"If you can't love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else! Can I get an amen?"

- RuPaul Charles

By looking at the picture and the quote of RuPaul you probably already have an initial guess as to which queens the title is referring to. Indeed, the fabulous Drag Queens!

Some years ago, when I was looking for a new show to watch, my friend came with the suggestion of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Now, I'm a loyal fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, not just because of the amazing lip sync battles or the drama, but also because it's a world I don't know much about.

Drag was born on the stages of the Shakespeare theater that originated in the 16th century and had strong ties to the church. Only men were allowed on stage and thus dressed up to portray women. The term arose as men discussed how their dresses "dragged" on the floor. What happened on stage found its way to men off the stage and became a way for them to create a female character.

At the beginning of the 20^th century, drag began to become more of an individual entertainment form when the musical theater “Vaudeville” combined music, comedy, dance, and burlesque to provide live entertainment, and female impersonation soon became part of the genre. Around 1930, the consumption of alcohol was abolished in the United States. Homosexual men went to the underground clubs for entertainment and there they felt at liberty to dress like Drag Queens.

After having to hide underground for a long time, most of the world was finally ready for the world of Drag in 1990 and the Drag Queen who led the way was RuPaul Charles. In 2009 RuPaul's Drag Race premiered and the program has enjoyed great popularity ever since.

Drag in The Netherlands

In the 1960s was the nightclub Madame Arthur the place to be when you wanted to see professional drag shows. Therefore, in 1985, a musical with the same name as the nightclub appeared in which Jos Brink (Dutch musical star, columnist, writer and radio and television presenter) and Frank Sanders (Dutch actor, singer, choreographer, and dancer), who were married to each other, performed drag acts. This art form got national recognition in the Netherlands when The Travesty Show (De Travetieshow) aired on Veronica in 1995, presented by Drag Queen Nickie Nicole.

Because of RuPaul’s Drag Race more and more "drag houses" emerged in The Netherlands consisting of younger drag performers and their "drag mom." In 2020 the show came to The Netherlands. Drag Race Holland has now 2 seasons that have aired on television. While watching the show, I realized how few Dutch Drag Queens I knew, and the show has introduced me to some great ones.

Cheesecake Event in Breda

Unlike other cities, Breda does not yet have many Drag events. When my friend told me that club Holy Moly hosts a Drag brunch and dinner event every month called Cheesecake, in Breda, we immediately bought tickets. Because of Drag Race Holland I already knew some of the drags performing:

ChelseaBoy - Keta Minaj - My Little Puny

Me and my friend went to the dinner event on Sunday, October 3. My expectations were very high and fortunately, they have been more than realized.

Upon entering, we were welcomed by a drag queen and given a welcome drink. As we walked out of the reception area, we entered a colorful room filled with colored lights and painted walls near the stage.

In anticipation, we waited for the show to begin while enjoying a cocktail named after one of the Drag Queens. Once the show started the crowd went wild and as the evening progressed, the audience danced along with the Drag Queens and the DJ who played music during the breaks. The dinner existed out of seven amazing amuses that you won't get to eat on a regular weekday. At the end of the evening, the Drag Queens still made time for a picture. When being there, I noticed how comfortable I felt. It didn’t matter if you were part of the LGBTQ+ Community or not. Everyone was welcome and accepted. All in all, a successful evening!

If you are also a fan of Drag Race or just looking for an evening full of entertainment, good company, and a special experience with delicious food, then the Cheesecake Event is a must. It's a slightly pricier event (€45, -), but certainly worth it.

Click here to go to the site of the Cheesecake Event (Disclaimer: The site is in Dutch)