CBS News is reporting that excitement and pride are palpable at the San Francisco LGBT Center as the news spreads about the groundbreaking appointment of D’Arcy Drollinger as the city’s first drag laureate.
“I’m very grateful to be the very first drag laureate of San Francisco and the first one ever,” said Drollinger, who is already well-known as the owner of Oasis, a popular LGBTQ nightclub and cabaret nestled in the vibrant South of Market neighborhood.
D’Arcy is also the founder of Oasis Art, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting queer artists in the Bay Area. “The pandemic hit, and suddenly everything disappeared.
That’s when we had to think outside of the box, and that’s when ‘Meal on Heels’ was created. We wanted to find a way to entertain people and bring a spark of joy during that very dark time. Additionally, we wanted to provide employment opportunities for the drag community, who suddenly found themselves without jobs,” added Drollinger.
In a city known for its support of LGBTQ+ rights, Mayor London Breed says it was a natural step to create a position, announced Thursday, that not only embraces drag culture but puts government resources toward it. D’Arcy Drollinger, a well-known drag performer and nightclub owner, will receive a $55,000 stipend in her 18-month role as the city’s inaugural drag laureate.
“My goals are to make San Francisco sparkle. I think drag performers bring a lot of sparkle and humor and glamour and silliness to the world. I think that is part of why drag is so successful,” said Drollinger, a man who uses feminine pronouns when in drag. She expects to be in drag for the entirety of her role. “I’m going to be in drag pretty much 24/7 for the next 18 months.”
She noted San Francisco’s drag community is already politically engaged and active. “There’s a lot of power for the drag community in San Francisco,” she said. “I feel very honored to be able to take that one more step.”
“San Francisco initiated this new position well before all this rhetoric was going on,” she said in an additional interview with KQED. “It really does speak volumes about how San Francisco cares for the drag community and how it acknowledges our impact on the city.”
West Hollywood is on the verge of appointing its own drag laureate later this month, though at a much lower salary and with limited engagements. In New York, where the Stonewall riots marked a major turning point in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, a 2021 effort to create a similar position has languished in a committee, reflecting the challenges of creating such jobs even in liberal cities.
In San Francisco, Drollinger begins the role three weeks before the start of Pride month. Her duties will span producing and participating in drag events to serving as a spokesperson for San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ community to helping ensure the city’s drag history is “shared, honored and preserved.” The job posting sought someone who will “embody San Francisco’s historic, diverse and inclusive drag culture, elevating the entire community on the national and international stage.”
