Full-time drag performer MT Hart sported a vibrant blue mullet and swung a full pint of beer in one hand while strutting through Boston’s Time Out Market. Hart’s intentional, theatrical stumbling delivered a comedic yet air-tight performance that concluded with the splits on a floor littered with dollar bills. 

Once the applause died down, a drag queen took the microphone before the DJ station. “O-75,” said Big Atlas, beloved drag queen and bingo emcee, to a rapt crowd hunting their bingo cards for a match. 

“Proving that the O is reachable at any height!” Atlas said. 

Time Out Market hosted its free, long-standing drag brunch and bingo event Sept. 14. Drag queens performed while hosting zealous bingo games for the audience. Bingo enthusiasts, dedicated attendees, drag performers and curious onlookers alike attested to the radical acceptance the drag scene promoted, welcoming a wide variety of Bostonians who could find their niche within the inclusive community.

Between bingo rounds, drag queens weaved through the long tables, lip-syncing to anything from country blues to 2000s pop hits, all while pulling off impressive stunts. For many drag performers, this art form is a culmination of multiple passions and years of dedication to the craft, honing in not just on makeup and fashion, but persona and stage presence. 

“Performing means everything,” said drag queen Vilette, a second-year fashion design major at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. “Growing up, I’ve always loved theatre and fashion. For me, it’s the fusion of the two [arts] that makes it so perfect for what I want to do and what I want to share with the world.” 

Hart knows firsthand the impact of this craft on the viewer. 

“I saw a drag king perform for the first time at a burlesque show in Boston and it blew my mind,” Hart said. “To know that you could play with masculinity in drag was magical to me.”

Self expression — in any form — was the name of the game, and creativity is the only requirement to participate. Alongside the personal gratification of performing in drag, the relationship between audience and performer within this art form is uniquely powerful, attendees said. Beyond emphasizing crowd work in performances, Hart nurtures this relationship by hosting drag makeup seminars and classes for those interested.  

In drag or not, these shows offer a community to everyone in attendance. 

“The drag community is so welcoming of queer people and people who don’t necessarily fit into the mold otherwise,” said Stacy Verbeck, an IT professional who said she attends drag shows at least twice a week. “You can go be a fan and support that. I feel like it’s almost as much fun as actually doing drag.”

Audience members cheered furiously and clapped along during performances and those close enough to the queens tucked dollar bills into their tops or gestured wildly in the hopes of being singled out. Lucky bingo winners competed in dance competitions judged by the volume of audience screams. The community of attendees was as close-knit as it was diverse, including college students, senior citizens and a family hosting a half-birthday party for their infant. 

Verbeck and Ellie Doncaster, a senior exercise science major at the University of Massachusetts Boston, began attending drag shows together last year after meeting through the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and bonding over local support for some of the queens performing. 

“I’m a broke college kid, but I try to go to as many [shows] as possible,” Doncaster said. “It’s really cool to meet up and support our girls.” 

Beyond the rapture of performance or appreciation for the craft, the drag community appeals to people for a variety of reasons. 

“I found a community of computer science people. We’re banding together and getting through it together,” said Maya Lampi, a second-year computer science and cognitive psychology combined major at Northeastern University. Along with a tight-knit group of computer science majors at Northeastern, Lampi attends drag events to grow closer to their peers outside of the classroom. The mixture of extravagant style with humor and celebration in drag offers a reprieve from everyday responsibilities and workloads. 

The infectious positivity has resulted in more drag events around Boston, specifically in prominent public spaces like Time Out Market. With more representation and exposure, the community has been able to diversify and expand, attracting people from all walks of life and identities. 

“Boston has always been a scene that really loves and celebrates alternative and non-traditional drag,” Hart said. “I think we’re continuing to see that blossom.”

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