No Tea, No Shade, Just Brunch

Image Credit: Bow Lane Website

Katie Larkin dives into the history of drag brunch, and assesses the very best spots for a drag brunch extravaganza in Dublin city.

Unless you've been living under an especially heavy rock, away from social media and the food culture of Dublin, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that “bottomless brunch” and its boozy mimosas and avocado toast remain a weekend staple in the city. But what makes for an even more boozy, theatrical, and camp version of a simple prosecco fuelled Sunday brunch? The answer, of course, is drag queens.  

Born in the 1950’s in the United States and particularly prevalent in New York City, the ‘drag-and-dine’ concept was initially a way to combine a meal with entertainment for wealthy middle-class restaurant goers. This was also a strategy to make a venue stand out from its competitors and to keep customers spending for longer. ‘Drag-and-dine’ also represented a major cultural shift, as drag performances were confined to underground venues at nighttime. Bringing drag into the daylight was significant, especially as there were anti-crossdressing laws in the US which did not begin to be removed until the late 1970s. 

Joe E. Jeffreys, a drag educator at NYU, states that “drag brunch was largely about making queer performance accessible to straight audiences”. He sees drag brunch as bringing people together, and helping them learn that gender is not a scary thing to instil hate against - but to embrace while being entertained over brunch. The continued rise of these performances in casual settings increases the acceptance of marginalised communities in all forms. Venues such as Lips NYC, Lucky Cheng’s, and 82 Club have all been credited for hosting some of the first drag brunches from the late 1950s to early 1970s, and platforming the growing culture of drag itself. 

He sees drag brunch as bringing people together, and helping them learn that gender is not a scary thing to instil hate against, but one to embrace. 

From the 1990’s onwards, drag brunch became a phenomenon across Western countries - including the UK and Ireland. The US-driven model of gender acceptance through performance became a frequent in city brunch scenes. Drag brunch has been popular across a range of venues in Dublin for over ten years, but drag culture was mentioned in the Irish Times as far back as 1971 - long before the legalisation of gay identities and the current slow eradication of the Catholic church.

Media and television shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race have accelerated the absorption of the art of drag and drag queens into mainstream culture. The drag brunch is no longer reserved for queer spaces and is now sought after by people outside the LGBTQ+ community during Hen parties for example. This popularization also contributes to the growing  acceptance and appreciation of this craft.

Much more than some scrambled eggs with a side of cosmopolitan and disco music, drag brunches are a culturally significant form of theatre and performance art. Once a safe space for queer acceptance, the success of drag brunches rhymes with their growth in a more diverse audience; but who suffers and who thrives?

Much more than some scrambled eggs with a side of cosmopolitan and disco music, drag brunches are a culturally significant form of theatre and performance art which were momentous for LGBTQ+ awareness and talent.

Every weekend there are a range of drag brunch events in Dublin. Sadly, Dublin has also recently witnessed the closure of queer spaces such as popular venue All My Friends. Gentrification and mainstream venues hosting queer events can sometimes lead to queer venues losing out; considering the long history of drag brunch and LGBTQ+ culture, queer venues deserve the support to keep them going. 

Some of the best drag brunches happen in venues such as Wigwam, The Bernard Shaw, and Bow Lane Social Club, typically ranging from €30-40. However, such venues are not historically connected to LGBTQ+ spaces in Dublin, like The George or Street 66, and only in the last few months was Wigwam called out by @empowerhervoicedublin for its securities’ mistreatment of women facing sexual assault within the nightclub. This raises the question of which venues are a definite safe space for such events, and which jump on the bandwagon to increase their profits.  

Witnessing Dublin’s famous drag performers, such as Davina Devine (Bow Lane), Miss taken and Miss Roots (The Bernard Shaw), benefit from the glory of drag brunches is undoubtedly a positive. While seeing drag queens earn money from performance and appreciation in these venues is good to see as it allows these spaces to live on, it would perhaps be reassuring to think that such venues are not just trying to capitalise off the success of such events. Wigwam, The Bernard Shaw, and Bow Lane Social Club do all make statements on the safety of their venues and commitment to support of the LGBTQ+ community. Ultimately, going to a drag brunch is an expression of support for Dublin's drag queens and a long industry of pride, culture, and enjoyment in a safe space.