If you ask a Canadian to name a drag queen, they'll likely suggest Jimbo — and rightly so. Jimbo , from Victoria, B.C.
, hit the big time when she won RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 8 in 2023. She'd previously competed on Canada's Drag Race . But Jimbo isn't the only drag performer in Victoria.
The latest episode of the CBC podcast This is Vancouver Island features a conversation with Sylvester Stalletto, a Victoria drag king. He says drag isn't always the polished, glamourous style people might know from the popular Drag Race reality series — which features very feminine looks, including fashionable dresses, big hair, and makeup. Jimbo, an internationally famous Canadian drag queen, is based in Victoria, B.
C. (Craig Chivers/CBC) " Drag Race can make things look very polished," said Stalletto. "But drag is not about being polished, it's about connecting with your community and bringing joy to someone.
" Stalletto says he was at a low point in his life when he discovered drag, and it helped him feel comfortable in his own body. "When I tried to fit into a binary of drag, it never felt right," he said. Sylvester Stalletto says drag is all about the joy it brings to the community.
(Colin Smith/submitted) The fact that the Victoria scene included drag of all styles meant Stalletto could play around until he discovered a character that worked for him — one that isn't purely male or female. "I think Victoria, it's not afraid of the absurd and the nitty-gritty." To learn mo.
