Maya The Drag Queen: Drag Is What I Do, Sexuality Is What I Am

Alex Mathew knew that he had a feminine side to him, but didn't know how to bring it out or express that side. That is until he watched Mrs. Doubtfire. Robin Williams inspired him to embrace Maya, and since then he has never looked back. Maya is a fierce, sensitive, caring Keralite woman who lives in Bangalore with her lover.

Maya The Drag Queen: Drag Is What I Do, Sexuality Is What I Am

It is hard enough to be a queer man in India; but for Alex, it was a bit harder. He is a queer man and wanted to perform as a woman. He wanted to be a drag queen. A glamorous and fierce drag queen.

When he went to his mother to borrow a saree before his first drag performance, she told him, "Why can't a woman play the character?" Alex says she totally missed the point of what drag is. Drag queens are men dressed as women who perform on stage. It can be mistaken as the person being transgender or a crossdresser, that's not the case. Drag is all about performance.

The Amazing Journey of Alex Mathew, One of India's Few Drag Queens

Now working with Solidarity Foundation as a communications officer, Alex is loving drag. His character, Maya, has a large following on Facebook and Instagram. Through story telling, Alex and Maya talk about issues surrounding individuality, gender equality and feminism. Here's Alex's story about how he found his passion in performing Maya. Check it out!