival or knowing of his fame, introduced myself to Cider. Thankfully, Cider did not take offense to my naïvety in regards to his fame. I talked a bit with Cider and the rest of the performers while they were getting ready, but mostly just observed. I hadn’t anticipated just how many drag kings and things I was about to see on stage. I knew a couple of the performers from previous events, but there were also many faces that were new to me. Of the drag shows I have attended in the past, only a few had a drag king or thing and usually only one on a bill filled with queens. This was by far the greatest number of drag kings and things I had seen at one event. I had no idea what to expect, and quite frankly, was not prepared for the line up of powerful performances to come.

Cider had said he has built his career showing drag kings can be just as fierce as queens. As soon as he strode on stage, I could see that was true. Every moment of his performance was fierce. It wasn’t until I saw the audience’s cheers and reaction to him taking the stage that I realized that this was a very popular performer. After watching him perform, I understood why. His expressions were perfectly timed and punctuated and his presence commanding. Cider later sang “Volver, Volver”, a song popularized by the famous Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez and an ode to his Latino heritage. Hearing the raucous cheers from the audience and the voices singing along brought me to tears. Cider had prefaced his performance by stating his intent to reclaim the song once sung by an unfortunate homophobe and give those in the audience that grew up with the ranchera music a new memory of it. Though Cider had warned me that his rendition would be mediocre, I was blown away. Personally, I think he sang the song better than Fernandez himself and fulfilled his goal in reclaiming it and breathing new life into the classic anthem.

Aside from his own performances, Cider also introduced a host of local acts to the stage, each with their own distinct message and talent. Cruz Daniels, 2024’s Mx. Gay Pride, impressed with their exquisite choreography and dance moves while reminding everyone to Dream Big. WolfgangX stunned in their vintage 1970s fashion while fending off a sneaky devil. Willy Wankme gave an incredibly important, educational and entertaining performance demonstrating how to administer Narcan while tossing out packages of the life-saving medication to the audience.

My favorite performance, however, came at the end of the hour when Ed Du'Bull and his “Drag Things Bash Back” crew took to the stage and spoke directly to my emo kid heart. Without awareness of what was in store for the drag king performances, I had mentioned to one of the drag kings whilst backstage before the show that if I did drag, my drag persona would be very emo. When the first song of Du'Bull’s performance, “The End.” by My Chemical Romance, came on the speakers and Du'Bull entered the stage dressed in a Black Parade-inspired gown, it almost felt as if I had subconsciously manifested it earlier.

The song transitioned to “Dead!” and Du'Bull’s drag things crawled out from under his gown, each dressed in coordinating Black Parade-esque attire. Du'Bull’s black skirt later dropped to reveal skeleton-painted skinny jeans while his crew of drag things pranced around him on stage. During “House Of Wolves” the drag things fought off a hoard of “Trump-ettes”, eventually resulting in a defiant victory that transitioned into “Famous Last Words” as he lifted his comrades up off their knees. At the end of the performance during “Welcome To The Black Parade”, Du'Bull and his fellow kings and things unbuttoned their vests and revealed their top surgery scars in time with the lyrics “I’m unashamed, I’m gonna show my scar”. As a trans millennial who has been listening to My Chemical Romance since the early days, I had never thought of “Welcome To The Black Parade” as an allegory for trans pride and resilience, but in that moment it suddenly made sense why the song had resonated with me so much as a kid.

Du'Bull victoriously waved the trans flag at the end of the performance and behind him, a banner stating “Your bricks laid our foundation” unfurled. Written on the banner were the names of trans lives lost to hate and violence, a powerful reminder of those that came before us, why we are still here today and why, as the lyrics of “Welcome To The Black Parade” say, “Your memory will carry on. We’ll carry on.” I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore at this point. I was a complete wreck. Du'Bull’s performance healed my inner emo child in a way I didn’t even know I needed. The message of resilience, pride and perseverance Du'Bull carried throughout his performance moved and inspired me and I appreciated how Du’Bull threaded his message in with the history of Pride as a protest.

“Our whole reason for naming our group ‘Bash Back’ was to reconnect with how the first Pride was a riot, to the Bash Back movement and how we are stronger as a community,” Du’Bull explained.

That community strength is foundational. The Portland Pride Waterfront Festival may be over, but our pride, and our community, continue year-round. Many of the drag kings and things that blew me away at the festival performance regularly perform in the community. They create spaces for our community to express themselves, connect, and foster our strength. They continuously advocate and work to create experiences for audiences like myself, giving people a chance to see themselves represented and connect with their community. Regardless of your role in the community, whether you’re a performer, work behind-the-scenes or are an audience member, it’s important to also continuously show up, to build our strength as a community and create the foundation for Pride. Support your local performers, intentionally seek out underrepresented forms of drag and queer art, and stay connected with Pride Northwest, because Pride doesn’t end after the celebration. Our Pride is in community, connection and continuous support for one another-and it is every day.

-Jax Lamont

Queer Disability Advocate, Photographer, and Member of the Pride Northwest Communications Team