Dragcon LA 2023: The complete photo Carnage!

I’m not sure I would have gotten through 2023, my Divorce year, without Drag Race. Since last year’s Dragcon, I’ve watched Drag Race Mexico (“I-co-ni-co!”), two seasons of Drag Race France (“Ne merde pas!”), two seasons of Drag Race DownUnder (“Oggy, oggy, oggy! Oi, oi, oi!”), the newest Drag Race UK and Canada’s Drag Race, plus season 15 of the original series and All Stars 8.

Read about last year’s Dragcon 2022

That’s a lot of gender presentation fuckery—and laughs, tears and tons of new cultural references I would never have been exposed to. Especially on Drag Race Mexico (with Lolita Banana and LA’s own Valentina) and Drag Race France (with Nicky Doll). They are the best of the international franchises I’ve seen. Superb!

Life’s a drag at the Dragcon LA Afterparty

So when I trekked to World of Wonder’s annual RuPaul’s DragCon LA on May 12-13 at the LA Convention Center, I made sure to see the celebrated kick off ceremony—the “Queens’ Walk”—on the massive pink carpet. Nearly every franchise was represented.

Here were some of the most notable:

DragCon 2023 LA Convention Center Pink Carpet Queens Walk May 12 13 Rupaul's Drag Race World Of Wonder

Mr. & Mrs. Kasha Davis (all photos by Sean Carnage)

Mrs. Kasha Davis is a sober sister born in Pennsylvania just like myself. She didn’t last long on All Stars 8 but that’s okay. Mrs. Kasha Davis (and Mr. Davis!) embodies the camp / kind / old school gay vibe that seemed in danger of going extinct in pop culture in recent years—but is now back thanks to Davis and others from Drag Race.

Darienne Lake

Darienne Lake—so great to have her back! Another Tri-State Area queen (I was born in Erie, PA, not far from Lake’s Rochester home base). Learned some fun facts, among them: Lake has been a TV queen since the 1990s.

I’ve always liked Darienne’s razor wit. (And I’m still bummed my mom wouldn’t let me go see New Order, Public Image and Sugarcubes feat. a teenage Bjork at Darien Lake in 1987.)

Heidi N. Closet

We adore Heidi N. Closet, with her unwieldy nom de drag…

Jimbo

And then there’s Jimbo, whose humor is right up my sick ‘n twisted ‘n porny alley. Jimbo rightfully won All Stars 8.

Sasha Colby

More winners…

Shea Couleé

Kylie Sonique Love

Who can forget my inept and awkward encounters on the red carpet with Kylie Sonique Love and RuPaul?

READ: That time RuPaul chewed me out on the red carpet in front of Kylie Sonique Love & Pandora Boxx

Yvie Oddly

Priyanka

Ra’Jah O’Hara

Krystal Versace

Lawrence Cheney

Alaska Thunderfuck 5000

This is wild: Alaska is FROM Erie! WTF?! I never knew that. She’s always been my favorite favorite. “Rock ‘n roll.”

LaLa Ri

Laganja Estranja

Vivacious and Ornacia

Tayce

Tayce—another queen with rock ‘n roll cred (her dad was in Wham!). Tayce was so inspiring in Mugler ads these past couple years. Her profile isn’t so high outside the UK so I was overjoyed to see she made it to LA.

Tammy Brown

Tammy Brown used to hang at notorious LA gay bar the Silver Platter down at the corner of my street. Tammy introduced arty randomness into the Drag Race franchise way back in Season One, and deserves some sort of lifetime achievement award for doing so. So great to still see her delighting fans.

Baga Chipz

Willam

Manila Luzon

All these fucking queens… such icons.

Jan

Pangina Heals

Brooke Lynn Hytes

Brooke Lynn Hytes looks like a beauty queen, but has a mischevous left-of-center sense of humor that has made Canada’s Drag Race extra fun.

Detox

Gottmik

Loosey LaDuca

Marcia Marcia Marcia

Princess Poppy

Amethyst

Aura Mayari

Jax

Mistress Isabelle Brooks

Robin Fierce

Anita Wigl’it

Angeria Paris VanMichaels

Vanity Milan

Rita Baga

Jada Essence Hall

Rock M. Sakura

Crystal Methyd

Daya Betty

Maddie Morphosis

Maddy Morphosis is another queen—the franchise’s very first heterosexual cisgender male identifying queen—that’s become a suprise favorite. Someone called him “Nardwuar in drag” and he kind of is. Maddy’s YouTube is must-see. Revealing, highly irreverent and often times very touching videos with deep (like, really deep) research on all the guest queens).

Lady Camden

Utica Queen

Jiggly Caliente

Silky Nutmeg Ganache

Irene Dubois

Sugar & Spice

Luxx Noir London

Malaysia Babydoll Foxx

RuPaul on the 1’s & 2’s

RuPaul was literally above the fray in her DJ booth—and pointedly not in drag. I dig that Ru likes DJ’ing so much. Her musical taste is legendarily a cut above. The tunes were great!