Drag Speaks Back

Drag Speaks Back is a public education project using drag to respond to misinformation about 2SLGBTQ+ topics in schools. Through a series of short videos and colourful posters, local Newfoundland and Labrador drag artists break down common myths to help students, families, educators, and community members better understand gender diversity, sexual diversity, allyship, queer families, and inclusive school supports.

click on the poster above you want to download OR click the button below to download the full poster collection

About Drag Speaks Back

Drag Speaks Back was created in response to the growing spread of misinformation, anti-2SLGBTQ+ sentiment, and especially the rise in anti-trans rhetoric affecting students, families, educators, and communities. Across Canada and around the world, 2SLGBTQ+ rights (particularly trans rights) are increasingly being challenged or restricted, while trans and gender-diverse people continue to face heightened hostility, harassment, and violence.

In this climate, clear and accessible public education matters. Drag Speaks Back uses drag and plain-language storytelling to challenge harmful myths about 2SLGBTQ+ topics in Newfoundland and Labrador schools. Each video features a local drag performer responding to a specific piece of misinformation and offering a more accurate explanation.

Rather than responding to misinformation with fear or shame, Drag Speaks Back uses evidence-informed messaging to support safer, more inclusive conversations. The project helps students, families, educators, and community members better understand gender diversity, sexual diversity, allyship, queer families, and inclusive school supports.

Meet the Drag Artists

Drag Speaks Back features a lineup of local drag performers who each bring their own personality, performance style, humour, and heart to the project. Watch their videos below:

Fashionista Jones

The Safe and Caring Schools policy exists to help make sure every student feels safe, supported, and included at school. Since 2013, this policy has helped guide schools in creating environments where all kids belong and have access to the resources they need to thrive.

And yes, there is a specific procedure for 2SLGBTQ+ students.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Fashionista Jones breaks down why the Safe and Caring Schools policy matters, what Procedure 7 is, and how students, families, and school communities can learn more about the supports available in Newfoundland and Labrador schools.

Check it out online here and learn how schools can support you.

Gravy

Using they/them pronouns is something many of us already do every day.
• “Somebody dropped THEIR keys.”
• “Did you see that person on the bus? THEY had a cool hat.”

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Gravy breaks down the myth that they/them pronouns are difficult or grammatically incorrect. Singular “they” has been used for centuries, and it is a simple, respectful way to refer to someone whose gender identity does not fit with he or she pronouns (or whose gender you simply don’t know). 

They/them pronouns are old and new. You can use them too! 💛

Johnny Diamond

Sticking up for 2SLGBTQ+ students does not always have to be loud or complicated. Sometimes active allyship starts with asking a question, challenging misinformation, or making it clear that bullying and disrespect are not okay.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Johnny Diamond breaks down the myth that it is not up to us to stop 2SLGBTQ+ bullying. Because it is 2025, and everyone has a role to play in making schools safer, kinder, and more supportive.

How do you stick up for what you believe in? 💛

Miss Di Agnosed

Drag is an art form, like film, painting, music, or dance. It is also a safe, playful way for people to explore gender, imagination, fashion, performance, and self-expression.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Miss Di Agnosed breaks down the myth that drag is for 18+ audiences. Drag can be many things: theatrical, silly, glamorous, dramatic, family-friendly, or made for adults, depending on the context and audience.

Just like movies, music, clothing, and comedy, some drag is meant for adults, and some drag is for everyone. Dressing up, looking fabulous, and being silly has no age limit. 💛

Misty Manifest

Trends come and go. Trans people have always been here and are here to stay.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Misty Manifest breaks down the myth that kids are becoming transgender because it is “trendy.” The truth is that gender diversity has existed across cultures and throughout history, from androgynous Sumerian priests thousands of years ago, to Hijra communities in South Asia, to Two-Spirit Indigenous people across Turtle Island.

Gender diversity is part of human diversity. Trans people are part of our history, our present, and our future. 💛

Tara Nova

There are no litter boxes in schools anywhere in Canada. Or the US. Or the UK. 

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Canada’s Drag Race Season 5 contestant Tara Nova breaks down the myth that schools have litter boxes for students to use as washrooms. You may have heard this urban legend online, in conversations, or through misinformation about gender-diverse students, but it is not true.

The only place where there are litter boxes in schools is in your imagination. 💛

The Diva Tucks

Until you know your colours, you can’t describe a rainbow. 

Schools teach kids the words they need to understand the world around them. We teach kids language for things they may not be able to see yet, or things they may not have come across before. Teaching about gender and sexual diversity works the same way. It does not change who kids are. It gives them words to understand themselves, their peers, their families, and the world around them.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, The Diva Tucks breaks down the myth that teaching about gender diversity is queer indoctrination. Teaching kids vocabulary is not indoctrination. It is simply education. 💛

Trish Bish

No kid should feel shame for asking questions. Schools are places where students learn, explore, and figure out who they are becoming. That might mean trying a new instrument, joining a team, discovering a love of science, asking big questions, or thinking about how they want to identify.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Trish Bish breaks down the myth that schools are convincing children they are gay or trans. Supporting students does not mean telling them who to be. It means creating space where they can ask questions, feel safe, and grow into the best version of themselves.

Asking questions in school is practice for asking questions in all parts of life, and that is exactly what we want for our students. 💛

Vamp Vira

Gender and sexual diversity are found all throughout nature. Some cedar plants have both male and female reproductive structures on the same tree. Many male bighorn sheep engage in same-sex courtship. And, of course, we see diversity in humans too.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Vamp Vira breaks down the myth that “gender ideology” was created to erase scientific facts about gender and sex. 

Teaching about gender diversity does not erase science. It helps students understand the real diversity that exists in nature, in communities, and in the world around them.

Gender diversity is a fact of life. 💛

Vex Extravaganza

Families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.Some kids have a mom and a dad. Some kids have two dads, two moms, a trans parent, grandparents, aunties, uncles, caregivers, or chosen family. What matters most is that kids are loved, supported, and cared for.

In this Drag Speaks Back video, Vex Extravaganza breaks down the myth that children are too young to learn about 2SLGBTQ+ families. Learning that different kinds of families exist does not confuse kids. It helps them understand the real

world, respect their classmates, and feel proud of their own families too. Queer families are families too. 💛

Wanting to reach out to Drag Speaks Back?

You can email them at: dragspeaksback@gmail.com.

Drag Speaks Back is supported by Dr. Androbox Productions, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quadrangle NL, UpSkill Designs, Dream Haus Productions, and Jess Nichols Designs.