Inside look: What it’s like to be a drag queen living in Toowoomba

One queen has opened up about what it’s like living in a somewhat conservative town, but life is anything but a drag.

Life is anything but a drag for Dylan Ashton, 29, especially when he is doing what he does best – entertaining.

Working in the disability and employment sector as a nine to five, by night he transforms into Dylicious Sweetz, complete with a bright-coloured wig and nine-inch heels.

Involved in theatre since he was 11-years-old, it wasn’t until Mr Ashton entered a drag queen competition in 2016 that he discovered a whole new world.

“I was always a massive fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race – and yes, we get compared to them all the time,” Mr Ashton said.

“But after playing Edna Turnblad in a production of Hairspray, I thought I’d give it a go and I ended up winning the competition.”

Now five years on, the talented performer hosts Music Bingo at Bodega Bar every Wednesday night, as his alter ego queen and was cast as Felicia and Adam in the recent Priscilla, Queen of the Desert production.

But it has not been easy navigating his way through the drag queen scene.

From wigs flying off and dresses falling down, to tearing his hamstring mid-performance, sadly these mishaps aren’t the challenges he is referring to.

“Being in a conservative town like Toowoomba where 51% did vote no for the (same sex marriage) plebiscite, it is a hard thing for some people to take on board,” Mr Ashton said.

“But no matter where you go, you get people making rude and derogatory comments, whether that’s through insecurity or just a lack of knowledge.”

Facing cruel criticisms about his weight and clothing choices, Mr Ashton prefers to focus on the bright side of life.

“We do get a lot of positive comments too, like girls saying ‘you do better make up then us, can you do ours?’ and we say ‘no because this takes hours,’” he said.

“Being a bigger person is nothing to be ashamed of and for me, it’s all about someone’s personality and that’s how my family have brought me up.”

In fact, Mr Ashton’s support network has been there every step of the way, with his nan often sewing costumes and mum lending a hand by brushing wigs and cleaning make-up brushes.

While Mr Ashton considers Dylicious to be a character, funnily enough they do share many of the same qualities.

“We’re the encouraging aunty who always tells everyone to give it a go, we’re very energetic and like to make others smile and I like to think we’re sweet, like Dylicious’ last name,” he said.

And although Covid-19 has hit the local drag queen community hard, Mr Ashton is hopeful that once borders reopen and restrictions ease, this may create more opportunities.

“What I love the most about drag is that it’s a safe place, where you are loved, accepted and encouraged to be yourself … yes, we dress up as women, but it’s a form of self-expression,” he said.

Toowoomba’s recent Priscilla Queen of the Desert production provided more than five-star reviews, offering cast members a platform to share their voice and be themselves.

Toowoomba Choral Society production committee chair and Priscilla producer Rebecca Cherry said while the production team had hesitations about the show, they went ahead because they wanted to provide cast members with the opportunity to feel accepted.

“Toowoomba is such a conservative town and we expected backlash, which we did get, but we also learned a great deal about what this whole movement can do for a group of people who are just looking to express themselves,” she said.

“There were people who have seen all 65 years of Toowoomba Choral Society productions that just wouldn’t come to this one, but then there were people who supported it that we didn’t expect.”

(From left) Dylan Ashton, Brendan Thomas-Ryland and Nathan Chant chat to director Mary Quade. Priscilla Queen of the Desert rehearsal at the Empire Theatre. Tuesday, September 7, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

But the most heartwarming result is the powerful impact it has had on its incredible cast.

She said one inspiring actor who has endured a lot of negativity from the public and felt apprehensive about the production initially, felt so proud by the response in the end.

While younger members of the cast, who had been seeking the acceptance and sense of belonging, were able to achieve it through this community and platform.

“Every single one of the cast members (36) had a connection to the show and the subject matter behind it, and the fact that it meant so much was definitely evident to the audience,” Ms Cherry said.

“One of the drag roles was cast by a 15-year old boy, so I had to ring his mum to get permission before we offered it to him.

“When I got off the phone to her I was in tears because of the love, acceptance and support she had for her son being involved with this community … she said to me ‘we know who he is, and we support him in his journey.’”

Originally published as Inside look: What it’s like to be a drag queen living in Toowoomba