A1: First drag show, audience of one Summer Soall s3898469 “I’ve had a lot of internalised homophobia from always being told ‘you’re gay’ by people from school, even before you know what it means -like age of four. What I found was I would try and go against those stereotypes, so I didn’t get type casted… and then it didn’t work. In lockdown I was so isolated I just thought fuck this, fuck people, I wanna try [makeup], so me and a friend got on a tram on the lunch break and went to Melbourne central and I bought a shit tone of shit from mecca.” -Lochlainn For as long as I’ve known Lochlainn, he has worn makeup, but never drag. Alongside Elsie, we had all been looking for an opportunity to have a drag and wine night. They jumped at the idea of this photoshoot and made their way over with bags filled with makeup, wine and wigs.

Under the ambient light of Elsie’s living room, I watched as she guided him where he needed help, and gave him creative freedom when he didn’t. The only trouble we had - outside of getting the two drunk enough to spill all of their secrets- was gluing down Lockie’s eyebrows. “Consciously I think I first wanted to try drag at 12, I would lock myself in the bathroom and put on my sister’s makeup and come out and show my dad. He would take photos of it.” Elsie explains where her love for drag stems from, and how she became the drag guru of the group. She blocks her brows with no struggle and starts blending out a dramatic pink eyeshadow.

“I think gender stereotypes are quite conservative, clothes are clothes, makeup is makeup. You’re doing makeup to enhance your features, not to change who you are.” - Lochlainn

As the night went on and the brushes were put down, Lockie began to open up about how his family reacted to his love for makeup and self-expression. “I’m lucky mum’s side of the fam has always been super supportive and accepting. My mum and auntie were my first real introduction to drag when I was like- maybe 14, and they were like ‘why haven’t. you watched drag race yet?’. Then mum and I would watch it every week when it came out.

Not everyone is as supportive or educated when it comes to people not-conforming to gender stereotypes. Lockie began to discuss this with me “Peoples reaction to me wearing makeup is 50/50, you can get the over-supporter like ‘yes mama queen slay’ and it’s like omg fuck off,” Lockie laughs, “It’s too much, it’s not genuine. And then there’s the people who will call you slurs and it’s like oh… I forgot people do that.” It's important to note that although drag is something held dearly in the hearts of both Elsie and Lockie, the freedom to express oneself that drag implores, impacts both of them differently. I loved shooting Lockie and Elsie, and getting to see both the bravest front (through drag) and their more vulnerable sides. Although I had trouble with the shutter speed and exposure at first, I eventually googled my way to a half-solution. Lockie and Elsie took all of my directions, even though some of them were silly, and were both more than happy to be in front of the camera and answer my personal questions. However, I think the main thing is we all had fun together, and this was a great reason for us to catch up and see a different side of one another.

“You’re attracted to the things that you like, whether it’s a style or a materiel, and that’s how you choose to express yourself. And that object shouldn’t have an association with male or female or anything else.”