Fabian Rosales | @fabianrosalesmedia
“If I had to fit in a box, I would be a drag king; but the point is that I don’t, and I don’t want to choose.”
Sheila the Genderfuck (he/they) is an amateur, Brown drag performer based in Lawrence. Sheila is performed by a KU student.
This student, who identifies as non-binary, has used their drag persona to help them better understand their gender.
“I’ve only recently realized that I kind of want to lean more into like my masculine side,” they said. “I think drag really helps me do that.”
They still like to incorporate feminine elements in their drag too.
“Whenever I wear [feminine] Indian clothing as well as also being masculine, it just feels like I’m kind of… like just like me,” they shared.
Sheila the Genderfuck was first inspired to do drag by a peer in OSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). In June of last year, Sheila made his first appearance at Jazz House’s open drag night where he was supported by his screaming friends.
“It was just really sweet,” Sheila said. “It was also very liberating because I just like busted my tits out at the end of it.”
Out of drag, they are a part of KU’s Bollywood fusion dance team, Jeeva. They incorporate that style of dance in their performances.
The drag community has been rapidly growing, but representation of the community lacks diversity in gender and in race, too.
“A lot of my qualms from the [local] drag scene come with it being so white and binary,” they said. “I wish there were more spaces for performers who are neither drag kings nor drag queens, like me.”
Jazzhaus is a nightclub located on Massachusetts Street and it is the only venue in town to regularly host drag events. It is also one of the few spaces for the queer community in Lawrence.
Although, according to Sheila, the space is only safe for the white community.
“I’ve seen some of the hosts wearing dreads,” Sheila said. “I’ve seen a performer have a blue lives matter bag backstage, while Jazzhaus says ‘Black Lives Matter’ before every event. All of these are basic, basic things that should not be done and add harm to a queer environment.”
Sheila performed at the Kansas Drag Showcase this past weekend and hopes to take their drag to Kansas City.
“In the future, I want to incorporate more smooth moves into my dancing,” said Sheila. “I have definitely looked into male stripper moves.”
Sheila also finds inspiration from local and global BIPOC drag performers. They recommend seeing Chay D. Boots, Jello Tin Shot, and Victor Shawn Von Du.
You can find Sheila the Genderfuck on Instagram. Make sure to keep an eye out for any of his future performances.
