After becoming the first crowned Brazilian drag queen by a RuPaul franchise, Grag Queen is ready to show off more of her country’s drag scene. She is now the host of Drag Race Brasil, which is currently streaming on Wow Presents Plus. And in an interview with Remezcla, Grag Queen talked about what to expect this season and what the art of drag means in Brazil.
“I feel like I’m on top of the world!” she tells Remezcla. “On the top of Brazil also!”
Grag Queen first rose to prominence last year when she won the drag singing competition Queen of the Universe. In July, she was later announced as the host of the first season of Drag Race Brasil. After demonstrating the power of a Brazilian drag queen on a RuPaul-produced show, she is excited to shine a light on more talent in her country.
“I showed you guys a bit of what a Brazilian drag queen is and how fierce they can be,” she says. “The cast, my daughters, they’re hungry for the crown like when I was on Queen of the Universe. You’re going to have the complete experience of the pocket show that I showed you guys on Queen of the Universe. As a Drag Race fan, I think it’s going to be the best franchise in the world.”
Drag Race Brasil started airing on August 30, a few days after the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that homophobia was a punishable crime. This is important to note as the drag scene in Brazil has thrived in the face of a country that was largely conservative, especially under previous president Jair Bolsonaro. Grag Queen sees that tenacity and resilience that has kept the Brazilian drag scene so vibrant in the 12 queens competing for the Drag Race Brasil crown.
“Being a drag queen in Brazil, it’s an act of survival,” she explains. “It’s an act of politics. Being a drag queen here in Brazil means that you are crazy about your art. That’s the spice that we have here in Brazil. That’s the most amazing thing about hosting and seeing what they can bring. These bitches are coming! We’re doing a revolution through art.”
The first episode of the season features a world-famous Brazilian personality as the special guest judge, something prevalent throughout the entire show. Even if you’re not particularly familiar with Brazilian culture, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a meme on social media with a reaction from Gretchen. Grag Queen gushed about working with the meme queen on the show.
“Gretchen is amazing!” she says. “I grew up seeing her shaking butt and being full of herself on TV. She was always a supporter of our [LGBTQ+] community. She is all in with us in politics, in her speeches, and in her art. She was so nice to us. I love her!”
Grag Queen is also happy to follow Drag Race México as the next Latine franchise. She particularly showed love to her Queen of the Universe sister Regina Voce, her close friend Christian Chávez from RBD, and the co-hosts Lolita Banana and Valentina.
“We’re Latinas!” she says. “We’re together. Son perras. Son muy chingonas. Me encanta Mexico. We cannot mention Mexico without mentioning Taiga Brava, the Queen of the Universe from season two, who is fierce. I love that bitch!”
Drag Race Brasil streams new episodes every Wednesday on Wow Presents Plus.
