The Women’s & Trans Centre (WTC), featuring performers from the U of T Drag Club, welcomed their latest new talent at a queer mix-and-mingle event held at UTSC’s 1265 Bistro. At the show, student performer Caily Esmaeili made her drag debut as CallHerCupid. 

The U of T Drag Club regularly hosts performances and social events to allow students to explore drag as an art form firsthand. The WTC is a non-profit, student-run organization that aims to create a more inclusive campus for “queer, racialized, trans, non-binary, women, femmes, and any intersections of the above identities.”

CallHerCupid’s first flight

Esmaeili took the stage for the first time as CallHerCupid to promote community and visibility among LGBTQ+ students at UTSC. 

Right before her debut, she said in an interview with The Varsity, “I feel like you only live once, and I feel like if there’s something that you really want to do, being nervous is such a normal thing.”

Although the performance marked her first time performing in drag, Esmaeili brought significant prior experience from cosplay, a hobby she regularly practices through photoshoots and attending conventions. Esmaeili explained that cosplay helped her prepare for the technical aspects of drag.

“It really helps me with the makeup,” she said, adding that makeup can often be one of the most difficult skills for a new artist to learn, since it is “such a recognizable aspect” of a drag artist’s presentation.

Esmaeili also added that cosplay helped her feel more comfortable wearing wigs and heels, pointing out that many first-time drag performers “cannot wear heels when they perform or the idea scares them.” She described cosplay and drag as being “very interwoven,” explaining that her previous experience helped ease some of the nerves surrounding her debut.

Her drag name, CallHerCupid, reflects “a running Valentine’s Day motif” that has circulated throughout Esmaeili’s life. She mentioned that her name was created to work seamlessly as a pun. Esmaeili gleefully quips, “You would say shit like ‘Give her a call! It’s Cupid!’ ”

While preparing for the performance, Esmaeili reflected on the support she received from other drag performers, highlighting guidance from fellow performer Ominous Steamboat. “He helped me figure out stuff in my choreography [and] reassured a lot of my anxieties,” she said. “Everyone’s nervous, but at the end of the day, if you make any mistakes, no one’s really going to notice.”

Comparing the typical UTSC atmosphere with the vibe at WTC and U of T Drag Club events, she said UTSC often feels as though “everyone’s stressed out [and] quiet.” However, at drag events, she noted, “It’s just so nice to be in an area that feels so colourful and happy.”

“We’re in U of T — I know there’s a lot of queer people, but if you check the UTSC Reddit every other day, it’s like, ‘Where are all of you guys?’ When you’re someone who is queer and in the minority, it’s so important to be able to have these safe spaces in which you can meet people. And it’s so important to support drag when we’re in times where people are trying to shut drag down entirely,” she added. 

Following her debut, Esmaeili hopes her experience as a drag performer will inspire other students who may be curious about drag but hesitant to put themselves out there. “Even if it makes you nervous,” she noted, “it’s so worth it to dip your toes into something that you really like and want to do.”