In spite of the plethora of coronavirus memes circulating on the interwebs, quarantine life can be extremely difficult for so many of us. Self isolating, economic uncertainty, and concerns about the virus’ potentially serious health effects can all be too much to deal with. As queer people, we often find our community and a space to express ourselves at gay bars or Pride celebrations. The absence of those spaces can intensify mental health issues. A survey by Queer Voices Heard found that 57% of LGBTQ people believe their lives will be worse off in six months because of the coronavirus. A few weeks of trying to flatten the curve has already taken a huge economic toll on the service industry and the nightlife performers we know and love.
Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but it’s not all doom and gloom! We can still enjoy performances by some of our favorite drag queens and continue to support them. Every week, drag performers are going live and finding innovative ways to make the most of performing on mobile screens. Here are a few online drag shows you can tune into every week.
Biqtch Puddin’s #DIGITALDRAGSHOW
When: Fridays at 10pm EDT
Where: twitch.tv/biqtchpuddin
La Queerantine
When: Daily shows Wednesday – Saturday at 4pm EDT
Where: Instagram Live – @laqueerantine
Drag Queen Story Hour
When: See Facebook page for schedule
Where: Facebook Live or Instagram Live
PEG Presents: Digital Drag Fest
When: March 27 – April 30 see performance schedule
Where: Stageit
Drag Aerobics
When: Every Wednesday at 3:30pm EDT
Where: Facebook Live or Instagram Live – @dollytrolleydrag
Club Q
When: Every night at 9:00pm EDT, Saturdays at 6:00pm EDT
Where: Zoom, see Instagram bio (@clubquarantine) for password
Hopefully there are still plenty of gay bars and individual queens firing up our notifications with shows of their own. If your favorite drag queen is going live, please let me know! I’d love to tune in and start a more active list on Twitter and Instagram. If you don’t see your favorite queen performing online, you can always show your support by donating to them directly. Queerantine.Me has an ongoing list of Venmo/CashApp/PayPal accounts for your local LGBTQ bar staff and drag performers.
