Credit: Courtesy Photo / Revry
Alamo City drag performer Papi Culo has earned memorable titles throughout their career.
From The People’s Papi to the Demon Daddy of San Antonio, Papi’s flamboyant style has long demanded attention on the biggest stage. Now, Papi is on just such a stage and competing for a new crown: King of Drag.
The second season of the series King of Drag follows eight drag kings competing in challenges designed to test their creativity and performance skills.
While drag queens typically exaggerate femininity through costumes, makeup and performance, drag kings do the same with masculinity.
Season 2 of King of Drag premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, on Revry, a global LGBTQ+ streaming network.
During a recent interview with the Current, Papi — who was born in Houston and relocated to SA after time away from Texas — talked about where the name Papi Culo came from. They also discussed what it means to bring drag king culture to a national audience and their thoughts on the Texas Senate’s anti-drag show bill being ruled unconstitutional once again.
What brought you to San Antonio three and a half years ago?
I made my way here through love. My wife is from the West Side. It’s been such a beautiful community. I used to live in New York, so coming back to Texas, I was like, “Is there something here for me?” I feel like San Antonio is this quintessentially family-friendly community full of La Raza. I’ve been so lovingly supported here in my career.
Where did the name Papi Culo come from?
I was tinkering with that name when I was in New York before I even started drag. It’s playing off the phrase “papi chulo.” It’s a little cheeky, to say the least. When people hear “papi,” it’s very sexualized. But within the [Latino] community, a papi chulo is more of a womanizer or a sweetheart. There’s this masculine component to it. I really identify a lot with that and lean into these flirtatious tendencies that “papi” can have. Love is what Papi is all about.
What does it mean to you to bring drag king culture to a national audience?
I’m grateful to have a platform. I recognize there’s a lot of responsibility with that. I want to share a lot of my heart and what I feel is an extension of this community. The outpouring of love I’ve experienced is quintessential San Anto. When people see me on King of Drag, I want to represent myself and the Latinidad. I want to challenge what masculinity means. Masculinity in the Latino culture can be poquito tóxico (a little toxic). But I think the way I’m able to represent it redefines that and shows that masculinity has a lot of heart.
Drag kings aren’t mainstream like drag queens. Is a series like this going to change that?
I think drag kings are having this moment now, because there’s been a lot of work that the community has done. We’ve seen little previews of it in RuPaul’s Drag Race. We haven’t had the same representation in the local drag scene. We’ve had to overcome that by creating our own spaces, so we can get out of the shadows.
You’ve created your own space in Texas, but now you’re taking your act national. What did you learn about Papi Culo on a bigger stage?
I definitely had to let go of what I think people want to see. I needed to lean into who Papi is and not get lost in the sauce of what people think masculinity should look like. There’s a lot of conversations like, “You need to look this way to represent that community.” That reinforces a lot of issues with gender bias. I do believe it’s connected to a colonization mindset.
Last month, a federal judge ruled, once again, that Texas Senate Bill 12, a law restricting certain public drag performances, was unconstitutional. What was your reaction to that ruling?
The whiplash has been tough. But I take solace in the fact that I know there’s lots of community members that are fighting for equality. These things aren’t right, and they’re infringing on our human rights. So, I’m doing what I can to support those people because I know I can’t be in all the spaces at once.
I’m incredibly proud of San Anto, because we’re scrappy, and we’re not going to let people tell us what to do. We have the L.O.V.I.N. Ordinance (Looking Out for Vulnerable Impacted Neighbors) that one of our councilmen, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, put together. I think we’re being smart about it. I think that speaks to the resilience and the resistance of our community.
What’s your biggest dream as a drag king?
I’m a Pisces, so I have so many dreams. The biggest dream I have is creating spaces for everyone to feel like they belong, whether you’re LGBTQ+ or Latino or an immigrant. It doesn’t matter who you are or who you love. You deserve the ability to have peace and happiness in this world.
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