Scandal at the DIVA Awards: An Exclusive Interview with Cassandra the Queen
On Monday 2 September 2024, the Sydney drag community was gearing up for the annual DIVAs, the Drag Industry Variety Awards. The DIVA Awards have been around since 1991 and are aimed at showcasing the best drag Sydney has to offer. The night has been an extremely uplifting and positive staple in the community for over 30 years.
This year we saw many iconic moments, including Minnie Cooper being inducted into the DIVA Hall of fame and being recognised for all the incredible work she’s done for our community.
One of the standout awards of the night is ‘Sydney’s Favourite Drag Artist’, recognising the outstanding talent of a performer selected by the DIVA panel and the public.
This year, that award went to Cassandra the Queen, an exceptional Filipino drag artist who has been on the Sydney scene for just over 3 years. Cassandra is known for her activism, kindness, and poise within the community, as well as her breathtaking stage presence as a performer.
When it was announced that Cassandra had won this award at the DIVA Awards 2024, every attendee in the venue and those watching the livestream witnessed behaviour towards Cassandra from another drag performer which can only be described as harassment and abuse.
Gay Sydney Australia had a chance to sit down with Cassandra after the awards to talk about her experience on the night, and what drag means to her. Take a look.
What does the award mean to you?
The DIVA award ceremony is really about celebrating and recognising hard work- not just of drag performers, but the whole drag industry in general and what they have achieved in the last year. For me specifically winning Sydney’s Favourite Drag Artist, it means that I am doing something good, that is positively impacting the community. It is more than my shows, it is more than my looks, it is more than the aesthetic of my drag: it is the impact that I have on people and the experience of the performances that I give.
Why do you think you were bullied the way you were on the night, and in the lead-up to the DIVA Awards?
I can’t speak for the people who did what they did. They are all responsible for their own actions. It’s really up to them to explain, not me.
I realised in the lead-up to the event that there will always be people who will try to pull you down, discredit what you’re doing and diminish the efforts that you are making.
What message do you have to queer people of colour within our community?
What I could tell to the queer people of colour in our community is that I am here.
Don’t be apologetic. Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile and try your hardest. Because that’s the only way you can show commitment and passion to whatever you’re doing.
I want to tell them that there are people like me in our community who will stand up- not just for myself- but for all the people of colour in the community. There are people like me in this community who will defend you and who will stand by your side.
What changes would you like to see in the industry to support artists of colour to ensure they feel safe?
Understanding. It is a very abstract change, but understanding people of colour, understanding where they are coming from and understanding microaggressions still happen regardless of your industry.
These microaggressions are the things that people of colour have to live with every day, and the industry has to understand that people of colour are always anxious because of these microaggressions.
What do you think the audience’s reaction at the DIVA Awards says about the current state of acceptance and inclusivity in queer spaces?
It showed who would stand up for you and be by your side and support you, no matter what.
I saw Hollywould Star, Aunty Tamara, and Ellawarra stand up and try to block the person who was trying to stop my speech. It showed the commitment of these people in defending not just me but also the integrity of what I was saying.
I did hear people yell at me to shut up, but more than that, all I could hear were people cheering and supporting me.
I think it just really shows that the minorities will always protect each other.
How important is community solidarity in times like these?
I’ll say this- once someone crosses a Filipino, the whole community will rally behind them.
The Filipino community saw through what happened and they understood what happened to me as abusive and as harassment.
What are your plans/hopes going forward?
My hope would be for everyone to learn from this. To be introspective and look at themselves. I hope that this will foster bigger and greater things for the Sydney drag industry in general.
I also hope this will also put fuel in everyone’s heart to keep improving and keep doing their best in their drag. We shouldn’t be complacent in terms of our art form, and in terms of our performances. We should always be improving.
Read the latest interviews and reviews from Gay Sydney Australia HERE
You can find Cassandra on Instagram @cassandrathequeen_
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