We all know the best way to learn Spanish is by immersion. For some people that might be listening to podcasts in Spanish or watching Netflix. For others, it might be online Spanish lessons by watching drag queens! We shared LGBT slang in Spanish before. We also know that a lot of slang in Spanish (just like in English) comes from drag queens or transformistas. Watch more of them and your Spanish-speaking friends will say “me voló la peluca” (my wig flew off) and be surprised with your language improvement. This week we are listing 8 famous Spanish-speaking drag queens for you to watch.
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Puerto Rican drag queens
Many of the drag queens who have graced seasons 1 through 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race set in the United States have Latinx heritage. Quite a few come from Puerto Rico, an unincorporated U.S. territory in the Caribbean islands. While Puerto Rico doesn’t have statehood, residents are United States citizens so Puerto Ricans or boricuas can travel freely between the island and the union for filming the series. Here are our favourite Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican queens.
- Alexis Mateo – A glitzy pageant queen, Alexis Mateo is remembered for wearing the Puerto Rican flag body suit complete with cape. Before drag, she worked as a dancer at Disney World. Now she is an award-winning fashion designer and entertainer. Her signature style is glamour with striking, swept-back eye makeup.
- Vanesa Vanjie Mateo – With Alexis Mateo as a drag mother but a style all her own. Vanjie is also of Puerto Rican descent. She became famous for leaving RuPaul’s Drag Race 10th season early. Her signature move of chanting her own name “Miss Vanjie…Miss…Vanjie” as she walked off the stage became a call-sign for the entire cast and a refrain in pop culture beyond the drag world. Her signature look is pretty with attitude.
- Cynthia Lee Fontaine – Cynthia was born in Puerto Rico and worked as a clinical psychologist before starting drag and moving to Texas. She is a cancer survivor and performed at Pulse nightclub in Orlando the night of the 2016 shooting. She competed on Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where her catchphrase of calling her booty a “cucu” became popular slang. Her signature style is clean makeup and a pop of colour.
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Mexican drag queens
Fighting against machismo culture is an uphill battle. The drag queens of Mexico are aware and ready to fight. Here are our favourite Spanish-speaking Mexican queens.
- Lady Morgana – An El Universal interview explained that her persona was born in a party in Acapulco, inspired by Morgana le Fay the powerful enchantress from King Arthur legends. Now in Mexico City, she supports self expression and community. Her signature look is stick-straight hair and dark-coloured wigs.
- Yayoi Bowery – Self-described as extraña pero muy interesante (strange but very interesting), Yayoi’s signature style is full of theatrical make-up and decorative outfits..
- Pixie Pixie – A true artist, this drag queen makes weird costumes that remind people of old films. Her signature look is all black-and-white, all of the time.
Spanish drag queens
Drag Race España, filming in 2021, will be the first RuPaul’s Drag Race spinoff programme to have a solo queen as host.
- Supremme de Luxe – Host and head of judging panel on the upcoming Drag Race España. De Luxe is well-known in Madrid where she performs nightly and appears on TV and radio with her dance singles. Her signature style is a platinum blonde wig with dark roots.
- La Prohibida – This Spanish singer made headline news when she was chosen to appear in Madrid’s Three Kings Parade and the conservative Catholics were outraged. Her signature look is slinky dresses and a wig of sultry auburn waves.
Learn Spanish through drag
Some call it entertainment, but we call it an education. Sit yourself down in front of a screen for the afternoon and learn Spanish from home by watching your favourite Spanish-speaking drag queens online. Already vaccinated and don’t want to wait until Drag Race España comes out? Go to Spain and see a live drag show! Find your way to the gaybourhood near Chueca metro station on a Saturday night and you will find the right clubs to watch Spanish-speaking drag performances.
From our list today, which drag queen sounds like she would have the most entertaining show?
Get a jump start on your Spanish conversation skills. Register for a 7-day free trial with native Spanish-speaking tutors at Lingoda today.
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Alison Maciejewski Cortez
Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X.
