Drag has been consistently shaping the entertainment world and the LGBTQIA landscape for years. RuPaul created a magical global phenomenon and lifted an underground subculture to mainstream TV and media. RuPaul’s Drag Race gave the world its new breed of demigods- drag deities revered for their charisma, uniqueness and talent. And albeit flawed, each demigod carries a unique beacon of hope, love and inspiration that shines across the globe. Amidst political disarrays, climate issues, Corona virus, racial injustice, and every weird thing that pops on the news and your twitter feed daily, we have drag- the magic realism world of drag that lets us escape the chaos for a bit, allowing us to bask in its fantasy and take the fun, unpredictable journey with its deities.

BY IRVIN RIVERA

In this world of drag, you see metamorphosis, repetition, verbal magic and mythology, the key ingredients of magic realism at its best. In this special Collector’s Issue, we feature one of the memorable deities from the Olympus of drag- The Queen of the North, Brooke Lynn Hytes (Brock Edward Hayhoe). She’s one fierce queen who served fantasy, memorable moments, and killer performances during her run at the reality TV competition and it’s an honor to create and chat with her during these crazy times.

It’s always a humbling experience to work with drag Olympians. Brooke Lynn  Hytes is the fourth drag queen that I’ve worked with and each delightful experiences was unique and magical on its own. (I’ve worked with Raja, Sharon Needles and Trixie Mattel). Chatting with them and learning a little bit more about their experiences grounds them and makes them more relatable- they’re still humans after all. They laugh, they love, they fear, they fall yet they rise.

Here’s Brooke Lynn Hytes in different forms. Read on about how navigating the wild year of 2020 and also talking about life in drag.

The thing is, once you immerse yourself in this world of magic realism, their experiences become yours. Their tears and their triumphs become one with you. Brooke’s wins pre-RuPaul’s Drag Race, to every maxi challenge wins, to being the first contestant to ever become a judge of the global Drag Race franchise, to every milestone crossed is our win. It serves as a reminder that yes, you could achieve anything if you put your mind and energy into it.

Some of you may argue that it’s all an illusion. But what about the truth? Isn’t the truth more important than the fantasy world of drag? Nobody argues about the obvious in-your-face general truths- that inevitable layer of reality that is present every time you wake up. This magic, this fantasy, this illusion, wakes up your inner truths though. Yes, this world takes you out of your reality for a bit, but that’s its power. This fantasy may seem mundane but it is powerful enough to provide a glimmer of hope, a tinge of joy to an already seemingly bleak, chaotic world.

When you look at drag with open eyes and embrace it’s magic, you see a reflection. You see a demigod, a glamazon, a confident person in control of their own self looking back at you. Drag is a testament of self-love. Drag is transformative. It’s a reminder that beyond the glitter, the layers of make-up, wigs, heels, death drops, splits, sex, beauty and fantasy lies hope. In there lies courage that encourages people to be the best versions of themselves. As RuPaul would always say, “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

“I love the transformation of drag, I love the other worldliness of it. You don't have to look completely different or transform into a completely different thing but I think it's almost like transcending, like you just become a higher being”

What brings you hope and joy these days?

These days, I've been going for a hike every morning. I go to Runyon Canyon every morning. I live like a five-minute scooter ride from Runyon and I get up super early. I'm usually there by sunrise. And I do like a little sunrise hike and that brings me a lot of joy. It's so nice just to be out in nature. It's so quiet and peaceful. And it just kind of sets me for my day. So that brings me a lot of joy. And then I've been trying to just eat really healthy and cook right and that kind of stuff. So I'm just trying to really take care of myself as best as I can because when I'm happy then everything else is kind of going to fall into place.

That's so nice to hear that you're actually doing these things for yourself.

Yes, it's so important. It's honestly hard to get around to that point. I spent a lot of 2020 not taking care of myself and just really putting myself through emotionally and mentally. It was really not until the last month of 2020 and then this little bit of January that I was like, okay, you got to get your shit together. You have to take care of yourself physically and also mentally. I've been trying really hard the last little while to just be positive about things and start to practice gratitude and just be grateful for what I have and stuff like that.

Absolutely. 

I'm naturally a very pessimistic person. I am a realist, I'm not someone who sees the glass half full. So, that's kind of been my challenge to just work on my perspective of things and just always to just be grateful and show gratitude for things in life. Because it really does change things. It changes your perspective that helps you manifest things and stuff like that. So yes, that's my goal moving forward - to really change my perspective and change my mindset.

Drag has evolved so much throughout the years and it's exciting to always see the new things emerge all the time. But for you, what is drag?

Drag is just a transformation for me. I want to see you become something other than what you are normally, you know. I love the transformation of drag, I love the other worldliness of it. You don't have to look completely different or transform into a completely different thing but I think it's almost like transcending, like you just become a higher being, that makes sense? Like, you become a goddess or a god if you're a drag queen. You embody something else.

Do you feel like a different person when you're in your drag persona?

Oh, slightly. I think I feel a little bit more powerful especially when I do as Brooke, I mean, well I'm a boy, I'm not a very loud in your face kind of person. I don't really like to be noticed that much to be quite honest with you. I'm very happy kind of being in the background and not being the center of attention. But when I'm Brooke Lynn, I can't help but be the center of attention. It's just something that kind of happens naturally. I think I have a presence about me. And I enjoy that. I feel like a goddess. I feel like an Amazon woman, like this statuesque huge person.