Dragutaunte Will Make You LIVE… Happily Ever After

Poor Cinderella. No gown, no jewels, no glass slippers … until suddenly, her fairy godmother appeared, and with a flick of the wrist, she was fabulously transformed into a glamorous princess. We all know the story;  little girls wishing upon a star to have their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that little boys do too.

And why shouldn’t they? Gender norms are changing, and with the help of Dragutante, all children can have a Cinderella day.

Dragutante was created by a group of Colorado parents led by local drag mom Robin Fulton. These avant garde parents are smashing gender stereotypes by providing a stage for youngsters under 18 to express themselves through the art of drag. This event is all about celebrating children’s desire to shine while supporting and educating parents about the art of drag.

When asked about supporting his child, parent of 10-year-old Sassalina Bluchilde said, “This is their way of expressing themselves. If your options are to support them, or not to support them, I don’t see that there’s really an option.”

He added, “They have to do it; it’s part of them. It’s no different than if your child loved soccer; you’d be at the field cheering every weekend. Drag is something that’s understandable to kids, because they’re used to playing dress up as a part of their everyday routine. We are trying to help parents understand that it’s okay, and to provide a safe place for them to feel supported.”

So, why is the new trend of drag kids becoming en vogue? You can thank RuPaul for that glass slipper. These kids grew up captivated by Ru’s fabulous queens, and now we have a generation that’s after their crowns. Less than a decade ago, they were in their carseats singing along to Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” and have eagerly studied as Mama Ru taught them to sashay their way into the spotlight. Armed with smartphones and pop culture, these kids are redefining 90s club kid drag and adding their own post-millennial sparkle.

To them, there’s little difference between a Disney princess and a drag queen. Indeed, the parallels between the two are positively uncanny; both wear extravagant costumes and perform signature songs. Big hair is an absolute must across the board. Both have been known to make their debut at a local ball. And, like it or not, a midnight transformation is virtually inevitable…

Quora user William Salyers posted a perfect response to the question: “What is your opinion of drag queens around children?”

“I’m against drag queens being exposed to children. A lot could go wrong. Nails could be broken, wigs pulled off, someone could get knocked off her heels. Children are wild, irrational, and unpredictable, and their characters are still in the formative stages. Someone fabulous could get hurt.”

Fortunately the local queens who volunteer for Dragutante are up for the challenge. As the event heads into its third season, the support within the community has strengthened to help with the new growth. Dragutante’s first-year queens are reaching the age of 18 and are moving on to bigger productions.

The drag court ICRME (Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire) has graciously both volunteered and donated towards Dragutante’s nonprofit. Younger queens are being joined onstage by drag kings, “hyperqueens,” and non-binary performers. Drag kids are flourishing with the growing support for the genre as well as educating others about acceptance for the art.

Dragutante began as a way for children to safely celebrate their authentic selves, and every child who wishes to be a star has a magical drag-mother ready to make their Cinderella day a reality. It’s as easy as Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Ru.

If you missed the show, you can still donate towards the program via our Gofundme, as well as meet some of the Dragutantes who will be performing at Aurora Pride on August 3.

Photos by Robin Johnson