Name, professional title, preferred pronouns:
I’m Vida LaFierce, probably the first Manx drag queen. Usually, if I’m in full drag, my pronouns would be ‘she/her’ and the rest of the time it’s ‘he/him’ but I’m generally not that hung up on it unless someone’s rude about it (which doesn’t happen very often for a nearly seven foot queen!). Can I get away with ‘your majesty’ as a pronoun?
Describe what you do. What is your professional background in the arts?
I’m mostly a singing queen. In the UK, i think most people have been exposed to the sort of classic drag you’d find in Blackpool or Manchester, which would be mostly comedy drag and I think that’s what a lot of people would immediately think of with drag, but there’s all sorts of different types of drag, which has had a huge amount of attention with RuPaul’s Drag Race becoming such a huge phenomenon. It’s brought a better understanding of drag and a much bigger demand for it and it’s shone a light on the fact that there are comedy queens, pageant queens, dancing and lip syncing queens, all sorts!
I was always a singer first and knew that’s what I wanted to do, but there was always something missing, so when I decided to start doing drag, it was the missing piece and then it just went from there. I was raised on divas like Cher, Tina, Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, Madonna and Kylie, so I always had an urge to wear fabulous, extravagant costumes and put on a show rather than just standing singing. It’s a lot of fun and Drag has made me feel more complete as two people than I ever did as one. Drag is more of a mindset than just putting a gown and heels on. It’s a life changing experience. The drag is like wearing a suit of armour where you feel like you can do anything, but eventually I found out that all of that had been inside me the whole time and I just needed to unlock it.
Were you involved with this year’s Pride event, if so how?
I was one of the team from the beginning. Over the years, I’ve been part of a few little groups that wanted to make it happen, but one thing or another always got in the way, but I remember my first coffee with Clare Barber a couple of years ago and right from then, I knew this was the time it would happen! I have to say, It’s an amazing group of people and no matter how stressful it’s gotten or how much work there is to do, the whole team always manages to be so cheerful and kind and you can just feel the passion and dedication at every meeting. I’ve loved being part of the team and I know I’ve made some friends for life!
Obviously, it was supposed to happen last year, but Covid saw to that not happening, but it wasn’t a loss, because it just gave us extra time to come up with an even better event. Obviously, we were all really disappointed when it got cancelled last year, but my way of looking at it was that we’d laid some fabulous groundwork, done a lot of networking and assembled a brilliant team, so that was an achievement in itself.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a performance artist and Drag Queen?
I think it’s the fact that I always wanted to be a singer and performer and its where my heart is. When I was suffering from depression years ago, it was the start of the meteoric rise of RuPaul’s Drag Race and suddenly Drag was going mainstream and I found some comfort in watching the show and eventually started playing with makeup and ended up realising that maybe this had been the missing link for getting into performance. I’d sort of hit rock bottom with depression and was in the process of rebuilding myself and my life and trying on this other identity was a big part of the healing process. At first, my drag was a character that I played and that really helped me because at the time, all I wanted was to be someone else, but now Vida is just me but louder and a bit more sparkly!
What are the current challenges for LGBTQ+ artists in your creative industry?
I think the challenges in our particular section of the industry are mostly the same as any other artists right now. As a queen, I get the advantage of straddling two worlds - I’m drag act but I’m also a live musical act, so because of that, I’ve had a lot more opportunities than I might have had if I were a comedy queen or a dancing queen, so I’m really grateful for that. I’m shocked at how I’ve been embraced in places I wouldn’t have thought, like Ramsey seems to be quite fond of me, which is great! And I think now that there’s a small drag community coming together here, we can actually all work together and help each other out. The great thing about the other queens and recently kings too, is that none of us are competing because we’re all very different, so there isn’t that rivalry but a brilliant family feeling where we can talk to each other and work together. We’re all actually really good friends, which is nice.
What progress have you seen for LGBTQ+ artists in your field?
I think with drag going more mainstream, it’s certainly increased our bookings, I think for all of us. A few years ago, I couldn’t have imagined performing in some of the venues I’ve been in, but I think it shows how times are changing and that if you put the work in and put a smile on peoples faces, then you’ll get bookings! That’s why we all got into this! We love what we do and we like entertaining people and if you can craft a job around that, then why wouldn’t you?
Share an empowering moment or person from LGBTQ+ arts/creative history that inspired you.
As a drag queen, I’d be pretty remiss if I didn’t mention RuPaul’s Drag Race which seems to be responsible for bringing the art of Drag into the mainstream. It’s become bigger than it’s ever been before and has a much wider audience now, so it’s opened a lot of doors for drag performers, which in turn is leading to a lot more visibility and a platform for us, which is brilliant! Drag is such a beautiful and diverse art form, or rather a series of art forms, so it’s nice for these wide and varied performers to finally have a spotlight. It’s been a long time coming.
Of course, LGBTQIA+ people in the arts are nothing new, but the way we’re represented in media changed in the latter half of the 90s, so suddenly you could see the full spectrum of our community rather than the slightly limited glimpses we’d seen before that. I think the UK has always embraced gay entertainers in a way, without explicitly saying so with well known personalities like Larry Grayson, Kenneth Williams and Lily Savage and a host of others who enjoyed prime time family entertainment slots on TV at a time when gays were often looked down on by a lot of society. The UK has always enjoyed camp - it’s often a backbone of British humour and ‘camp’ was always cosy and non-threatening, while the sexuality of the performers wasn’t really acknowledged. The US had its own camp icons too, like Liberace, but I think the UK have always embraced it a lot more.
Obviously, things are a lot more open and liberated now, but sadly there are still some actors who are either pressured into remaining closeted or fear coming out because they’re afraid of being typecast or losing work, which is a sad situation. Nobody should ever feel pressured to hide themselves and I hope we can move into a society beyond that eventually. We’re getting there slowly.
What do you think is the biggest issue today facing LGBTQ+ people of your age?
I think growing up, there was the same issues anyone faces growing up, but then the added part of being an LGBTQ+ person growing up too. I remember growing up afraid of being different and therefore having a target on myself. Strangely, I was bullied for being gay before I even knew what ‘gay’ was! Things have changed a lot, but the world is far from perfect yet. Obviously, there are still countries in the world where LGBTQ+ people can be legally hunted, persecuted or even executed and forced to live in fear. Even closer to home, we’ve got a lot of laws in the last few years to protect us and give some legal equality, but that doesn’t always change the attitudes of the public. There are still attacks on LGBTQ+ people on our own island from time to time, which there is simply no excuse for. It’s reasons like this that we still have Pride - It’s a celebration of how far we’ve come but also a reflection of the struggles endured and the souls lost along the way. It’s also a rallying cry for the work left to do and a beacon of hope for anyone who feels lost, alone or confused. A lot of people believe it’s just a party, but there’s so much more to it than that and it’ll be needed as long as anyone in the world needs support to be themselves.
How important is it for the LGBTQ+ community to engage with the arts as a vehicle for change and what does that mean to you?
I think it’s important to never forget what a powerful tool the arts are for bringing about change. Art doesn’t always have to be understood, but it has the brilliant quality of making people think. That can be pretty powerful, no matter what your cause.
There’s a reason the arts are such a comfort to so many and it’s well known and a therapeutic aid, so it’s pretty miraculous! AS far as we know, we’re the only species with art, so it must be pretty powerful to us, otherwise there wouldn’t be huge industries based around it.
In the wake of the island’s very first Pride, what is the most important message you want to send out to artists and aspiring artists from the LGBTQ+ community?
For me, I would have to say that being the very first singer at the very first Manx Pride was a huge moment for me. I knew when planning for it that there was a lot of responsibility to pick the right song and give the right performance, even if i did get a dry mouth and slightly tongue-tied in the moment, I’m pleased with how it went and overjoyed to be part of a moment of history.
I think if you want to do something, make sure you love it and that will shine through. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re not sure and always believe in yourself. Basically, don’t make all of my mistakes that caused me to waste so much time when I started out! And remember, the people of the island in general, but especially the arts community, are a warm and kind group, so remember you’re not alone and seek strength in that.
What’s next for you?
I’ve got a rather busy July coming up! I’m literally working non stop, so I’m definitely going to have earned a rest in August! I’m lucky enough to have bagged a gig in the Outback on July 17th as part of the Douglas Live festival, which will be a full feature length spectacular show from 10 til midnight and I’m delighted to be sharing the stage with some special guests like fellow queens Fenella Beach and Mathea LaWhore. I’ve also got a night of dinner, drag and cocktails at The Tea Junction the week after, which I believe is selling out so fast there’s another date being added, so check out their facebook page for details on that. I’m also working on some original music that has been held up between lockdowns and being so busy, but we’re on the home stretch with the first single, so hopefully not too long to go with that now and I’m slowly still working on my YouTube content and my cookbook that I’ve had on the back burner for years. Best way to keep up with my whirlwind of projects is to follow me on social media @vidalafierce - I kept the handle for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter the same to make it simple and then you just need to hunt down Vida LaFierce on YouTube to see some of my makeup tutorials and cooking videos. There’s all sorts on there! Apart from that, you can find me at the monthly Rainbow Nights at The Saddle where we always have a brilliant time, so I hope to see you there!
