OFM DRAG

REDEFINING REDEFINING REDEFINING

by Denny PattersonAwkward Clown Boy MASC AND FEMME

Sebastian Liza Bowles is a premier drag prince in the Denver drag scene who is defying the odds and living an authentic life. Combining his trans identity with performance, Bowles is known as the Awkward Clown Boy and Denver’s worst Barbra Streisand impersonator. He may look kooky and spooky, but he is a child at heart who knows how to give audiences a good time. OFM caught up with Bowles to talk more about his drag style and being a trans-masc performer.

Can you begin by telling us more about your drag style and the Awkward Clown Boy aesthetic?

Awkward Clown Boy is a lot of things. His style is very vintage and classic, yet young and surreal. Sometimes, he is hyperfemme, and sometimes, he is more masculine. “Oldtimey ghost boy” is usually how I sum that up. Sometimes, he is portrayed as different ages, but most of the time, he is a child. He plays and pretends to be other people, while other times he is nothing but a boy.

How long have you been doing drag, and when did you discover your passion for it?

I started doing drag over 10 years ago, right out of high school. However, I was doing more traditional drag as a drag

king. I loved drag, especially more femme drag, but I did not know I was trans at that time. I did not know that I could do “that” kind of drag because of the gender I was assigned. I found myself not happy with what I was creating and took a couple years off to start over with my process and created Awkward Clown Boy.

What can one expect from a Sebastian Liza Bowles performance?

Definitely a spot-on lip sync and high concepts and production levels. Sometimes, it will be a serious moment where I want to really grab your attention and hold it, but other times, it is silly, witty chaos. It may be both at the same time. My drag was born out of a love of music and storytelling and a need to emote and communicate to others the things that go on in my brain. I will give you a character and a story, and maybe even a joke, but my goal is to make you feel, think, laugh, and cry.

When did you come to terms with your trans identity?

It has been a process over the last 10 years, but I would say about four to five years ago was when I really knew that I was a trans-masc person. Now, over the past two years, I have lived fully out as a trans-masc person in every aspect of my life.

For you, how has drag empowered your trans identity?

Awkward Clown Boy gave me the opportunity to reclaim my own boyhood. It gave me a space to explore my interests, to be myself, and to communicate things that are hard for me to say verbally without the pressure of societal expectations. I get to wear, do, and express what I want. ACB lets me have another chance at a childhood where I feel seen, understood, and supported. ACB gives me a second boyhood where I can thrive, which, in return, helps me thrive as myself. I am a bit of a femboy outside of doing drag as well, and the combination of feminine and masculine things I enjoy and have allowed myself to enjoy has been a formative part of who I am.

What do you have to say to trans men/nonbinary people who fear drag could demasculinize them?

Things only carry the meaning that we give to them, and oh boy. Society has pushed its expectations upon us with force our whole lives. We have so much to unlearn in order to truly be ourselves. My advice is, if it makes you happy, if it brings you joy, if it sparks something inside you, then it is for you—sometimes, that is a traditionally masculine activity; sometimes, it is a wig and a pair of heels and twirling in a good twirling dress. We do not really question anymore when little boys like to try on their mother’s dresses and lipstick. So, why are we with trans boys still? If you put on a good twirling dress, and do a spin, and you feel joy, then there is nothing wrong with that. You must look inside yourself and realize what it is that makes you a man. It certainly is not clothing, makeup, colors, hair, or the pitch of your voice. It is about living authentically and genuinely as yourself.

You are known as Denver’s worst Barbara Streisand impersonator. Can you elaborate more on that?

That is a bit of a joke I have coined, and it stuck. Barbra Streisand’s work is a special interest of mine, and her music and work makes me feel, emote, and express myself more than any artist ever has. I love a technical lip sync and big, dramatic moments. Barbra has been one that I have become quite skilled at miming. I have been known to bring three Barbra numbers to a gig, but they will all be different, and they are never a realistic Barbra impersonation. Yet, my goal is to get you to feel the way that she makes me feel through emotion and storytelling.

Can you talk about being neurodivergent and how autism and other disabilities play a role in your drag?

Being a queer, trans, autistic person with chronic pain is a hard time. I have never produced a show before but would love to in a post-COVID world. Any money I have ever made from drag has gone to the expenses of existing and living. Ninety-nine percent of my drag is thrifting or repurposed. I am very open about being on the spectrum and how that affects my art and life as a performer, and I think that representation is important.

What do you ultimately hope to accomplish with your platform?

I want to say, not only to trans-masc people, but also people on the autism spectrum and all neurodivergent people, that you can do this too, if you want to. You are clever, smart, and braver than you think you are. You may have to learn different ways of doing things that other people do not have to do, but if you want to make art, perform, or express yourself, drag is for you. You might fall; you might be disoriented; it might be scary at first, but you are going to find a community that is going to uplift and believe in you and your art. I hope that through my art, I can help people find themselves as they truly are without the expectations of a society not built for us, and if that self is just an awkward clown boy, that is OK. You will find your people and you will be loved.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?

I am someone who always has 100 ideas in my head, but my art moves as my life moves. Lately, life has sprung big changes on me, and I hope to have some new concepts in fashion, photography, and digital performances on their way soon, which can be found on all my social media platforms. To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.