By Kevin Ferrisi –
For nearly five years, Tiki Malone has graced stages with her presence, embodying a captivating blend of campy charm and old Hollywood glamour. However, her journey into the dazzling realm of drag wasn’t a sudden revelation; it was a path illuminated by destiny and shaped by her profound connection to the art form. Tiki has been doing drag for almost five years, with her fifth anniversary coming up in September. Her journey began when Destiny Harmony Whoreowitz asked her to become her drag mom. At first, she was hesitant, saying she didn’t do drag, but Destiny insisted that she did. In the process of helping Destiny, she caught the bug to drag herself. Watching performers like Rory Roux Lay and Frizzie Borden inspired her, and she realized that she could do it too.
Tiki has always been in love with drag for as long as she can remember. Every year, her family would vacation in Cape Cod, and when she was eight years old, she saw a stunning drag queen in Provincetown handing out flyers. The queen, who looked like Diana Ross in a silver sequin dress and big feather boa wings, left a lasting impression on her. Influences like John Waters’ movies, Divine, and strong female figures such as Bette Midler and Elvira further cemented her passion for drag. Despite being born female, she felt drag was inaccessible to her and often joked in high school about being the gayest man everyone knew. She was convinced she would have been a drag queen if born male. Before the internet, she admired gorgeous queens like Varla Jean Merman, Sherry Vine, and even early RuPaul, wishing she could join their ranks despite feeling it wasn’t possible for her.
She acknowledged that being born female presents unique challenges in the drag world, as there is a noticeable bias favoring cisgender men and trans women in the forefront of drag. Everyone else often must fight for their place. Despite this, she remains supportive and encouraging of her drag king friends, consistently promoting them on her Instagram stories. She frequently highlights the talents of local performers like Frankie Cyanide and Perry Winkle, as well as more famous drag kings such as Jax Hammer and Landon Cider. Her advocacy aims to bring more visibility and recognition to these incredible artists within the drag community.
The persona ‘Tiki Malone‘ has been a name and personality living in her head for about 20 years. The name came to her serendipitously during an early episode of Project Runway, where they had their first menswear challenge. The episode was a disaster, and one of the judges was Tiki Barber. Trying to recall his name, she mistakenly referred to him as Tiki Malone while talking to a friend, and the name just clicked for her. Even before she started doing drag, her Gmail and Instagram handles were already branded with the name Tiki Malone, as if it were her destiny. She did consider another name, Dixie Crystals, after a sugar brand, but felt it might be problematic, so she stuck with Tiki Malone, which she feels is perfect for her.
Her style of drag is definitely campy with a dash of old Hollywood glamour, drawing influences from the 1930s to the 1960s. She admires Juno Birch’s concept of an alien crash landing during the atomic age in America and views that era’s ideals of feminism as genius. This aligns with her perspective, embracing a hyper-feminized caricature of what a glamorous female is, blending vintage glamour with playful exaggeration to create a unique and captivating drag persona.
Doing drag has taught her that she is far more confident than she realized, especially when she can hide behind the guise of Tiki. Her social anxieties seem to disappear when she embodies Tiki, transforming into a different person who can handle challenging situations with ease. She often channels Tiki in her non-drag life to get through difficult moments, like making a doctor’s phone call. This split between her everyday self, Jenn, and her drag persona, Tiki, fascinates her. It highlights how performers often find strength and confidence in their alter egos, which they struggle to access in their daily lives. This phenomenon of tapping into an alter ego for empowerment is a common theme among many performers, regardless of their gender, making her curious about the psychology behind it.
As an AFAB (assigned female at birth) performer in a hetero-presenting relationship, she has encountered challenges in feeling like she deserves a place in the drag community. There have been instances where she felt she had to work harder to prove her queerness and justify her presence. For example, at a Pride event organized by someone who questioned her participation due to her relationship status, she responded by creating a dress resembling a bisexual pride flag. This powerful act symbolized her assertion of her identity and belonging within the LGBTQ+ community. Sharing these experiences highlights the importance of inclusivity and acceptance within the drag community, and the need to challenge assumptions and biases.
One of the wildest moments in her career was singing the national anthem in drag at an Islanders hockey game. This event took place at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, during the local minor league team’s Pride Night. Originally, the organizers had reached out to another performer, Frankie Cyanide, who couldn’t make it, and recommended her instead. Along with a handful of other local performers, she found herself performing in front of a crowd of hockey fans. When the original anthem singer dropped out, she stepped up, singing live in full drag – a moment she is incredibly proud of.
In addition to this remarkable experience, she has been singing her whole life and now incorporates live singing into her drag performances. Initially, she kept this talent to herself, but during a local drag competition, Chez Legends, she decided to showcase her singing to stand out. This decision paid off, as she reached the finale. She has participated in the competition for four or five seasons, making it to the finale twice. These accomplishments are highlights of her drag career, showcasing her unique talents and dedication.
She loves doing drag story hours, which are among her favorite activities in drag. The strong draw for her lies in reaching out to little queer kids or any kids who feel different, letting them know that there are grownups who have made it through similar experiences and are thriving. It’s a powerful way to show these children that they are seen, loved, and supported. Additionally, drag story hours offer her a wonderful opportunity to be silly and playful, creating a joyful and accepting environment for everyone involved.
There are several exciting things to expect from Tiki in the future. She has been hosting monthly bingo, Tiki’s Tropical Bingo, and this Sunday will mark the one year anniversary of the show, which is a significant milestone. This special anniversary bingo event is scheduled for May 26th at Trevi Lounge in Fairfield, CT. Additionally, she has started working with the Bridgeport Pride Committee, which is a huge goal for her. She aims to continue her involvement with them and hopes to be part of the upcoming Pride Center when it opens. These projects reflect her dedication to community engagement and creating inclusive, entertaining spaces for everyone.
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