For this week’s highlights, we dive into the glamourous yet intimate world of Drag Queens in Malaysia. Our interviewee, Samuel Yong, 27, is a digital artist by day and Carmen Rose by night.

Drag queens are usually men, who cross-dress like women for the purpose of entertainment. These men can comprise of a broad range of sexualities, including being cisgender (individuals who identify with their assigned gender at birth) and straight.

 

We attempt to demystify some of the misconceptions that drag queens faced from others. Is Yong really any different from the rest of us? What is drag and what drives him to do it?

 

In this video, Yong offers us an honest glance into his drag beginnings, his inspirations, as well as the trials of being perceived as ‘different’. We hope that this conversation would be as educational for you as it has been for us.