Drag on Ice performers at the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink.
San Francisco residents gathered around the city’s iconic Union Square on Thursday evening to commemorate the longstanding annual drag show that regularly hopes to bring holiday cheer.
A total of nine performers took to the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink for Drag on Ice to show off their “cool” talents to spectators who traveled with friends, families, and children to enjoy the 16th year of a tradition that some in attendance coined “very San Francisco.”
Christie James, co-host of Pride Radio, an LGBTQ+ focused entertainment platform associated with iHeartMedia, served as the night’s emcee and worked to remind the crowd of the importance of coming together and celebrating events such as this.
“We’re here to celebrate self-love and showing up as ourselves in any way we want to,” said James. “What can be more San Francisco than having drag queens in Union Square skating.”
Brazilian-born drag performer Paju Munro said she has been performing at the annual show for over nine years and even though her life as a flight attendant has meant she has scaled back her drag performances, the ice rink continues to call her name. She said she is extremely grateful to live in a city that celebrates drag as an art style while other places across the country antagonize it.
“We are very fortunate to live in a city that we can come and do this, because there’s a lot of parts of the United States where drag is seen as a very bad thing,” said Munro. “It’s very sad that people that don’t understand that we do this for fun, or it’s a job, or just make people laugh.”
State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, echoed the sentiment of unity and celebration of drag. He thanked drag performers for being instrumental to what he describes as the “DNA” of the city of San Francisco while simultaneously calling for people to support the LGBTQ community.
“Drag queens forever have been on the front lines of LGBTQ equality and the fight for LGBTQ equality, and we need to really acknowledge that right now in this country,” said Wiener. “All LGBTQ people, particularly trans people and drag queens are under assault. We are not going anywhere!”
First-time performer Papi Bambino from Vermont said he was both nervous and energized to skate for the first time in drag. He said his performance and costuming were intentionally selected to send a message and provide visibility of the trans community to the greater public.
“I’m wearing the trans flag colors to represent our trans siblings and brothers and sisters who are under attack right now,” said Bambino. “I just want to show love and representation and show what trans can be.”
Bambino also said that if he were a child and had seen trans representation, he believes his life would have different.
“I was very confused about my gender as a child. I didn’t have queer and trans people around me,” said Bambino. “I love that people bring their kids to drag shows, and they get to see and say ‘wow I see myself in them.’”
Kristen Vandivier brought her young children with her to see the show. She said they enjoy skating, and the entertainment has brought joy to their family.
While the drag show may have been for one night, the ice rink will be open daily until Jan. 19. For more information, visit unionsquareicerink.com.
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