Grag Queen—the Brazilian drag queen who won the reality-competition show Queen of the Universe, and who just released her first English-language single, “You Betta”—will be in Chicago twice next month.
She will be at the Northalsted/Boystown nightspot Roscoe’s on Friday, June 3, and will be at Chicago Pride Fest (with Alaska Thunderfuck) on Sunday, June 19.
Queen of the Universe is described as “part RuPaul’s Drag Race [and] part Eurovision.” Fourteen queens from 10 countries competed for the title, and they sang live in each episode in front of judges Vanessa Williams, Leona Lewis, Trixie Mattel and Michelle Visage. (American Idol alum Ada Vox finished as runner-up.)
A staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community in Brazil, Grag said in a press release that she’s very aware of how many young people are afraid to come out to be their true selves: “We live in a country that kills LGBTQ people more than any other, and our transgender people’s [life expectancy] is only 35 years old and it’s not fair. We are still trying to find some place of peace. … I really want to use this platform to make people know that this situation is crazy and it’s real.”
Follow Grag on Instagram and Twitter @GragQueen, and on Facebook.