Synonymous with empowerment, infused with uniqueness, and brimming with vibrancy – it’s the magical weekend of Vancouver Pride!
With the city streets steeped in cascades of colour and glitter, laughter and hoorahs, those from near and far are welcomed with open arms to participate and celebrate all that encompasses this brilliant and diverse community.
Celebrating our collective uniqueness in sexual orientation, gender, and gender choice, we feel honoured to be a part of this tremendous community! Our creative classrooms at Canada's #1 Makeup School are built upon this foundation of fierce independence and powerful self-expression.
We’ve seen and met some truly unique individuals who have honed their voices and nurtured their spirits within our halls. The Pride parade is strutting up fast and fabulous, and to celebrate we reached out to a FIERCE few from our Blanche family who have been taking the local drag scene by storm.
"My drag character Raye Sunshine is known for her signature makeup skills and creative looks. Although when she is off the stage, she likes to wear gym clothes or all black (hunny, I'm a makeup artist it's all we own) while doing her favourite activity, which is the gym or being in her home studio creating art. All her friends think she is TOO BUUUUSSSAAAYYYY!”
Blanche Macdonald Centre: What does the LGBTQ community mean to you?
Raye Sunshine: The community to me, is something that is about embracing things that others may find interesting. Say for someone who wants to feel like they belong in a group but doesn't know how to approach it, the LGBTQ+ community is the kind that would walk up to a person and invite them.
BMC: How did Blanche Macdonald help bring out your artistry?
RS: For me Blanche Macdonald brought out an artistry I was doing in the privacy of my home but it never had a name. It helped me grow my skills that I used to express myself and in an environment that was extremely nurturing - in particular, was Jill Wyness who took me under her wing and went above and beyond in even the smallest things.
BMC: How did you envision yourself giving to the community with your art?
RS: Now this is something I learned over time and it wasn't something I even knew I was doing until a friend pointed it out. But my art has given new, aspiring queens the push to do more and express themselves through makeup that they weren't doing before. So I always blush when someone comes up to me after a show and tells me how my art connected with them and made them want to do more.
BMC: What do you remember most about your first performance?
RS: Oh god, my first performance was a mess, I couldn't dance, I had the world’s thinnest brows and barely any makeup. But I thought I was the cat's meow and boy did I have an awakening after that.
BMC: What is one thing you always think or remember as you perform?
RS: IS MY WEAVE ON SECURE?!
BMC: How is the Vancouver LBGTQ community unique?
RS: We are unique because the drag community as a whole supports each other, even through the catty moments and divas we will have each others back with in a moment.
BMC: Give us one word that describes your relationship to creativity
RS: WTF
BMC: A line of advice you’d give your younger drag self is:
RS: "Thicker brows dear, and your body is beautiful so don't listen to anyone."
BMC: Tell us your guiltiest pleasure
RS: Superglue. That's all.
BMC: What’s your happy colour?
RS: Corals
BMC: Favourite Queen?
RS: Anyone who can cross the lines between beauty and out of this world.
@busydragqueen on Instagram
"My drag character Cleopatra Compton is known for her signature revel and body. Although when she is off stage, she likes to wear her own merch while doing her favourite activity, hanging out with Ilona Verley. All her friends think she's a cheesecake!”
Blanche Macdonald Centre: What does the LGBTQ community mean to you?
Cleopatra Compton: The LGBTQ community to me is a safe place where my Chosen (drag) family can create together.
BMC: How did Blanche Macdonald help bring out your artistry?
CC: Blanche Macdonald helped bring out my artistry by connecting me to a world that I had dreamed about before going to the school.
BMC: How did you envision yourself giving to the community with your art?
CC: I envisioned educating others with the style of drag that I take on. I am inspired by 1920s to the 1960s in terms of make up, so I utilize a lot of hair and fashion from those eras.
BMC: What do you remember most about your first performance?
CC: What I remember from my first performance is feeling terrified but ready. I wanted to do good and slay! When I was on stage, I felt at home.
BMC: What is one thing you always think or remember as you perform?
CC: The one thing I always think about while I perform is that someone is in love with me. I’m giving a divine experience and opening up to complete strangers.
BMC: How is the Vancouver LBGTQ community unique?
CC: Our community is unique because of the people that make it that way! The people who come out and support events and the community - we are always changing and creating.
BMC: Give us one word that describes your relationship to creativity.
CC: The one word that describes my relationship with creativity is allure. You can stand still on stage and still capitate everyone in the room with allure.
BMC: Tell us your guiltiest pleasure
CC: My guilty pleasure is the vintage fetish scene from the 1940s to late 50s - bondage is expensive!
BMC: What’s your happy colour?
CC: My happy colour is red, the colour of power and passion.
BMC: Favourite Queen?
CC: I am always being inspired my sisters in the community and it is hard to have one queen who would be my favorite!
@pharaohpatra on Instagram
"My drag character Isabella is known for her signature smoky eyes and long legs. Although when she is off the stage, she likes to wear all black while doing her favourite activity, dancing! All her friends think she is strange!”
Blanche Macdonald Centre: What does the LGBTQ community mean to you?
Isabella: In the tiniest of nutshells, the LGBTQ+ community means a sense of family and connection for those who hadn't necessarily had the opportunity or lived in a location where it was possible.
BMC: How did Blanche Macdonald help bring out your artistry?
IS: Blanche Macdonald brought my drag artistry to another level through the fashion modules. My love for makeup of the past was re-ignited with influence from the 20's and 30's, which have become key elements for my looks!
BMC: How did you envision yourself giving to the community with your art?
IS: I hadn't envisioned my drag giving much to the community at first, to be honest; it was just something I did as a release for my own emotion and energies. However, as my aesthetic developed, I realized that the niché for androgynous drag I loved wasn't as popular as it could be; I hope to change that!
BMC: What do you remember most about your first performance?
IS: For my first performance in Vancouver, I remember being so worried that my taste in music wouldn't be as popular with the crowd - I also remember that feeling melting away once the stage lit up.
BMC: What is one thing you always think or remember as you perform?
IS: I always remember for every performance, that even if I get stuck editing and over thinking behind the scenes, someone in the crowd is (hopefully!) living for the performance.
BMC: How is the Vancouver LBGTQ community unique?
IS: The scene here seemed so intimidating at first because so many people grew up in the city together and were close-knit.
Regardless of that, they warmed up quickly and made me (among others) feel welcome and encouraged performance that was different and off-beat. It's a vast network of a community, but now it feels intimate, safe, and small.
BMC: Give us one word that describes your relationship to creativity
IS: Soul.
BMC: Tell us your guiltiest pleasure
IS: One of my guiltiest pleasures in drag is creating scandalous outfits and seeing how I can push the envelope in terms of choreography and themes. Other than that, I have a serious sweet tooth.
BMC: What’s your happy colour?
IS: My happy colour is definitely mint green or coral.
BMC: Favourite Queen?
IS: There's so many! If I had to choose an international queen, I'd go with "Hungry" from Berlin. (@isshehungry on Instagram)
@harold.cooke on Instagram