Dick Day: Hairy Fairies

I support Movember for many reasons. The charity does so much widespread work and helps to tackle issues that often get ignored by mainstream media because of society's old (and very outdated) views on men’s health both physically and mentally. This year, I’ve decided to fundraise for Movember to tell my story and to raise awareness for men’s health. I’m holding a ‘Hairy Fairies’ drag event at Arcobaleno, an event space located in Brighton’s queer hotspot, Kemptown, which includes a raffle, a quiz, and some incredible drag performances. Hosted by male singers and non-binary and non-cisgendered male performers, for every ticket sold, I will be donating the funds to the Movember foundation.

The purpose of my ‘Hairy Fairies’ drag show is to showcase non-mainstream local drag talent with facial hair and non-binary and androgynous performers and drag kings.

I used to have a moustache but as a drag performer, keeping the stache could often jeopardise bookings and so I decided to shave it off. Hairy faces in the drag industry are often perceived as a big no no and so at times, I often felt I was swimming upstream by having a hairy lip. The minute I shaved mine off, I instantly felt I had lost part of my personality and it made me realise that having a moustache was such a strong part of who I am. My mo was my USP and also the reason why I ended up hosting a Hairy Fairies show..

The moral of my story is to tell other drag performers that you don’t always need to ‘follow’ the mainstream media or listen to what others say you should or shouldn’t look like. You just have to stay true to yourself and the opportunities will come naturally without you having to change who you are or what you look like.

When I’m on stage, I try and incorporate an authentic hosting style so that people simply just see me as one of them. Having previously battled self-doubt and anxiety, the challenges I’ve had to overcome in the past gave me the strength that I have today to stand on stage with confidence. Therapy helped a lot during my darker days. Rewind a few years back and any social situation that I was in, I would have just felt totally and utterly uncomfortable. So much so my feelings would just spiral out of control and kick-start anxiety attacks which then often led to frustration and anger.

Raising awareness for men’s mental health is so important. Movember isn’t just a charity that raises funds for its cause areas. It’s a charity that removes the stigma’s associated to men by encouraging them to talk. To open up. To ask for help.