Kitchen queens show why being vegan isn’t a drag
TWO performers are using their popular drag act to promote veganism and a way of switching to a healthier diet.
Along with YouTube videos and a live act, they hope they can encourage others with their ‘downto-earth veganism’ message.
Stuart Crowther, from Balderstone, is one-half of The Vegan Queens alongside Paul Burgess, who have performed at festivals across the region, and will take part in next month’s Rochdale Pride.
The 33-year-old had been a vegetarian for over a decade before he became a vegan six years ago, and hopes he can persuade others to follow suit.
“Just recognise that the dairy and egg industry are not any better or less cruel than the meat industry,” he said.
“We know now that the Earth is in trouble and that illness can be fought with a great diet. We know that vegan and vegetarian diets are proven to be better for us and others around us.”
A lecturer at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts where he graduated, Stuart and Paul’s drag act focuses on political and sociological issues that they discuss in a fun and upbeat way.
They decided to combine their act with their vegan activism a few years ago.
“Since we became vegan we thought it would be a great way to combine vegan activism with something that’s becoming more popular. With RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag seems to be a genre that people are becoming increasingly interested in.
“It’s sort of down-toearth veganism - maybe you’re not ready to make a switch to vegetarianism or veganism, but you’re just interested in trying a couple of days a week of eating less meat.”
The pair have recently begun hosting their own cooking videos on The Vegan Guys, a popular YouTube channel with thousands of subscribers that Paul also runs with his husband Jason, involing easy recipes to make at home, family meals on a budget and of course, drag cooking shows.
An ‘actor, writer and Vegan Queen’, Stuart has performed at many Pride festivals across Greater Manchester but hopes the Vegan Queens will get on stage more regularly in the future. One of their next shows will be as part of the borough’s first ever Pride festival in November, where they will be doing some cabaret and showtunes at Touchstones Rochdale on November 21.
Paul, from Oldham, said he started his channel in 2015 to pass on lessons he was learning as a new vegan - and thought it would be fun to “bring ‘the girls’ onto the channel too”.
He said: “Our style of promoting vegan food with easy recipes and easily accessible taste tests has seemingly helped many people to start their own journey.
“We feel that we are helping to put the vegan northwest on the map, and helping to highlight venues, shops, businesses and eateries that cater well to vegans.”