Looking at myself in the mirror, I beamed with pride. I was wearing jeans, a pink wig, and one of my mom’s tops that I cut into a cropped shirt.
It may have been just before my 15th birthday, but it was the first time in my life that I felt beautiful and confident. In this perfectly curated pre-loved set, I stepped out to watch my very first drag show.
It’s just one of many drag looks I’ve bought second-hand since – and expressing myself through these clothes has been invaluable to me after later coming out as transgender.
I came out, first as gay, when I was 13 and started wearing makeup around the same time. I’ve always looked up to the women in my life — especially my mom, my grandmother, and my older cousin — and loved the way they did their makeup.
Quickly, my makeup turned into drag because I loved the performance and hyper-femininity of it — especially after watching shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race. For me, drag was a way to feel comfortable and beautiful, something I had never experienced before.
I was bullied at school for being too feminine, but I was lucky to have supportive friends, and we sat down and had lunch together. They were the highlight of school, always encouraging me to embrace the real me.
At my school prom in 11th grade, I showed up in drag to show everyone that bullies will never win. I felt so beautiful and powerful. Everyone was really proud and happy for me. It had never been done before in my school so it was a shock.
I started performing when I was 15 in a nightclub when I danced to Dangerous Woman by Ariana Grande and Who’s That Chick by Rihanna and David Guetta wearing a pink Barbie bodysuit I bought from opportunity. My mother, my two best friends and my grandmother came with me to my first show.
I had so much fun and was so happy to have taken a big step in pursuing what I loved to do. It was exhilarating and I was looking forward to doing more.
As I got older, I realized that I not only loved the drag performance and the over-the-top female character, but being a woman was also the only time I felt beautiful and confident. This led me to discover, at 17, that I was transgender.
The first person I told I was trans to was my friend, who is also trans and is a big inspiration to me. I then told my mum, grandma and my best friends and they were so proud of me.
My family not only always allowed me to be who I am and do what I love, they also helped me find some of my first drag costumes on Gumtree.
It was amazing to feel so many people loving me and supporting me to be the real me.
I remember walking around Gumtree with my mom for hours, picking out a pink PVC wig and boots — helping me create my future drag show outfits.
In the beginning, second-hand drag costumes helped me find my personality – they were so much more affordable than high street ones, which meant I had more choices and could try out different styles.
I’ve always loved princess dresses, love the color pink and was inspired by Paris Hilton, so I went straight to the LA socialite vibe of the mid-2000s in my drag shows.
I’m so impatient so waiting for them to be sent to me was such a hassle but I loved when the clothes arrived as it helped me see the full vision. It made me want to play and pushed me to keep training.
Cherry — which is my name, but also the name of my drag character — is a hot and silly LA socialite princess with a heart of rose gold and an obsession with pink. I like to do dramatic numbers that tell a story, often reminiscing about my trans journey, and making the audience feel something, while being beautiful and danceable.
I wear lots of different outfits, and they’re generally well received. My favorite items are dresses, bodysuits, princess dresses and short dresses.
I still buy a lot of my costumes second-hand because not only is it good for the environment, but it also allows me to make outfits that are completely unique.
More recently, I made an outfit from good quality sheers and a white bodysuit from Gumtree. Another favorite was a wedding dress I made from fake flower bouquets and pre-loved mosquito nets. The front was covered in pink roses and LED lights that lit up and the skirt was removable.
Today, at 19, I don’t know what the future looks like, but I’m having a lot of fun and taking it one day at a time.
I’m doing an exciting apprenticeship this summer, then heading to college to study fashion and merchandising, two exciting new ventures for me.
One thing I know for sure is that while one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, the greatest treasure for me has been being able to be accepted for who I really am – high heels. occasion and all.
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