Meet the drag queens and king of Drag Syndrome — a group of Brits with Down syndrome who love performing in drag.
And we’re here for it!
Some might not enjoy or understand the art of drag, but no one here can deny that the sense of pride and strength those performers must feel knowing they are not letting their visible disability get in the way of doing what they love to do.
We’ve all been told “you can’t do that” before — and it feels so nice to prove them wrong!
People with intellectual disabilities really don’t have a great platform to have their moment of performing and letting go,” says Ciara Lynch, Drag Syndrome’s production manager.
And because we’re living in the world we live in — there are plenty of people who say mean and hurtful things about Drag Syndrome.
“Yeah, we receive quite a lot of hate mail. Some people can be really ignorant,” says Ciara.
But these performers love what they do and will keep doing it — which is the right we all should have: Doing what makes us happy.
Danny, who plays Gaia Callas, is a very quiet, reserved man. But when he’s Gaia Callas, he is just so fabulous, and he has a different way of speaking.
And through Down syndrome isn’t a rare disease, many in the rare disease community can relate to the obstacles those with Down face. When that diagnosis comes for you or your loved one, you immediately focus on the things you think you can no longer do.
So whether you’re in the Megalocornea intellectual disability, Treacher Collins, or Moebius syndrome community — or really part of any rare disease community — Drag Syndrome can be a source of inspiration that there is little we can’t do, if our spirit is willing.
Case in point, Danny, aka Gaia Callas, who has seen a surge of confidence thanks to performing,
“In my life, I usually get picked on. Gaia Callas, she will come out and sort them out.”
Check ’em out!
