New York City’s nightlife community is vast and diverse, with a litany of bars and a galaxy of queens offering entertainment seven nights a week. One consistent conversation that arises where nightlife is concerned, especially post-pandemic, is the need for drag performers to be paid a fair and livable wage. While queens that have made a splash on RuPaul’s Drag Race may very well be compensated fairly, local queens (which it must be noted, every single Drag Race performer once was) still hustle from gig to gig to meet their varied financial obligations.
This past week though, there is a distinct chance that could be changing. New York City standout drag performer Kizha Carr (known for their absolutely razor sharp lip sync skills) took to Instagram with an extensive story discussing the fact that they felt that they were not being paid what they should be being paid. Carr went on to discuss the pay disparity between her arrival in New York City almost fifteen years ago and now. She went on to speak at length about the bars, the bar owners and the state of drag in Manhattan today (the full Instagram story can be found on Kizha Carr’s Instagram page under “Nightlife Pay”).
Almost instantaneously, Carr’s words sparked an online movement from the New York City nightlife community and beyond. Drag performer and political firebrand Marti Gould Cummings expressed their feelings on the issue on the former Twitter (above), while notable nightlife queens spoke out all day. Champagne Bubbles indicated on Instagram in part that “Rates have stayed the same since I started 13 years ago” while both Logan Hardcore, Holly Box Springs and Jacklynn Hyde all expressed their support. Cabaret dynamo Kiki Ball-Change spoke in detail about how the queens who perform in the New York City nightlife scene are “essential to keeping the nightlife scene alive”. Asbury Park and New York City Broadway babe Lady Celestina also spoke out about the burn out that can occur as a New York City nightlife performer and specifically indicated the need for a “Drag/Nightlife to Unionize”. In addition, RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and New York City favorites Honey Davenport and Monét X Change both weighed in on the issue, expressing their unwavering support for Carr.
After posting their initial story, Carr jumped back on Instagram to note that what had happened since the original post has been “really inspiring”. Carr went on to say that there were a couple of “very influential, respected, and highly motivated” Big Apple queens that had reached out and were willing to “take up the mantle to use this momentum to make lasting change”. Carr stated that they would be “putting together sort of a town hall to hear everyone’s stories and organize what they really need together”.
Earlier today, Karr posted a video on Instagram showing that the talk they’re talking is definitely not just “talk”. After hosting a brunch with fellow New York City performer Lexington Banks (aptly titled “Bacon & Legs Drag Brunch”) at The Spot up until it’s recent closing, Carr today announced that they would not be moving forward with the brunch as it moves to a new home at Rise Bar (Carr & Banks were poised to be on alternating hosting duties with Holly Boxx-Springs and Egypt). Carr expressed the hope that fans still go out to support Lexington Banks, but as for Carr they were emphatic in their stance; “I will not be moving forward with the show. I have to be concerned with my self worth and I am not working for less than what I am worth any more”.
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