Magnus Hastings: Why Drag?

Magnus Hastings, tantalizing master of photography, has been capturing the world’s most sparkling drag queens at the tip of his lens for over a decade. While “Discovering America,” as Hastings puts it, he also discovered the inner meaning, passion and enchantment of drag from the most glittering queens and compiled them into his sparkling new book, “Why Drag?” Featured in his photographic and literary sensation are the beautiful and mesmerizing Courtney Act, who is showcased on the cover, and the most popular queen currently in the entire universe, Bianca Del Rio.

Speaking with the dauntless and vivacious Hastings, I was completely captivated by his honesty and his compelling sense of humor. I was also impressed by his sense of drag and how he seized the very essence of what it is about.

What do you think about Bob the Drag Queen winning?
I’m thrilled, especially since she’s on the cover with me! I was standing there with a friend of mine who just directed her video, “Purse First.” We were standing there saying, “Please let Bob win.” She’s incredible. She should have won. She’s like a really incredibly seasoned drag queen who’s just the most phenomenal performer. She’s just amazing and generous and sweet. I mean, I liked all three of them. They are really adorable. It was the first time I think that no one would have really minded if somebody else won. But I think Bob was the favorite. She is just incredible.

I’ve never met a drag queen that I didn’t like.
Oh, I have. The first rule is “be nice to your photographer.”

Tell me all about your book. I’m excited to read it.
It’s a good read. Originally, because of all the quotes, I said, “This needs to be a book.” As I was shooting, I was marking it up as a template, and the only one that I could find that was decent was a square. So I just happened to look and say, “Look, I’ve got a bit of dead space over here. I need to put it with something.” So I came up with the question “Why Drag?” because it’s kind of open. It turned into something really special, because there are some really lovely answers. It was one simple question. People could ramble on if they’d like or they could just say a one liner. It gives it just a little extra something—more personal, I think.

Why did you start to photograph drag queens?
It’s my home. I grew up as a little gay boy. I used to steal my mum’s hair pieces. I remember putting them on and stealing my sister’s clothes, and I was always performing and putting on shows, directing my sister in supporting roles. I was always the lead girl. I was just always cross-dressing, and that’s how I was happy. Then I grew up, and although I had liberal parents, my mum couldn’t quite deal with it. My dad was fine with it. I came out the gayest child you’d ever seen. When I grew out of it, I was a child actor, and then I went to drama school, but I taught myself photography, and then I switched as an actor. I switched careers. I was sick of it. I was over it, and I switched to photography. Then I took myself to Australia, and I walked into a thriving, incredible drag scene there. It was like coming home. It was where I belonged. It makes total sense to me. I’m a participant; I’m not an observer. It’s my world. When I’m directing my shoots, I’m very physical. I throw myself around. I like shock. I like to catch the moment just after that one. It’s just a moment that you’re trying to catch. But I never want to do drag. I wouldn’t mind someone making me up, but I’m not shaving my beard off. It wouldn’t be gender illusion; it would just be fun. It’s not something that I desire to do. I am very passionate about it being good drag. Good drag is incredible; bad drag is the most boring thing in the world.

Yes, I agree.
I’m obsessed with lip sync. If the lip sync is off, I’m just over it. You can be in a potato sack. If the lip-sync is perfect, it’s incredible. Everyone in my book—I mean, there’s so many different types—they all are polished in their own way. Phatima Rude looks like a John Waters character, but there is something incredibly polished about her.

Where are you from?
I’m from London.

I love London.
I love it, but I’m over it. It’s so expensive and dirty. I live in LA now, and I love the way of life here. There’s so much space, and it’s half the price of New York, London or San Francisco. So it’s kind of an amazing place to live. I live in a big, sprawling apartment for next to nothing that would cost $10,000 in New York. If this book sells, and it’s sold out on Amazon already… ( its back in stock)

I know, I tried to buy it today.
Get it from Barnes and Noble. It’s the same price.

Do you plan on making your way to Fire Island this summer for a book signing? There’s a lot of drag going on there. 
I’ve never been to Fire Island. I’m desperate to go.

You haven’t been to Fire Island. You haven’t been to Manchester, one of the gayest cities. I think you need to surrender your gay card.
I’ve been to a lot of gay places. I’ve been to Mykonos a lot. That’s my Fire Island. I’ve been to P-town. I’ve got to go to Fire Island.

I’ll introduce you to the drag queens there, if you don’t already know them.
I’ve probably slept with most of them.

I knew I would like you. So I hear that you will be doing a book signing in New York.
Yes. I’m having a book signing on June 5 at Industry from 7 to 10 p.m. I’ll be doing three. I had a big one in LA. It was all going wrong, and I was having a meltdown. Bianca opened the door and walked through. Bianca is such a good friend. She’s so wonderful, and she just started book signing with me. Then I got a message that one of my host’s dresses was split from head to toe in the car. I had a lot of people there, and I didn’t know what to do. The show was to happen in five minutes. I couldn’t host it. I walked over to Bianca and asked her, “Can I ask you just one more favor?” She said, “WHAT!” I asked her to host the show. She said, “For you, sure.” She had Darienne, Courtney  and Adore up there, and Willam running around. It made for a kind of insane and incredible night. So then I’ve got one on Friday in San Francisco, and then the final one is in New York. Then I’m going to try and have a signing in Provincetown and in Miami and things like that. I’ve been working so hard putting the shows together, begging people to help out.

Well, with that being said, is there a new project that you are thinking of taking on?
I started an idea for another book, but the way I work takes so much energy—finding the environment, begging, borrowing and stealing—but then I decided I need a goddamn rest. Since January I’ve just been pushing it, promoting it, sorting my green card out. So for my next project, I’d like to do “Dragged Around the World.” That was my original plan, doing the same thing, but going around the world. But then I think, I wanna travel around the world, but I love my way of life here. I always swore I’d never travel anything but business class. I’m 6’4”. I sound so spoiled. I don’t mind not being rich, but I want to be able to afford business class. It’s my benchmark of how well off I need to be. Obviously I want to do another book, because this was such a great experience. When I got my first copy of the book, I sat down and opened it, and I said, “Oh my God, there’s so much work put into it.” Every setup is different. All the time put into it. But I loved it. I also discovered America when I was doing it. I suddenly realized why so many Americans actually don’t have passports, even though that’s still shameful. It’s all sort of like different countries. Say you fly from New York to LA; it’s like flying from London to Africa. Then going to middle America: When I got to Ohio, I felt like I was in “The Shining.” There was no one around. Then there was just a sports bar. Nina West, who I love, is amazing. I asked her if there were other queens there, and she said yes, there are lots of lovely queens there. So I booked for three days. I got there, and I’m like, “Nina you’re the amazing queen.”

Do you have a favorite queen that you care to divulge?
I love Bianca. I love Courtney. Courtney has been my friend for a long time. We’ve been through a lot together. We arrived here about the same time, in 2011. We reconnected, live near each other. We just experimented and played and had ideas. That’s why it was very important that she was the cover of the book. She nearly wasn’t, because she wasn’t available. She was running around after “Drag Race.” I shot a couple of other covers, but this was perfect for me. Bianca, we just met. The first time we shot, Courtney arranged it, because they just came off “Drag Race.” I adore her, and she’s been very, very kind. I adore so many of them.

Bob The Drag Queen
bobthedragqueen.com
twitter.com/thatonequeen
instagram.com/bobthedragqueen

Courtney Act
courtneyact.com
twitter.com/courtneyact
instagram.com/courtneyact

BIANCA DEL RIO
thebiancadelrio.com
twitter.com/thebiancadelrio
instagram.com/thebiancadelrio

224 PAGES OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST DIVERSE QUEENS ACROSS AMERICA AND BEYOND, ALL ANSWERING THE QUESTION, WHY DRAG?

Including all the favorite images from the well-received NYC show, and a bucketload of new photos featuring everyone from RuPaul’s Drag Race alums to underground drag legends and pageant queens wIth a foreword by BOY GEORGE.

magnushastings.com/buywhydrag

magnushastings.com

instagram.com/magnushastings

facebook.com/DraggedAroundTheWorld