Pride Yearbook 2023
These laws wont stick.
We are too powerful.
Drag isnt just a subversive art form anymore it is an industry.
Below, Raja picks her Pride Yearbook superlative and explains that daydreaming is vital to her self-care.
My superlative would be Most Divine.
How do you feel about anti-drag laws popping up across the nation?
What would you say to lawmakers who are opposing the art of drag?
We are all aware of the anti-drag laws and legislation that places us potentially in danger.
It is frustrating and enraging; it can feel scary and hopeless.
But I feel the opposite of fear, and I have strong hope.
I have hope in the queers and allies generations behind me.
These laws wont stick.
We are too powerful.
Drag isnt just a subversive art form anymore it is an industry.
We have always been powerful and that threatens those whove never sought enlightenment.
We are also fighters.
We didnt get to this point in history without a battle.
What were some of your go-to songs or artists in high school?
My teen years were all about music.
Being a queer kid in the 80s and 90s was a natural magnet to all things alternative.
It was the style that drew me in as much as the music.
I also loved dance and house music because Id started to find a tribe in the club world.
My go-to songs wereGroove Is in the Heartby Deee-Lite andCities in Dustby Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Tell us about your self-care routine and mental health tips.
My self-care routine varies.
Im most happy when Im home surrounded by my creative process and lots of projects.
Daydreaming is my self-care and mental health tip.
As a child, I was constantly being reprimanded for my wandering mind.
As an adult, it is essential.
Who are your favorite drag queens and why?
My favorite drag queens are anyone who embraces irreverence and breaks rules and expectations.
Drag culture has become saturated with trends and sameness.
I enjoy the weirdos and out-of-the-box thinkers.
What is the most memorable drag show youve ever attended?
The ones that left the biggest impressions were the performances I witnessed while still in high school.
There was a queen named Barbarella who was the star of the club.
She was tall and slender and performed in looks that blew my mind.
She was aspirational to young me.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
