The queer Bushwig Festival returned to Queens for its 10th anniversary and featured legendary LGBTQ performers in dazzling outfits.
The Bushwig Festival of Drag, Music, and Love, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reemerged at the Knockdown Center from September 11 to September 12 in Maspeth, Queens. The event highlighted a slate of renowned queer musicians such as Azealia Banks with the House of Labeija and drag performers like Heidi N Closet and the Boulet Brothers. Transgender activist Ceyenne Doroshow, the founder of the trans advocacy group G.L.I.T.S. (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society) was honored.
Matty Horrorchata, a Latinx drag queen and co-founder of the festival, likened the event to the “gay super bowl” because of its popularity in drag circles and pop culture.
“It’s the one event of the year that people are shopping for their looks way in advance. They’re talking to their friends, collaborating on looks,” Horrorchata told Logo in an interview.
The Bushwig Festival is spawned by Wigstock, a legendary drag festival launched by drag icon Lady Bunny, who ran the outdoor festival for nearly two decades in Manhattan. Since 2011, the Bushwig Festival has served as a networking hub and creative space for drag performers.
Some photos from the 2021 Bushwig Festival are below.
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