Heath V. Salazar: Manifesting politics into drag

Manifesting politics into drag

A black chair sits in front of a wall, illuminated by red stage lights. A single finger rhythmically plays a piano key. White noise buzzes in the background. A figure walks into frame and sits down. A mane of dark hair stands out under the lights, and Heath V. Salazar is wrapped in a satin sheet. “Genocide isn’t a pretty subject for a drag show,” Salazar narrates in hushed tones. “But maybe if we call it by its name, we won’t have to say it anymore.”

Salazar, who performs as drag king Gay Jesus, is a Latinx writer and performer living in Toronto. In September 2018, they secured a spot in the artist-in-residence program at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, a program dedicated to the creation of original Queer performance works. In celebration of Pride Month in June, CBC Arts presented Queer Pride Inside, a virtual cabaret in partnership with Buddies, that featured LGBTQ+ Canadian artists. Gay

Jesus premiered All of the Above, a draglesque performance film incorporating original poetry and sound design that speaks to the migrant crisis at the United States-Mexico border.

“Politics are a very big part of my life, and it takes up a lot of my thought process, so naturally it has manifested itself into my drag,” Salazar says. They combine drag, theatre and politics to create what they call “protest pieces.” These are social commentaries packaged as performance art – a form of political engagement that Salazar says can communicate across class.

“It started for me from the point of not necessarily having the language to speak on certain things, even though I understood them,” Salazar says. “I think, in a lot of contexts, certain discussions around politics can become very elitist.” Although they felt like they didn’t have the right words to speak their mind, they felt like they could perform it. >>