The SLU-Madrid Pride Club hosted Ecuadorian drag performer Shirley Stonyrock on Feb.12 in the SIH auditorium, where she spoke about identity, self-expression and performing across cultures.
The talk was organized by the Pride Club vice president, Rebecca Rose.
“Becca was actually educating me in the culture of drag,” Britney Saras, Pride Club president, said. “[Rose] felt like there was a lack of events from Pride that focused on one’s own identity, which, being honest to you, there really was,” said Saras. According to Saras, Rose was inspired by her Feminism in Action class with English professor Anne Dewey, The English and Performing Arts departments co-sponsored the event along with the Pride Club.
During her talk, Stonyrock paused and shared a simple statement: “I was first bisexual but then came out as gay.” Speaking in Spanish and supported by Saras’s translation, Stonyrock addressed the audience as someone whose life was shaped by her art.
“It was a way to tunnel my inner thoughts and identity,” Stonyrock said. Under Stonyrock’s colorful makeup and glittery outfits, she began to show her true identity.
Her early experiences, however, were far from liberating. Reflecting on her beginnings in Ecuador, Stonyrock described a small, often hidden drag scene. “It was really violent at first,” she said, emphasizing the mental challenges she faced. Influenced by religious and cultural expectations, she explained that drag made her feel “within a prison instead of being free.”
“It wasn’t until nine years later, coming from Ecuador to Spain, when I learned my real identity,” she said. In Spain, she described feeling more open and secure, able to express herself without fear.
“Drag became such an intimate part of my life and shaped who I am today,” Stonyrock said. At first, Stonyrock only stepped into drag only occasionally, but it wasn’t her whole identity. But the routine stayed: colorful wigs, extravagant makeup, tall heels, and eye-catching outfits. With time, it slipped into her mornings, her voice, and the way she carried herself, even offstage. It no longer felt like an outfit to put on temporarily, but rather moved with her every day, shaping how she saw herself.
Her performances, she explained, are inspired by two major things, her favorite songs and nature, particularly flowers, and often take weeks or even months to fully come to life. Over her 18 years in drag, her character has gradually evolved, reflecting changes in her life outside drag.
Sabine Mitchell, who attended the talk, said she initially did not expect to connect with the topic; she had previously viewed drag primarily as entertainment, but Stonyrock’s talk showed a much deeper significance. Listening to Stonyrock describe her struggles and growth made Mitchell reconsider how identity and art intersect.
