“It’s all a mafia”: transits and tensions in the search for a place on the stage

Abstract

This article explores relations and constraints involving opportunities for performing and career-building of newcomer drag queens. Through the analysis of ethnographic material, I follow the category mafia that, when employed, aims to raise suspicion over drag contests’ results and the availability of opportunities to perform. Its usage suggests the high competitivity in the drag artistic scene. I also analyse a specific moment during research where I judged in a drag contest. The methodology consisted of ethnographic research, participant observation and informal conversations. The study was conducted between 2015 and 2017, focusing on the career-building process of a group of young drag queen artists from Campinas seeking to participate in contests and drag performances beyond the city