Queensland’s Drag Kings Are In Their Renaissance Era

While shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race have seen drag queens pushed to the forefront of visible queer entertainment in recent years, drag kings have been the somewhat forgotten siblings. But in Queensland, drag kings are entering a “renaissance” era of this overlooked performance art.

Venues like The Sportsman Hotel have long embraced drag kings as part of their performance culture, but new Queensland venues like Come To Daddy, Hairy Mary’s and The Presynct are helping elevate the platform for these incredible kings and the powerhouse talent they have to offer.

Archie Arsenic (they/them), Lord Sev (he/they) and Zelphia Mann (they/them) make up just one of many drag families nurturing the talents of local kings. These three dynamic performers are part of the drag supergroups, Kings Of Kaos (KOK) and M4M4M. 

Zelphia has also been doing incredible, vital work on a community level, holding workshops to teach a new generation of up-and-coming drag kings the skills and confidence they need to take to the stage. 

“We’re in an absolute renaissance and a huge period of growth, with new kings joining the scene all the time,” says Lord Sev, who has been performing in Brisbane for seven years. 

“​​I think radical queer spaces have always been the home of drag kings because they were the only spaces open to us. Now we finally have platforms that are bringing us out of the lesbian club nights and burlesque shows of the past few decades and into a more inclusive, mainstream spotlight,” he says. 

Archie Arsenic, a stalwart of the Brisbane scene who recently took home the title of Mr Sportsman 2025, as well as Performer Of The Year at the 2024 Queens Ball, agrees. “It’s blossoming! There’s so many more of us now than ever and we all support, encourage and show up for each other.”

There is definitely a sense of change in the air, and for these kings, it feels like their hard work is finally starting to pay off.  

“We’ve been working really hard to prove that kings are just as entertaining and fierce as queens. Support from other artists has made an enormous difference; people like Tina Bikki and the venue Come To Daddy have been huge advocates to get kings seen and booked,” says Archie. 

They also recall their early days on the scene, struggling to get taken seriously. 

“Sporties has booked me since day one,” Archie explains. “Back when AFAB artists and drag kings were seen as almost a joke and we had to fight everywhere else for our spots. But not Sporties.”

But it’s not just about social and performance spaces — Lord Sev reminds us, this renaissance is political, and deeply important. 

“Kings fill this rebel space so perfectly. As icons for women, queers and transmasculine folks in the LGBTQIA+ scene, our prominence and visibility is a direct challenge to cis man-centric spaces, and the growing anti-trans movement in our state politics.”

Zelphia agrees: “I see drag kings as being more than ‘male impersonators.’”

“Sure, some are simply that, but my favourite type of drag king is one who uses their platform to showcase the absurdity of gender roles and stereotypes. There’s so much more to being a ‘man’ than the archetypes of a tradie, a businessman or a woman hater, and drag can be a really fun way to remind people of this.”

While progress is fantastic, it’s still far from perfect. “I’m so grateful to the venues and shows that do celebrate us, but there’s plenty who won’t even consider a king, and plenty more who love to book us once in a blue moon, but can’t even do us the courtesy of getting our pronouns right,” says Lord Sev. 

“I just want to see all corners of our LGBTQIA+ community celebrated and respected, and visibility is so powerful — booking kings means a lot to the audiences who see themselves in us. 

“Also, we’re hot and entertaining as hell — so BOOK US!”