Drag Union for Equal Pay
It is no secret that the Drag industry is unfair regarding paying their entertainers. First, we got local Pageants that only pay between $200 and $300 for a prize package, and then some of the entertainers never receive their pay. Next, we got unpaid Amature drag shows keeping the lights on in the bar. Finally, we got pay based on Gender; the drag world in today's standing is a Man's world, with men dressing up as women.
The industry is changing slowly regarding Gender, but equal pay is not. The Transgender and lesbian communities get paid far less than the regular drag queen and are not allowed to perform on Fridays and Saturdays. We recently saw that a local Drag Queen was lowballed because of his race in a live video. Exposure is not compensation; it is excellent to give entertainers exposure and free resources, but there is nothing like that feeling when paid for your talent and services.
In St. Louis, we got local For-Profits posing as Non-Profits exploiting every element of The LGBTQIA+ spectrum and then using it for personal expenses such as rent, alcohol, and private parties. We have international titleholders who are getting paid $30 to $50 to perform four numbers when they are the reason why people are buying tickets in the first place. Fame generates ticket sales, not Bar owners, non-profits, and fraud pageantry systems.
I interviewed this one entertainer who was featured on an International Drag Platform. She told me she turned her name into an LLC, and whenever she gets paid, it goes right into her business account, and when she travels or purchases her gowns, wigs, makeup, and shoes, she writes all of her business necessities off on her taxes. Why not? These are business expenses that are necessary when it comes to performing on stage.
It is not House of Chuck Magazine’s job to determine equal pay for Entertainers, but it is up to all of you to come together and create a Union to determine how much an artist deserves to get paid. There should always be a base pay, and the rise of that pay should be determined by experience, fame, and equality. In addition, the Drag Union should provide tools like promos, videos, pictures.
The Drag Union should provide paid training such as choreography, sewing lessons, Makeup tutorials. The Drag Union should have a star system to build their entertainers up and provide data on how much their ticket sales bring in. As they bring in more tickets, the pay and the percentage of ticket sales negotiated per contract should go up. The Drag Union should provide references for affordable housing, lip-syncing lessons, and wig tutorials.
House of Chuck Magazine worked in the Drag world for many years and watched so many entertainers never get to that plateau due to unequal pay and inequality in the industry. So here is a unique opportunity for everyone to petition for a Drag Union and Equal Pay. It is time we set our people free and get what we deserve. So please sign the petition for a Drag Union and Equal Pay. Click Here to Sign the Petition
For any further information regarding a Drag Union, please contact India Ferguson.
