Naia is brimming with passion for drag; for her, it’s an art form that lets individuals explore their respective identities and expression. The queen takes pride in the fact that her shows, besides being entertaining, also advocate for a bigger cause—the acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“We should not be limited to the narrow binary of ‘boy and girl’. We have the freedom to bring out the best and worst parts of ourselves. What you do with those parts is solely your decision,” she says. 

“As a drag artist, I have learnt to confront the worst of myself and nurture the best parts. Drag will teach you so much about yourself that you will end up with more questions than when you started. We all have unlimited potential, so whatever creative endeavour you have in your head, do it now!” she adds.

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There are hurdles that the glamorous burlesque parties cannot mask. For Naia, that is the physical pain that comes with performing in drag. “I think most people are unaware of the toll drag takes on our physical health. As we speak, I am healing from several blisters and wounds from wearing heels all day, and there’s no saving my body clock, too,” she reveals. “There’s also all the waist-cinching, eye irritation, and super glue still stuck on our nails.”

Naia bares that she often experiences mental and emotional struggles whilst doing drag. “Don’t forget about the burnout, the mental strain of constantly reinventing and improving myself, and the struggle to make enough money to do so.”

As of this writing, the queen says she is lobbying for just compensation for all drag artists. “A lot of pain is involved in this art form, and I am not romanticising it by any means. The senselessness of it all is what makes drag fantastic. I am totally lobbying for hazard pay for all of us.”

Despite the seemingly tiring process of stepping in and out of drag, Naia assures us that performing is all fun. Being a queen brings her joy from within.

“There is this ineffable feeling the moment you put the fake lashes on, I swear! Drag is the Barbie fantasy in my head that I can manifest on the outside. It is a healthy, fun delusion that brings so much joy to me and those around me.”

Today, Naia treasures her ability to support budding drag artists and advocate and raise funds for HIV research and awareness. “I like to support my sisters who are just starting their drag journeys and those who are bringing Philippine drag to the forefront,” the queen tells Tatler.

“Aside from that, I also start charity events to raise funds for HIV research and awareness, which remains a pressing issue in our community,” she adds.

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For Naia, the essence of doing drag is being able to empower herself and the younger generation of queers who look up to her and what she does. 

“Our community is constantly growing. And in my shows, I have met so many young queers who are getting to know themselves and are in need of guidance. I hope I have done my part by sharing what little wisdom I have for the younger generation of queers.” 

“Drag is a funny thing, really. You put on pounds of makeup, impractical heels, and top it all off with fake hair only to feel [like] the most powerful entity in the room.”

Author’s note: Brian Black, whose sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) is queer, prefers the pronoun ‘he’ when he’s out of drag and ‘she’ when she’s performing as Naia. Follow her on Instagram @naiablack_.

*This story was first published on July 14, 2022.

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