Drag queen of the year 2022

And the winner of the 2022 Drag Queen of the Year Pageant is … Militia Scunt!

A San Francisco icon who recently moved to LA, Militia is a performer, singer, and activist who has been a figure participant in discussions of race relations in the queer arts community and equity in the nightlife scene. In addition to a prestigious title, her charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent earned her a sash, a bouquet of very nice flowers, and a cash prize of $10,000.

Drag royalty Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 and Lola LeCroix introduced the Drag Queen of the Year Pageant in 2019, which placed drag inclusivity at the forefront and created a space that was open to all drag performers regardless of their anatomy, gender identity, or experience level. The result was a fierce competition that electrified the audience, inspired the world, and broke down barriers.

This year’s show took place at the Million Dollar Theatre in LA. and was broadcast online via the premium social live media platform Moment House for anyone that couldn’t be in attendance. Replays of the pageant will be available to download for a limited time only.

OFM caught up with Militia to talk more about her win and experience, discovering her passion for drag, and her venture into music.

How does it feel to win the 2022 Drag Queen of the Year Pageant?

It feels surreal, but it really hasn’t sunk in yet. I felt like I had a plan going in, and everything sort of went off, so it feels correct (laughs). It works with the fantasy I had going in.

What made you want to compete?

I actually started drag through competitions. I’m originally from the East Bay, and I started doing drag in San Francisco, but I didn’t have any connections. The only way to get bookings was to sign up for competitions. There’s no booking fees, and I wasn’t guaranteed any money, so I started competing and winning competitions. That’s how I got popular out there.

When I moved to LA this year, I sort of decided, “Maybe I should try that formula again.” I’ve wanted to compete for Drag Queen of the Year for the last two years, but I always missed the announcement. This year, I saw it the day before the deadline. It randomly popped up. So, in a couple hours, I threw together some videos and sent them in. I didn’t expect to be chosen, but here we are.

How would you describe Militia’s drag style and aesthetic?

Visually, I would say the aesthetic itself is pretty eclectic. From military and sportswear to burlesque, I like to go to the extremes of masculine and feminine. In terms of performance and things like that, I always try to incorporate my culture and my upbringing. Whether it’s me singing “Strange Fruit,” twerking my ass to a Nicki Minaj rap song, or doing mariachi music, I want to somehow highlight where I come from, being a Black Latino.

What did you bring to the competition that made you stand out and ultimately win?

Honestly, I think my experience in competition. I grew up doing sports and things like that, and even when I did music classes, we were always competitive. So, I brought little gags and little moments of comedic relief. A creative presentation, the color is red; I went bloody. I said, “Bloody? Let’s make it a corpse instead and come out in a body bag.” For question and answer, I took off my head and scalp and had my brain exposed and sort of picked my brain for the answer.

Things like that, that’s how you win a pageant. I put little nuggets like that in every single category and approach. Every category is its own competition because you win categories. If you approach every single piece like that, then you will win.

Any specific plans for the prize money?

I have been working on an EP, so I would like to finish it because I have been working on this thing forever. Then from there, I know it feels very boring to say save, but I would love to save some of the money. I love the financial security of having money in case of an emergency. Then what’s left is obviously going back into drag. Drag is a parasite, and it will drain you of all your money.

Besides winning, were there any other moments from this experience that were most memorable to you?

Saturday was an emotional roller coaster because when we were getting ready, I don’t know if anyone knows this part yet, but there was a shooting outside of my dressing room. Someone was fully murdered outside of my dressing room. I’m just in the back getting ready by myself before any of the dancers have come, and I hear people coming in hella loud. I’m like, “Oh, that must be someone’s background dancers being rowdy, but we’re filming and stuff, so maybe they should pipe down.” I turned around the corner, and it’s not dancers. It’s families, ladies with strollers, whatever.

Someone had just got shot, and they were running in the street and coming into our place to shelter. So, that was wild. Then it got to the point where I actually got locked into that dressing room with Bambi Banks-Couleé. The security guard left us and locked the door behind him, so Bambi and I were trapped in this glass room while everyone else was sheltering in place from an active shooter. We were just, like, in a fishbowl. Like, if they wanted to get us, they would have got us. Obviously, I’m never going to forget that.

Wow, that’s crazy! On another note, how did you discover your passion for drag?

I discovered it by accident. I come from a super religious household and upbringing, and I was at church five or six days a week, sometimes every single day. My mom was in the choir; my dad was a lead usher; everyone was involved in church. I was in choir, all that good stuff. So, I didn’t really have any experience with drag until I got to college. I was studying music, and the drama department decided they wanted to do a musical but forgot that people would have to sing.

Last minute, they crossed over campus to the music department and were asking if anyone would be comfortable with doing a musical. It was Rent specifically, so they were asking if anyone would be comfortable in drag. For some reason, I was everyone’s first thought. I got the role for Angel, and I realized while doing it that I could do this. I used Drag Race as a character study. That was Season Six back then. I was watching the girls, and I was like, “I could probably do that.” So, I started doing it.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your drag career?

I want to travel. I finally got my passport a month ago, so that’s exciting. Not only do I want to travel internationally, but there are also different places in the U.S. I’d like to see too. I’m lucky to have been born in California where there’s everything you can want. There’s snow, mountains, deserts, beaches, but honestly, I haven’t really had that much time to see the world. It would be nice if drag could help me do that.

Do you have any desire to audition for Drag Race?

Oh, I do that every year. They’re haters (laughs). Obviously, that’s, like, the biggest pageant there is in the drag world. I love doing pageants, I love competing, and more so than that, I love winning. I would love to get to that point.

Circling back for a second, can you tell us more about this EP that you’re working on?

It’s been a very dramatic, up-and-down moment, but I’ve been writing forever. I started getting into it more when I was around 15 or 16, but I’ve started narrowing down the collection of songs that I would want to release. I’ve recorded them several times, but each time, the producer I’m working with ends up being, like, a crackhead and I didn’t know. Like, it would just be easier for me to re-record instead of having to do illegal stuff.

Now, I basically have more than enough songs for an EP, but I just need to re-record them, which is exciting because I can look at them from a different perspective. I’m four or five years down the line from the time I wrote the first song on the EP. I was poor as hell when I moved down here, but now that I’m starting to add up some more cash, I would love to actually work on it.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug at this time?

I’m currently in another competition which is worth another $10,000. It’s right across the street from where Drag Queen of the Year was. Other than that, I’m at Redline, which is a drag/queer bar in downtown LA. I host a brunch there every single Sunday, so if you want to come see the Drag Queen of the Year perform a little bit more, come see me every Sunday!

Stay up-to-date with Militia by following her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and SoundCloud @militiasf. Click here to see the competition’s replay before it’s too late.

Photo courtesy of Davide Laffe 

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