"It’s 11pm at Club Cul*, a covert drag club hidden within a disused corporate building situated on the affluent east side of Caracas, Venezuela.
During working hours, security guards wander the largely vacant premises, eyes glazed over from the boredom. People do not visit; the elevator to the upper two floors no longer works.
But at night, Club Cul moves in – and the space transforms entirely. Step inside, through an unassuming beige door, and a blast of music hits you as bright neon lights dance along the walls.
The patrons – sporting shiny watches, spiked stiletto heels – take to their seats as the music fades and the room fills with anticipation. Then, as a lively salsa beat starts to play, the stage explodes with color: four drag queens, wearing intricate headpieces that tickle the ceiling, whirl onto the platform. Backstage dancers follow, moving through the audience as feathers and glitter fly through the air. The crowd erupts. This is what they came to see.
Outside of these four walls, Venezuela remains in crisis..."
Thank you to those who welcomed me into their world and thank you to Aron, the legend of Caracas drag. This story is a testament to you and your dedication. Rest in peace.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JULY 18, 2019 Aranza gets ready for the nightly show at Club Cul. She is a trans woman currently in transition and winner of Miss Globe Gay Venezuela, a play off of Miss Venezuela for the LGBTQ+ community.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JULY 5, 2019. Eduardo stands in front of his mirror, preparing his drag in his apartment. Eduardo created Amala specifically as a way to promote the peoples’ political rights and collective well-being, working to raise consciousness through his drag.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - FEBRUARY 24, 2020 A group of drag performers in downtown Caracas, sitting at a bus stop. After spending the night at the club, they left early in the morning for a private beach party. A private bus is taking them to La Guaira, the coast, to perform for a well-known private LGBTQ party. The performers are excited for good tips and a fun rumba.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - FEBRUARY 23, 2020. The curtain tassels are balled up in the corner of the dressing room of the club. Performers tend to spend the night, drinking and chatting in the dressing room after the club closes. When the sun comes out and it is safe, queens head to the subway in pairs of two.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - AUGUST 7, 2019 Walcott, a 20-year-old hip hop dancer turned drag queen, in his home in Propatria, a barrio in West Caracas. Walcott’s drag style is androgynous, using fantastical makeup with no padding, often shirtless. He uses this “monster drag” style to appeal to a wider audience and show that drag doesn’t have to mean only dressing up as a woman.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - FEBRUARY 24, 2020. Victor, known as Roxy, and a party bouncer sit in a bedroom/makeshift dressing room while Victor begins putting on his makeup - getting ready for a private LGBTQ beach party.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JULY 18, 2019. Shayna de Lunar taking a selfie during the break between acts.
CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JULY 30, 2019. Daniel - dressed in full drag as Miranda - in a cab on his way to the drag club in Altamira. He, like other drag queens, work nights. Often the daily routine is to sleep a few hours after getting home from the club, rehearse and get made up again for the show. In a country like Venezuela, due to a mix of street violence, lack of public transportation and hyperinflation fewer people are going out than before and night life workers are more vulnerable than ever.
