Growing up, Ella Lamoureux always had a fascination with drag 香蕉视频直播� she described it as an escapism that allowed her to experiment more with her femininity.

香蕉视频直播淏ut I never wanted to do drag because I had this sense of shame of femininity because I always dressed a bit feminine,香蕉视频直播� said Lamoureux, whose 香蕉视频直播渃olonial name香蕉视频直播� is Dustin Dufault.

香蕉视频直播淢y father essentially was like, 香蕉视频直播楾his is who you can香蕉视频直播檛 be.香蕉视频直播� So, anytime I wanted to do drag, I just pushed it aside 香蕉视频直播� this isn香蕉视频直播檛 something that I want to do.香蕉视频直播�

Originally from Ross River, Yukon, Lamoureux is a member of the Kaska Dena First Nation and identifies as Two-Spirit, a term that refers to an Indigenous person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit.

香蕉视频直播淚 separated Dustin and Ella quite strongly when I was younger. One香蕉视频直播檚 the feminine side of me; one香蕉视频直播檚 the more masculine side of me,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淎s I became more accepting of myself and my culture, I realized that they香蕉视频直播檙e one and the same.香蕉视频直播�

When she was 19, Lamoureux watched a performance by Two-Spirit drag queen Argentina Hailey in Calgary, with whom she recently performed at Banff香蕉视频直播檚 Indigiqueer Drag Show on Oct. 9.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of my journey is because of seeing him,香蕉视频直播� said Lamoureux.

In 2012, Lamoureux created a drag scene in Kelowna alongside her friend and fellow drag queen Sasha Zamolodchikova. Drag at first, Lamoureux said, was a way for her to explore and figure out who she was.

香蕉视频直播淲hat I learned about myself is that I can embrace my femininity; there香蕉视频直播檚 no shame in it. There is power in obviously both sides of the spectrum 香蕉视频直播� masculine and feminine,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut what I香蕉视频直播檝e learned is just knowledge of myself.香蕉视频直播�

Now, she said drag is a continuing example of who she is and who she can inspire.

香蕉视频直播淚 like to inspire people,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淪eeing a healthy Two-Spirit person excelling 香蕉视频直播� that香蕉视频直播檚 what I want other Two-Spirit people to see.香蕉视频直播�

READ MORE: Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 drag story

There are now around 30 drag performers 香蕉视频直播� both kings and queens 香蕉视频直播� in Kelowna who thrive off of the scene that Lamoureux helped create. One of them is fellow Indigenous drag queen Jenna Telz, who香蕉视频直播檚 also known as Grayson Nordgren.

In her debut performance in 2016, Telz won Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Next Drag Superstar, a competition that Lamoureux created. But in the summer of 2015, Telz, a queer person raised in a Jehovah香蕉视频直播檚 Witness household, was kicked out of her house by her parents at the age of 20.

香蕉视频直播淚 basically started trying to do drag six months after I got kicked out. It was the thing that saved my life,香蕉视频直播� said Telz.

香蕉视频直播淏eing kicked out by my parents, I was so suicidal. I lost everything overnight 香蕉视频直播� I lost my family, my friends, my job, my home. It was really hard to build back from that. It was through drag that I was able to figure that out.香蕉视频直播�

Similar to what Lamoureux had done, Telz further established a name for herself by organizing and hosting her own drag shows in town, which not only gave her the opportunity to perform but gave other queens a stage as well.

香蕉视频直播淓lla created a platform for so many people to start drag, and eventually, those people created a space and an environment that I was able to start drag in,香蕉视频直播� said Telz. 香蕉视频直播淚 went and did the same thing.香蕉视频直播�

Born in Quesnel, Telz is Cree from the Papaschase First Nation in Edmonton, Alta. And while she said that she identifies as gay 香蕉视频直播渋n white terms,香蕉视频直播� she also identifies as Two-Spirit.

香蕉视频直播淏ut that term means something different for everyone. It香蕉视频直播檚 easiest for me to describe it as I identify as a gay man who dresses up in drag,香蕉视频直播� said Telz.

Drag not only gave Telz control over her life, but she said that it gave her the confidence that she lost after being kicked out of her home.

香蕉视频直播淕rowing up, being a Jehovah香蕉视频直播檚 Witness, there was a lot of things you can香蕉视频直播檛 do because the religion says it香蕉视频直播檚 a no-no,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淒rag, to me, was the complete opposite of that. That was embracing who I was for the first time and being able to express myself however I wanted to.香蕉视频直播�

Both Telz and Lamoureux, the top-performing drag queens in Kelowna, are drag 香蕉视频直播渕others香蕉视频直播� running their own drag 香蕉视频直播渉ouses.香蕉视频直播� The terms refer to pocket communities within drag, in which a drag mother takes a budding drag queen under their wing and mentors them.

香蕉视频直播淵ou teach them etiquette, teach them manners or you help them with makeup. You help them along their drag journey,香蕉视频直播� said Lamoureux.

香蕉视频直播淚 have people that are under my belt that I help get into drag to help finesse their art, just like (Telz) has a lot of drag children under hers 香蕉视频直播� double what I have.香蕉视频直播�

And while she dreams of being an internationally renowned drag queen someday, Lamoureux said that her goal is to become a Two-Spirit spokesperson in Canada in the future.

香蕉视频直播淏ut I never wanted my drag to do that part. I do feel like my drag will eventually let me get to being a Two-Spirit talker across Canada, which I香蕉视频直播檓 hoping is,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut what I mean when I say I don香蕉视频直播檛 want to get my drag involved is I don香蕉视频直播檛 want to have to get into drag to have a Two-Spirit talk with someone. I want to be able to go as myself.香蕉视频直播�

For Telz, she said that her favourite thing about being a drag queen is the platform it provides her to educate people on several topics that she香蕉视频直播檚 passionate about, including politics, Indigenous issues and the history of colonization.

Before the pandemic, she said she would meet with youth groups or high schools and share her experiences with them.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 someone with some pretty passionate views on things. I feel like, because I香蕉视频直播檓 a drag queen, people listen to me and it gives me an opportunity to use my voice and help impact the world around me,香蕉视频直播� said Telz.

And as a drag queen, she said that she香蕉视频直播檚 accomplished her biggest goal of making an impact. She described having 13 drag children and watching them do what they do as one of her biggest joys.

香蕉视频直播淚 just honestly want to do this for as long as I can,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 think now, I香蕉视频直播檓 more focused on myself and where I want to take my drag. I think my goal is the journey itself.香蕉视频直播�

She added that it香蕉视频直播檚 when people tell her that she香蕉视频直播檚 made a difference in their lives that makes her cry.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 why I do it. This is why I do it. It香蕉视频直播檚 for those moments,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 the moments where I香蕉视频直播檝e been able to empower someone or help someone else. Those are the moments I care about.香蕉视频直播�

READ MORE: Kelowna drag queen to step onto national stage

aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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