Born to Do Drag: A day in the life of Marina Summers

Marina revealed that during the run of Drag Race UK vs The World, her local critics urged her to reduce the Filipino influence in her drag. “The international audiences may not get what you mean,” one comment read. “It’s funny,” she uttered. “Because it was never an issue for the international fans. In fact, they love and appreciate it. I never heard them call me out because of it.”

The drag queen asserted that Filipinos don’t need to change themselves to fit in the international community. “In terms of making sure that our culture transcends the local audience, what many of us do not [realise] is that we don’t need to change who we are to be accepted by the world. They find more value in my drag because of it being too Filipino. I did not need to pattern my identity to that of the global spectators just to be accepted.”

Her Filipino upbringing greatly impacts the drag performances she does today, which is why she will be more persistent in referencing and bringing local culture to the international stage.

“We love a spectacle here in the Philippines. Bata pa lang ang mga bakla, tine-train na ‘yan sa mga Foundation Day,” [Queer children in the Philippines are already at the forefront of Foundation Day performances in schools] she quipped. “I feel like that upbringing influenced me and my drag a lot. It comes naturally to me that I don’t have to force it in the drag I do.”

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In our conversation, Marina characterised the Philippines as a nation where queerness is not widely accepted. She admitted, however, that throughout her career, she never experienced extreme forms of discrimination, a privilege not extended to the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community.

“I think the Philippines being a predominantly Catholic country, is not comfortable with queer people, let alone drag queens,” she said. “As for my personal experience, I am lucky I didn’t go through anything drastic or things that can potentially affect my drag. But my story doesn’t speak for the rest of the community. I may have it easier, but a lot of us don’t have that opportunity. I acknowledge that I have the privilege to do what I love to do.”

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The drag artist pushes for rights that will help provide recognition and support to members of the community. “The Philippines has a long way to go,” she said. “Today, there is a need for a deeper understanding that drag is an artistic expression. There are many of us whose drag is not accepted by our society.”

See also: Drag Race Philippines’ winner Precious Paula Nicole on the dynamic world of drag

Marina shared that beyond the glitz and glamour, drag is an art form that requires precision, dedication, and hard work. “What people don’t know about drag is that it’s not just makeup, hair, and heels. There’s a lot of planning, rehearsing, marketing, and creating a business out of it. It’s just like building your own brand,” she said.

“My job doesn’t end when I remove this wig. Drag always goes beyond what you see on stage—before we step outside, we have to put on makeup for hours, we have to rehearse for hours, we have to make an outfit for a week, and another week to conceptualise a three-minute performance. There’s a lot of things that go with it,” she added.

The drag artist shared that to reach this far, she had to plan things way ahead of time. “Everything I do now looks so spontaneous in the public eye, but in reality, what you see now had been meticulously planned a year ago. I wanted to do it because I know it will spark joy,” she disclosed.

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For the drag queen, working with a pool of people who believe and respect her vision is essential in executing brilliant ideas. “Leading is something that I do to make it possible. Working with a team that speaks the same language and respects how I walk the talk.”
Despite appearing on the covers of glossy magazines and making headlines in local news and lifestyle agencies today, Marina revealed one question the media has yet to ask: “How do you do it, Marina?”

“I am a one-woman team. I conceptualise my performances, write, direct, and do fashion—I almost do it all. How do I do it all?” she continued.

See more: The Many Faces of Drag: When Queens are Offstage (With Naia Black)

Marina graciously bid goodbye as we wrapped up the interview around 3.30 pm.
She would be appearing before the crowd at 7pm to perform the song and dance numbers she tirelessly rehearsed before our interview. In the next few days, she would visit the British Isles to perform with fellow UK vs The World queens.

It was remarkable, truly, to see her work nonstop and appear indefatigable—ready and even craving for more. Her day does not end here, not anytime soon.

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