As Sydney gears up for WorldPride 2023, one event stands out as particularly meaningful for the Indigenous LGBTQ+ community: the Miss First Nation competition. This annual event, which takes place at the Carriageworks performing arts space as part of the Marri Madung Butbut: The First Nations Gathering Space, brings together some of the most talented and trailblazing drag queens from Australia and beyond.
This year’s competition will feature eight drag queens, including former Miss First Nation winners Cerulean (2021), Chocolate Boxx (2019), Lasey Dunaman (2018), and Josie Baker (2017). Joining them will be Pomara Fifth (Wildcard) and Timberlina (People’s Choice), as well as two international guests: New Zealand’s Miss Trinity Ice and Feilibing iCE Queen from Taiwan.
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The three-night battle will begin with Heat 1, where the queens will model garments inspired by their cultural heritage, home, language, family, or identity, in a bid to be named Best National Costume. The following night, Heat 2, will showcase the queens’ ‘non-conventional’ drag talent in an eclectic cabaret. The competition will conclude with Heat 3 and The Grand Final, where the queens will lay their best drag on the line and the Supreme Queen is crowned.
This competition serves not only as a platform for Indigenous drag queens to showcase their talents, but also as a way to bring awareness to the LGBTQ+ Indigenous community. It’s an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences of Indigenous people and to amplify their voices.
As we look forward to WorldPride 2023, let us not forget the importance of intersectionality and inclusivity, and the role events like the Miss First Nation competition play in fostering a more equitable and just society for all.
