Hunter Kusak advocates for change, diversity through performance

By Ofentse Mokoka asst. copy editor

Hunter Kusak found themselves pushing off drag and taking on more behind the scene roles like photography and videography for other drag performers.

Two years later, they’ve finally decided to throw their hat in the drag ring.

“I’ve been a stay behind the camera (person),” Kusak said. “And then I saw the drag performances, the prelimi- nary and the final last year, and so I was like, ‘yeah, that’ll be my debut.’”

Kusak performed as their drag king persona Quirt Taylor at the 21st annual Pride Union Drag show on March 23 in the Underground in Schine Student Center. RuPaul’s Drag Race star The Vixen hosted the event, which welcomed all student drag performers of varying experience.

Kusak, a Syracuse native and public health senior at SU, beyond their performances, wants to teach sex education in schools. They have helped evidence-based sex education in Syracuse city high schools and were even able to get certified and trained while in school so that they could teach sex education to their peers. Through teaching, they met people who were interested in drag or had already been in the Syracuse drag scene.

Kusak felt that shows like RuPaul’s Drag Show only portrayed a certain form of drag. While most people associate drag with high-femme and pageantry, that wasn’t the avenue Kusak’s drag took on. They said because of this discrepancy, they were more drawn to shows like “The Boulet’s Brothers Dragula,’’ which depicts other more diverse types of drag.

“As somebody who is trans (and) grew up not always fitting into either box, I was really nervous when I first decided I wanted to do drag,” Kusak said.

Annabelle Fears, Kusak’s friend, described them as a strong activist who has grown into an incredibly socially-aware person. Fears has always seen how they have sought to not only be a part of their queer community, but to also actively be an asset and source of betterment for it.

“Hunter is very eclectic, very passionate about helping their community and helping others, and is abso see activist