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The world gained another set of stars when drag queens have taken the spotlight. Their unique expression of artistry and authenticity have definitely encouraged a lot of people to embrace and love their true colors. The local scene has its fair share of talented and passion-driven drag queens, and perhaps one of the names gaining much attention belongs to Aquilina Bravo.
An electrifying drag performer, Aquilina Bravo also known as Gerhard Kryststopher a thespian who first performed in drag when she was casted in June 2017 as one of the angels in Atlantis Productions’ Manila staging of “Kinky Boots”. After a short drag stint with O Divas, Aquilina Bravo went to teaching performing arts, Zumba classes, and continued doing solo drag acts to further showcase her individuality.
“As in every high-pressure performance, competition is present and with how fierce drag queens can get, it’s bound to get dirty sometimes. For me though, the biggest challenge is being unapologetically yourself and staying true to your drag aesthetic. Also, being open to other’s opinions for growth while not letting others tell you what you can or cannot do.
I think what makes me stand out among my fellow queens is my vibrant energy. High-octane drag pieces would usually demand for a queen to keep it fierce but I like serving my drag with a nice sweet smile and a whoop to/from the audience every now and then. I can get fierce too, but I’d rather be fun,” Aquilina shared.
Voicing out that there’s more to drag than meets the eye, Aquilina is also a professional host — a craft that she has been honing for eight years now. This is her own way of telling spectators that drag queens are way beyond just providing comic relief or the glitz of synchronized song & dance performances. They’re like magical creatures that wish to transform societal norms.
“There are not many drag queens who host non-bar events, and the primary mode of performance for drag is lip sync. It’s a breath of fresh air when drag queens are allowed to use their “real voice” in any context,” she said.
Aquilina Bravo recently took part in the pilot episode of Tekkie Talks (https://bit.ly/2WLeaKZ), an online show of e-commerce platform Argomall. The premiere of the said show tackled things related to fatherhood in celebration of Father’s Day which coincides with Pride Month.
She muses, “The challenge for me was having to sit down while talking to the guests. And I mean that literally. For events and kiddie shows, there’s a chance to channel my energy to a live audience by moving to and fro on stage and being free to move. I felt the need to really contain my energies as it was my conversational skills that will be in focus. It was fun trying not to be too hyped up but still active.”
Aquilina also shared that being the host of the pilot episode of Tekkie Talks can be proof that the country is slowly embracing inclusion.
“We are in the age of inclusion. I would always feel great about the comfort the show had with combining an LGBTQ+ representative with Dads especially in a patriarchal society like the Philippines. This is probably what women empowerment feels like,” she said. “I think Tekkie Talks having me is a nice step into saying that there’s more to drag than meets the eye.”
Sharing the same belief with Argomall, Aquilina expressed how authenticity is an important part of one’s personality.
“I think authenticity really is the end all and be all of any organization, cause, or person. You’re either the real thing or you’re not. It’s a practical thing too as you know how to sell yourself if you know yourself and keep to it,” she added.
“Since trust & authenticity is one of our value propositions, choosing Aquilina Bravo to host our pilot episode is a no-brainer because aside from her charm, humor, and natural gift of gab, she is very comfortable in her authentic and true self,” Argomall Chief Communications Officer Amiel Mendoza said.
Mendoza also shared that Argomall tries to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and its members.
“Pride month is a very important month for me and I do my best to enjoin people around me to bring awareness and show support to the community,” he said.
“From letting me use a rainbow version of our logo, allowing me to wear heels to important meetings just for fun, to choosing a drag queen to host our talk show are little victories that I celebrate because it encourages individuality, acceptance, and shows gestures of solidarity within the company,” he added.
Mirroring this, Aquilina shared that the Pride Month is more than just a celebration.
“For everyone, choose to love and take pride in the love that lives in your heart. It’s easier said than done but the world will definitely become better if Pride that is remembered for being a day of hate becomes a celebration of love for everyone,” she said.
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