What's it like being a drag queen in Inverness? By Gerald Lennon

BBC Scotland News website Published duration 1 February 2019

media caption Venus feels like the drag scene is only going to get better

"Call me he, call me she - I am at times both" - a drag queen from the Highlands explains what it is like being a drag performer in the UK's most northerly city.

Darryl, from Inverness has two jobs - he works as a hospitality supervisor and also as a drag queen, going by the name Venus Guy-Trap.

His first time in drag was 10 years ago when he went out to a bar in Edinburgh with a group of friends.

Although he was nervous at first, Darryl says this soon changed once he realised how accepting of drag people were - compared with his own experience in Inverness.

'Change in the air'

"Did I think there would be a place for Venus up here 10 years ago? Absolutely not, I cannot envision any circumstance 10 years ago under which I would leave my house in drag," he says.

"There is definitely progression. There's definitely been a change in the air here. Would I say it's all the way it needs to be? No, but am I grateful that it's progressing? Absolutely."

image caption Darryl describes his drag as 'fishy' - a term commonly used when a drag queen looks more feminine

Darryl chose to move back to Inverness mainly because he always knew he would come back home, saying that he misses home anytime he is away.

"I think moving back was a risk, taking Venus into consideration - based on the fact that there isn't quite as much demand up north for drag or any form of entertainment like it," he adds.

"In places like Edinburgh and Glasgow there is a big demand for things like that - and with greater demand there comes greater presence of people willing to cater to that demand.

image caption Darryl was 18 when he first got into drag, the name Venus Guy-Trap came years later

"The world is a little less scary for drag queens these days."

When it comes to "he" and "she", although pronoun preference differs for each drag queen, the rule of thumb is to refer to the individual as he when out of drag and she when in drag.

"I understand why people are becoming a bit more wary of how they use pronouns in this day and age," Darryl says. "But for me it doesn't hold any bearing on how I feel or how I respond to people."

'Definite progression'

Darryl believes he is fortunate because he is one of the few entertainers in Inverness who perform in drag and that allows him to stand out with the limited number of bookings made available.

"For people to come to my show, it is an experience for everyone, it's an experience for me being on stage in front of people from Inverness. It's an experience for them because it's not something they get to see every day."

image caption Getting into drag usually takes Darryl around 2 hours

When performing, Venus sings live, dances, DJs and sometimes lip syncs to songs - offering a variety of choice.

Last October thousands of people took part in the biggest LGBT+ event to be held in Inverness in 16 years - Proud Ness. Darryl was able to take part in the event as Venus and hopes to see similar progressive events in the future.

'More opportunities'

He thinks venue owners and managers of bars and clubs in the city should offer more bookings for drag queens, and his advice for anyone in the Highlands who might be considering doing drag for the first time, is to just go for it.

"Wear your armour, because you will at some stage come across someone who doesn't like what they see, or doesn't like what they hear - but that doesn't mean you have to feel bad about it."

image copyright Darryl Geegan image caption Darryl's drag name is inspired by the carnivorous plant Venus flytrap

Venus used to have a regular slot in Hootananny on Church Street, where her old spot has been taken over by a different drag queen. Venus mostly takes bookings outside of Inverness, because she feels the city does not offer enough venues for drag queens to perform in, something she hopes changes with time.

"I would like performing to become a full time career, but that can only happen if Inverness chooses to move the way that Edinburgh, London, Newcastle all moved," she says. "There hasn't been much provision of drag entertainment in Inverness.

"There are a lot of people who want to see stuff like that and I think all it really comes down to now is venue owners and managers just being a little more open-minded and thinking, 'could we make this work in our venue?' and if the answer is anything other than no, do it."