This Desi Drag Artist Merges Culture and Performance and the Results Are Gorgeous

Humza Mian is a drag artist from Canada, and he is bringing his South-Asian origins to how he performs as drag queen. Drag is still a taboo topic in many parts of the world, including in India and other South-Asian countries. A drag queen is a person, usually male, who dresses up in feminine clothing and acts in in exaggerated feminine ways.

Humza is a part of a small community of desi drag artists in Toronto, Canada who are bringing their culture into the art, drawing inspiration from Bollywood and the women in his life. Speaking to Vagabomb, he talked about his experience as a desi drag queen, and balancing various aspects of his life and personality.









Humza started doing drag only two years ago with his boyfriend; "We had always been with men who disliked the feminine attributes of our queer identities (wearing makeup, wearing girls' clothes, etc.), so finding each other was kind of the universe telling us that it's OK to use drag to express ourselves," he said, talking about how they had both been fans of the drag culture even before they started dating.



He spoke about the pressures of being hyper-masculine in life for queer men of desi origins. He embraced drag as a refreshing way to break that cycle. "Drag is my way of contributing to that. There are a handful of us who are able to do this publicly so it's important for us to be visible and be represented in our city's LGBTQ community." A major part of his drag personality, Manghoe Lassi, is about exploring his heritage, which is something he loves doing.









Aside from being a visual artist, he also spends his time painting. "I haven't drawn a piece in a year or so, but I always seem to return to it when I need some clarity." Drawing also inspired his drag persona, and he often finds references from other pictures and draws them in various make up and looks to explore different ideas of beauty.









This love for art also holds true when it comes to makeup. "I really enjoy applying my makeup. It's a great place for me to relax and let out some creative energy. It's satisfying to work on something for hours, my face in this case, and have the product of that hard work look beautiful," he adds.

He recently attended one of the world's biggest drag events, Rupaul's DragCon in Los Angeles and took a chance to flaunt his desi drag look. Dressed in heavy desi-inspired clothing, he got a tremendously positive response from people. He was interviewed and photographed by Paper Magazine, Getty Images, World of Wonder, and more, while the pictures that he posted on social media made him a favourite with the online community.









He also happens to be queer in a Muslim family, which comes with its own baggage. "The life I live outside of drag is pretty different from when I'm in drag. I feel unchained when I'm in drag, mostly because I'm in a queer-friendly setting and have eyes on me; it's liberating. I can be 'as gay' as I want to be without being judged. When I'm out of drag I have to be careful with my mannerisms, the tone of my voice, etc. depending on my surroundings. When I'm at a religious event or with religious family, I am the complete opposite of Manghoe Lassi. Unfortunately this comes with being queer and raised Muslim."









He also advocates personal safety when it comes to being queer or being in drag,"I always tell people to consider their safety before all else when exploring their identity as a queer person. Is it safe? Can it wait? I didn't start to explore my identity as a gay man until my late teens and it was only when I felt comfortable and knew that it was safe for me. Although a lot of my religious family doesn't know I'm gay, I am in a place in my life where the lack of their presence would not greatly affect me if I was outed and they did not approve. It's important to be financially and mentally stable while exploring this new part of your life. This is what worked for me BUT it may not work for everyone, so be cautious and follow your gut."









Even in comparatively small communities like drag, being a South-Asian drag queen isn't always easy. Humza talked about the experience being intimidating at times, being a bearded queen, on top of being a queen whose aesthetic is mainly South-Asian inspired. But he wanted to represent his culture and introduce people around him to something that they aren't used to seeing. "Anything that helps my represent my communities, both queer and South Asian, is an honor to be part of," he said.

He is also a veterinary technician, and loves his day job, "I enjoy my day job a lot! I get to work in all aspects of small animal medicine. I also love travelling and trying out new foods; I'm a hardcore fan of anything that is barbecued."









Balancing so many aspects of your personality may sound daunting, but Humza enjoys the process of exploring so many different things. "I take it day-by-day. Being organised and knowing when to be what part of yourself (and how visibly queer in my case) is important to keeping a healthy balance for me. My sisters are very accepting and are part of all aspects of my life, including my drag life. I'm actually quite happy having to balance all of this because it keeps every day fresh and different from the last."