Is-Seba' Vista

A tale of eyelash glue and fake breasts

by Emma Asciak

Malta’s drag scene has started to boom these last few years and it is thanks to queer folk embracing their uniqueness through art. It is thanks to individuals like Aidan Abela.

Drag artists are not just statuesque figures there to entertain. Their art is a commentary on what is going on around us, beyond the gay bar and beyond the Paceville mist of alcohol fumes and glitter. Each twirl and hair flip are a big FU to societal norms and binary gender.

Aidan Abela grew up in Malta and never really considered becoming a drag queen when he was younger. At 18 years old looking back, his upbringing was pretty ‘normal’ and it never hinted at queer culture, let alone the idea of pursuing drag. All Aidan needed was one TV series to introduce him to this foreign world: Ru Paul’s Drag Race.

Having seen fierce drag artists, not only compete, but more importantly embrace their uniqueness as queer individuals, Aidan was inspired to start experimenting. His curiosity lead him to his mother’s room where he would borrow her makeup and clothes. Granted, his lashes started out wonky, his breasts uneven and his wig not exactly premium quality, but he would never look back.

After some time of playing dress up and gaining more knowledge on the world of drag, Aidan got his first chance to showcase his new persona. A routine Facebook scroll had him come across a local lip-syncing competition that was taking place. This quickly became Miss Sheyonce’s debut but leaving the comfort of mum’s bedroom was easier said than done.

“She was the first to come in and see me in full drag; she said I looked good and jokingly added on that I went a bit heavy on the bronzer”

Aidan’s mum was the first to see him fully dolled up before his first big performance. Thankfully, all his family and friends were supportive of his decision. He considers himself extremely lucky. Most queer youth struggle with being accepted since anyone who strays away from any gender norms typically gets shamed for it in Malta.

With all the support bolstering her forward, Miss Sheyonce strutted along the stage and lip-synced for her life to Alaska Thunderfuck’s hit ‘Hieeee’. Her mother cheered her on, shouting and hollering, proudly proclaiming herself as Sheyonce’s number one fan. Having so much encouragement from everyone pushed her to snatch second place in the competition with her debut performance. Aidan could only describe these first moments of spotlight as simply ‘beautiful’.

“I was lucky enough to have family and friends that give me support. Thank God I had them because they really helped in my drag career”

Looking back, Aidan reminisces on the humble beginnings of his drag persona. Around two years ago, he sat down at his laptop, logged into an online drag name generator and inputted the name of his pet amongst other things. A couple of clicks later the name Sheyonce appeared. He had axed the second name and kept it simple by prefixing the name with a ‘Miss’. From there on out, Aidan has had some time to define Miss Sheyonce’s look and personality, beyond the AI-given name that had set the ball rolling.

Aidan and Miss Sheyonce wouldn’t get along. While Aidan is the more reserved type out of drag, a pair of lashes and some lashes push him into the spotlight ready to take on the world. Miss Sheyonce has no qualms with going up to strangers and saying what’s on her mind. She will dance like no one is watching and have a good time. Her look pretty much resembles her personality to a T. She is a fan of a good bodysuit that will show off miles of legs. Anything glitzy and glamorous will definitely make its way to her rack. Ultimately, Aidan aims to emulate and empower women like his mother with his drag. Putting on some sequins and a mug means nothing if not an homage to his the strong woman who paved the way for him to do his art.

Since beginning his journey, Aidan has already graced Maltese TV screens with his appearance on Ħadd Għalik where he stood alongside fellow drag artists. Although this was an honour, the most memorable moment from his career stands to be his trip to Drag Con. Drag Con is a convention for drag artists to relish in each other’s art and uniqueness. It was one of the first times Aidan and Miss Sheyonce truly felt they belonged. “There were children as young as 10 dressed in drag, something which we cannot even dream of in Malta”. All my insecurities drifted away and I knew that anyone staring was appreciating my art, not judging me. Aidan closed off his experience with a lip-sync performance. The crowd’s cheers meant more than ever before, knowing they were coming from likeminded individuals that understood him.

Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games once the wig comes off. The spotlight eventually fades, and Aidan goes back to his full-time job as a cashier at a betting company. His dream is to do drag full time, but Malta leaves drag artists feeling frustrated. “We are limited in Malta, there is nowhere to go” This country lacks awareness but has an excess of closed-minded people who refuse to understand drag and queer culture in general.

“A lot of people still need to understand what drag even is and why we do it”.

Aidan experienced this backlash first-hand when a picture he had taken with a fan made the rounds and a 10-yearold ended up seeing it. Their mother had then contacted the fan, saying the photo was harmful to her child. Even though schools are already teaching children about queer culture, this mother, like many other Maltese, was not ready to ‘expose’ her daughter to a world beyond her backyard.

Aidan could simply pack up Miss Sheyonce and head to a proper drag scene in London, New York, Paris. He would be leaving Maltese limitations behind, but also his family. Aidan cannot see himself without his family. They have supported him from the start and they will continue to support him as he continues to shake gender norms in Malta with his art.