In this episode of The Kings of Joy Show, I’m joined by Jo aka Bad Boy Cameo, whose Drag King journey began at a time when life had cracked open and nothing felt simple anymore.

What starts as a search for joy and queer community becomes something much deeper. Jo shares how Kings of Joy arrived at exactly the right moment, and how stepping into Drag Kinging opened up not only performance, but belonging, self-expression, and a more loving relationship with masculinity.

This is a conversation about reinvention, community, and what can happen when you finally find a space where you do not have to shrink parts of yourself to belong.

In This Episode

How Jo found Kings of Joy during a major life transition

The moment Queers of Joy felt like finding “my people”

Creating the first persona, the Art Professor Traeverse

How Bad Boy Cameo was born through reinvention and play

Exploring positive masculinity through Drag Kinging

What Kings of Joy opened up around gender and pronouns

Why inclusive community matters, especially for bi and queer people

Jo’s vision for a thriving Drag King scene

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uqWh6rMw88o

Notable Quotes

“I manifested Kings of Joy.” Bad Boy Cameo

“The relief that my body went through to be in that room with my people.” Bad Boy Cameo

“Being a Drag King has allowed me to kind of really step into that masculine and find the positive masculinity that exists in me.” Bad Boy Cameo

“It was just going to be fun, but it’s had all this other transformative experience for me that I didn’t expect at all.” Bad Boy Cameo

“Gender is something to not be afraid of. It’s something to play with.” Danica Lani, The King Coach

“Masculinity belongs to us all. It’s available for us all to explore.” Danica Lani, The King Coach

Start Your Own Drag King Journey

If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression.

This season of The Kings of Joy Show is recorded and produced at Bambuddha Studios in Sydney. Thank you for supporting independent queer creators and community storytelling.

In this episode of The Kings of Joy Show, I’m joined by Toby aka Martin Van Tasmal, a Drag King, illustrator, and deeply creative soul whose journey into Kings of Joy began with searching for queer community in a new city.

What unfolds in this conversation is a story about more than getting on stage. It is about finding people who speak the same language of gender exploration, joy, and self-expression, then discovering what becomes possible from there. We also go behind the scenes of the Kings of Joy merchandise artwork Toby created, exploring how queer identity, transformation, iconography, and community values were translated into visual form.

In This Episode

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FF_Wbioeq9A

Notable Quotes

“I hadn’t found my community yet.” Toby aka Martin Van Tasmal

“We just want to dress up like boys and have a good time.” Toby aka Martin Van Tasmal

“I want to be a wizard.” Toby aka Martin Van Tasmal

“It was really lovely being part of this community.” Toby aka Martin Van Tasmal

“I really loved seeing you come alive on stage and shine.” Danica Lani, The King Coach

“The world is a better place because you’re in it and because of your art.” Danica Lani, The King Coach

Start Your Own Drag King Journey If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression.

In this episode of The Kings of Joy Show, I’m joined by Charlie aka Bear Back, a Drag King whose journey began with theatre, performance, and a feeling that there had to be something more. What unfolds in this conversation is a story about much more than getting on stage.

Charlie shares how Drag Kinging became a pathway into belonging, self-expression, and gender discovery. We talk about creating Bear Back, finding freedom through performance, and what it means to be held by a community that celebrates who you are becoming.

This is a heartfelt, funny, and deeply affirming conversation about identity, transformation, and the power of a Drag King space where people do not have to explain themselves to be welcomed.

In This Episode

• How Charlie first found Kings of Joy and what drew them into Drag Kinging

• The creation of Bear Back as a cowboy persona with a rich backstory

• Moving through impostor syndrome and saying yes to performing again

• How binding became a powerful moment of gender freedom

• The role Kings of Joy played in Charlie’s gender journey and transition

• Performing in the trans masc version of “Bye Bye Bye” and what that meant

• Why Drag Kinging is about more than performance, and includes belonging, support, and care

• Charlie’s vision for a more visible, thriving Drag King culture

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dju74Wh5_es

Notable Quotes

“I felt free.”

Charlie aka Bear Back

“It’s not just getting on stage and dressing up and performing. It’s the support. It’s the community. It’s the love.”

Charlie aka Bear Back

“It changed my life.”

Charlie aka Bear Back

“You have blossomed so much and it’s been such a joy to witness you on that journey.”

Danica Lani, The King Coach

“It’s about joy. Anti-racism, non-toxic masculinity, positive masculinity, gender diversity, celebrating that.” Danica Lani, The King Coach

Start Your Own Drag King Journey

If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression. 

This season of The Kings of Joy Show is recorded and produced at Bambuddha Studios in Sydney. Thank you for supporting independent queer creators and community storytelling.

In this episode of The Kings of Joy Show, I’m joined by Max and Marie from No Milk In My T and Kings of Joy for a conversation about community, creativity and the journey into Drag Kinging. What I love about this episode is that it captures that moment when something begins as a quiet pull in the background, then slowly becomes real. For Max, being a Drag King had lived as a long-held desire for years. For Marie, it was something they had not even realised was possible until stepping into the world of Queers of Joy and seeing what opened up there. Together, we talk about what it was like to begin this journey as partners, how Kings of Joy became a place of light during a hard season in life, and the unexpected ways performance can reveal who we are, what we need, and what wants to be expressed through us. We also explore Marie’s Drag King persona, Monsieur Mitch, and the catharsis of using performance to mirror toxic masculinity back to the world. Alongside that, Max shares the story behind No Milk In My T, a project that began as a fundraiser for top surgery and grew into something community-led, generous and deeply meaningful for trans and gender diverse people seeking gender-affirming care. What we explore in this episode • How Max and Marie first discovered Queers of Joy and Kings of Joy • What it was like to step into Drag Kinging together as partners • The role of joy, creativity and community during a difficult time at work • How Drag King personas can emerge in surprising and revealing ways • Marie’s reflections on masculinity, satire and catharsis through Monsieur Mitch • The story behind No Milk In My T and how it grew beyond Max’s own fundraiser • Why visibility, connection and mutual support matter so much in queer community Watch the full episode Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LsD3BABael8 Start your own Drag King journey If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression, so we can feel more at home in our own skin.

There’s a moment Jules describes where irritation and jealousy start to surface. Watching other people claim their gender. Watching them take up space. And realising there was something in that freedom that felt… personal. Not comfortable. Not clear. But undeniable.

In this episode of The Kings of Joy Show, Jules Billington, aka Golden Boy Brad, shares what it’s like to follow that inner pull — from the constraints of drama school training to stepping into Drag Kinging as a space for exploration, expression, and ultimately, freedom.

This is a conversation about what happens when you stop ignoring the voice inside you and start listening to what feels true.

In This Episode

• Feeling jealousy and resistance around gender expression

• The impact of rigid training in the performing arts

• First experiences with they/them pronouns in performance

• Creating the Drag King persona Golden Boy Brad

• Performing for the first time in a Kings of Joy group

• Gender affirmation, top surgery and following freedom

• Bridging queer identity and professional performance work

• Why community is essential for a thriving Drag King scene

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5GY086tep-g

Start Your Own Drag King Journey If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression.

This season of The Kings of Joy Show is recorded and produced at Bambuddha Studios in Sydney. Thank you for supporting independent queer creators and community storytelling.

There’s a moment in life where everything feels uncertain - and then something small shifts. For Kiki, aka Kaizer, that moment came while watching Queers of Joy from their backyard. Not on stage. Not in the spotlight. Just a quiet decision to say yes. What followed wasn’t just a performance. It was a return to creativity, connection, and self-expression after heartbreak, relocation, and a period of feeling lost.

In this conversation, we trace how that one decision led to becoming a Drag King, finding community through Kings of Joy, and stepping into a version of self that had always been there - just waiting for space to emerge.

In This Episode

• Discovering Queers of Joy during a time of uncertainty

• Starting Drag Kinging through lockdown experimentation

• Finding community and friendship through Kings of Joy

• Creating the Drag King persona Kaizer

• First time performing on stage and what shifted

• Moving from group performance into solo gigs

• Exploring gender and sexuality without needing labels

• The impact of being seen and expressing your full self

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/33zXN67GnQo

Start Your Own Drag King Journey

If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression.

Danielle Cormack is a multi-award-winning actor known for playing Bea Smith in Wentworth and Kate Leigh in Underbelly: Razor. She's worked in film, television, and theatre for over 35 years. And at nearly 55, going through menopause, she decided it was time to fuck shit up.

So she became PonyBoi - a naughty teenage boy whose balls haven't dropped yet, a wannabe Hollywood actor gunning to be a stunt double, full of drive and ambition and absolutely zero self-doubt.

In this episode, Danielle talks about finding PonyBoi through Kings of Joy, bringing a friend along for the ride, and why performing as a Drag King felt like coming home to the part of herself she's always identified with most. We talk about the blue glitter beard, the mesh tank tops, the voice that was born on stage at the Red Rattler, and what it's like when your teenage son introduces you to his mate's dad while you're running out the door as PonyBoi.

This is about play. Permission. And refusing to behave the way society thinks you should at any age.

In This Episode:

Why Danielle reached out to Kings of Joy after seeing me on social media and thinking, "Who is that person? They're amazing"

How performing with first-time Drag Kings brings the purest joy - even for someone with 35 years of professional performance experience

The moment PonyBoi's voice was born on stage at the Red Rattler - and why his balls clearly haven't dropped yet

Why PonyBoi was inspired by teenage boy movies like The Outsiders and the phrase "Stay gold"

Performing as PonyBoi at Wentworth conventions in the States - hosting sexy bingo, judging costume competitions, and loving the camera

What it's like when your son introduces you to his mate's dad while you're running out the door in full PonyBoi get-up

Why Danielle wants to see a Drag King film, a Drag race for only Drag Kings, and every musical ever made performed only by Drag Kings

The advice for aspiring Drag Kings: do it. Tap into the community. No time like now.

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube 

Start Your Own Drag King Journey

If you're feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here  

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality, and self-expression - so we can be 100% at home in our own skin.

This season of The Kings of Joy Show is recorded and produced at Bambuddha Studios in Sydney. Thank you for supporting independent queer creators and community storytelling.

Kit went to Queers of Joy for the first time, was blown away by the energy, and their friend Laura grabbed them and said, "You must do this with me." Kit signed up for Kings of Joy with no idea who their Drag King persona would be.

Then lockdown hit. Seven aspiring Drag Kings met on Zoom for weeks, not knowing when they'd ever get on stage. They became a support group. They leaned on each other. And Kit spent months in their bedroom exploring YouTube makeup tutorials, learning both feminine and masculine Drag makeup, and discovering Slaychuan Peppa - a gender-fluid, beautiful boy inspired by Asian pop culture.

When they finally got on stage in December 2021, it was Kit's first time in the spotlight. Ever. The adrenaline was so intense, they can't even remember if there was a standing ovation. But Slay was born. And the journey had begun.

In This Episode:

How Kit got taken to Queers of Joy and signed up on the spot - with no Drag King persona in mind

The lockdown Kings of Joy group that became a support group when no one knew when they'd get on stage

Practicing alone in a bedroom for months, exploring makeup tutorials and gender fluidity

The realisation that Slay wasn't a switch to flick - Slay was just a different combination of aspects of Kit

How Asian pop culture and standards of beauty for men shaped Slaychuan Peppa as a beautiful boy, not a man

Debuting solo at The Bearded Tit with Worship Collective - a queer Asian performance platform

Why the spotlight blinds you and the memory plays a different game when adrenaline takes over

How Drag has integrated into Kit's art practice and everyday life

Watch the Episode

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Start Your Own Drag King Journey

If you're feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here.

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality, and self-expression - so we can be 100% at home in our own skin.

Chris McAllister, aka Chase Cocks, walked past a mirror after performing as George Michael and thought, "Who's that handsome guy?" That moment cracked something open. Neural pathways shifted. And a gender journey that wasn't available before suddenly became possible.

In this episode, I sit down with my spouse - yes, my actual spouse - to talk about how we met through Drag Kinging, what it was like witnessing Chris's gender exploration unfold, and how we built Kings of Joy and Queers of Joy together as a way of giving back what we'd found: community, belonging, and permission to become.

Chris is The Trans Comedian, the founder and host of Queers of Joy, and the person behind the viral "I Can Tell" allyship campaign that's now reached over 4 million people worldwide. This conversation goes deep into the sliding doors moments, the top surgery fundraiser that raised $6,000, and what it means to build a community where people don't just feel included - they actually belong.

In This Episode:

How Chris and I met as backup dancers for a Drag King parody of "September Morn" (yes, really)

The George Michael performance that unlocked Chris's gender journey - and the moment in the mirror that changed everything

What it was like for Chris to explore gender with a completely safe person to talk to

The top surgery fundraiser Bye Bye Bye and what it felt like to get a standing ovation from 120 people

How the viral "I Can Tell" campaign reclaimed three words that once triggered dysphoria and turned them into allyship

Why participation is the source of vitality - and what that means for aspiring Drag Kings

Building a community where people belong, not just where they're included

What it's like performing in They Will Be Kings at Qtopia for Mardi Gras 2026

Watch the Episode Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5KkFT1_WxJY

Start Your Own Drag King Journey If you're feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname

Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality, and self-expression - so we can be 100% at home in our own skin.

This season of The Kings of Joy Show is recorded and produced at Bambuddha Studios in Sydney. Thank you for supporting independent queer creators and community storytelling.

Rory went to Queers of Joy, saw a group of Drag Kings on stage, and thought, "I really want to do that." Their friend said, "If you do it, I'll be in the front row." Their son asked, "Why don't you do it?" And that was it. Rory signed up for Kings of Joy. A year later, JSTARR - the loveable tradie with a signature black cap, a dad bod six-pack, and a Human Sundae act - is performing at venues up and down the coast. Cis het men love him. Queer crowds scream for him. And Rory's processing what it means to have built something this big, this fast. In this episode, we talk about sliding into DMs, backing yourself, reclaiming songs from a former life, and what it feels like when your Drag King persona is just the unfiltered, ADHD hyper version of you - but with a moustache. In This Episode: * How Rory's son gave them the final push to sign up for Kings of Joy * The six-month Zoom rehearsal process during lockdown - and what it felt like to finally hit the stage * JSTARR's secret to getting gig after gig: show up, make connections, and slide into DMs * Why cis het men love JSTARR as much as JSTARR loves cis het men * The Human Sundae act, Magic Mike energy, and reclaiming songs from the sex industry * The homoerotic tradie chemistry between JSTARR and Night Shift that writes itself * Why chronic health issues and invisible disability don't stop JSTARR from performing - and the messages Rory receives because of it * Advice for aspiring Drag Kings: do it now, back yourself, and don't wait another day Watch the Episode Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cOL3bTjWbe0 Start Your Own Drag King Journey If you're feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: danicalani.com/dragkingname Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality, and self-expression - so we can be 100% at home in our own skin.