Stories and photos by Steven Chang Rogue appears

The performer's journey to the stage

Becoming a drag performer isn't as easy as it looks and comes with its own challenges, according to one drag performer in Vancouver.

Rogue, a non-binary drag performer in Vancouver wasn’t just inspired by RuPaul’s Drag Race but saw themself in the contestants and started doing drag while in school. Being non-binary, Rogue is not confined in their performances to stick to a gender.

“I fell in love with this drag queen named Pearl, I really like the personality Pearl portrays because it was very similar to mine,” Rogue said.

Pearl is a Drag Race contestant and was a runner-up in season seven.

Inspiration for their drag also comes from nostalgic characters from their childhood, such as the genie from Disney’s Aladdin, and exploration with colour.

“I do a lot of mainstream pop like the Shawn Mendes songs. It’s perfect because it’s a market that everyone knows about. I love doing memorable characters that people grew up with,” Rogue said.

When realizing drag was their chosen career Rogue said the hustle became a lot more work.

“I was doing a little bit of drag when I was still in school. But I knew I wanted to do drag for a living. I had to hustle way harder and get better at doing makeup,” Rogue said.

According to Rogue, part of that “hustle” was all about joining a makeup contest last December where they not only improved their skills but created a name for themselves in the community.

Makeup however wasn’t the only challenge that Rogue faced becoming a drag performer.

“The biggest thing for me wasn’t to learn how to move well during a performance. It was how to perform in heels,” Rogue said.

“I would force myself to walk in heels from the beginning to the end of the night.”

Rogue has walked in both Vancouver and New York Fashion weeks.

They continues to improve their drag.