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Drag Kids At Drag Con NYC: Ginger Minj Gives Lactatia A Makeover

Published Sun, 10 Sep 2017 16:52:54 -0500

Last updated Sun, 10 Sep 2017 16:55:13 -0500

Written by Amanda Gurall

RuPaul's Drag Race has become so popular that drag and drag performers are being appreciated by people who haven't necessarily had exposure to the art form in the past. This accessibility has reached a younger audience who showed up at Drag Con this weekend with their parents to meet their favorite queens or to walk the runway themselves. RuPaul opened the show with a speech about fostering acceptance, confidence and love in our children and the importance of supporting younger generations of LGBTQ youth.

Lactatia (Nemis Quinn Mélançon Golden) is an 8-year-old drag queen from Montreal who made social media waves when she joined comedy queen Bianca Del Rio on stage last May. She said at that show that her favorite queen is Ginger Minj, and yesterday Ginger gave Lactatia a makeover on stage.

Ginger worked fast while moderator Patrick Crowley from Billboard interviewed both queens. Ginger was absolutely hilarious and Lactatia told us that her sister introduced her to Drag Race which inspired her to create the Lactatia persona. Why Lactatia?

"Because women lactate. Lactatia is a woman, so why not? I also call my fans lactators."

This is true, as Lactatia was doing on the spot interviews of press members today and wanted to know if we are Lactators. She prefers the feminine pronoun while in drag- actually she said, "I prefer to be called Queen, but "she" is second best."

The makeover ended with Ginger giving Lactatia a beautiful new purple wig and custom tiara to match her own while the two of them told us that they were both crying when they met. It is clear that they have a supportive relationship that is certain to continue in future collaborations and it was actually pretty special to witness as sincere interactions are not always common at convention panels.

Kids like Lactatia who are exploring their identity and art need not only the support of the drag community but of their entire community. The idea that a child knows themselves enough to articulate these things is a new one to many people. The truth is they are both brave and mature and should be celebrated for their individuality and creativity. We need to work together as parents and friends to foster a supportive community for all children whether they like to dress as a Dalek or a drag queen.

Lactatia and her family wanted me to highlight the charity they have partnered with to raise money to assist LGBTQ youth in Montreal. Until L'Asterix opened in 2013 there was no physical space for young people age 14-24 to go for support and guidance. Donations can be made directly to the organization or you can support them with Lactatia. Follow Lactatia on Facebook to find out when her website and future projects will be announced.

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