Ahead of Saturday's festivities, we chat to @alrighthey about all things drag, Mardi Gras and being an ally.
GF: What does Mardi Gras mean to you?
Matt: Mardi Gras is a colourful time to celebrate who we are as a community. It showcases our diversity, but also our similarities, brings everybody together to party and have a good time - while standing up and saying WE ARE HERE (and we aren’t going anywhere).
GF: What will you be wearing on the big night — can you give us any hints?
Matt: Lots of sequins hunni, LOTS of sequins. Of course, I only just bought my outfit today, trust me to leave everything last minute!
GF: Have you been to Mardi Gras before — if so, what’s been the most memorable one so far?
Matt: Plenty of times! It’s my favourite time of year. I think my most memorable moment was probably my first Mardi Gras parade as a whole. I was only in the crowd watching, but I’d never felt so proud to be who I was and it was amazing to see my community come together and put on such a show to celebrate US!
GF: What are some ways cis-hetero people can come be allies and celebrate alongside LGBTQIA people at Mardi Gras without taking away from what it’s meant to be about?
Matt: Just come along and know that if you show us love, we will show you love. Sometimes people think if they aren’t gay they aren’t meant to be at Mardi Gras. But Mardi Gras is for everybody, as long as you show respect and have fun! Plus, boys, a little bit of glitter doesn’t go astray! Have some fun with it!
GF: What made you decide to start creating content and documenting your journey on Instagram?
Matt: My friends told me I should either be on Big Brother, or create videos on the internet. And naturally, Instagram was the easy way to connect with my audience on a personal level. Big Brother got axed, so it was the only option really!
GF: What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions about the art of drag
Matt: Definitely that it’s sexualised and inappropriate for children. Sure, in nightclubs we can be a bit risqué and definitely amp it up for an adult audience, but if we’re working with children, we’re going to make it appropriate for children. it’s no different to someone dressing up as Elsa and performing let it go - we’re just playing a character.
