Like a particularly shitty Grinch (without the heart-growth potential, howsoever), Gov. Ron DeSantis and his cronies have been oddly obsessed with depriving Floridians of the festive fun of the all-star holiday revue “A Drag Queen Christmas.”
Earlier this fall, Florida attorney general James Uthmeier urged Pensacola city leaders to cancel a December stop of the Drag Queen Christmas tour. That earned him both the cold shoulder from the City Council and a clapback from Drag Race alum Trinity the Tuck, who informed “Mr. Urethra” that “drag is fun, drag is art, and it’s not hurting anybody.”
And who could forget how in the year of our lord 2022, DeSantis ginned up controversy over supposed explicit performances during the Drag Queen Christmas show at the Plaza Live? DeSantis threatened to yank the liquor license of the Plaza and even sent undercover agents to surveil the show (who found nothing explicit). All over what? Some holiday-themed glamour, dancing, seasonal jokes and maybe a tear-jerking story or two? Face it, this is remarkably wholesome entertainment.
Now here we are a few days before the Drag Queen Christmas ensemble returns to Orlando after a few years’ absence, and longtime show hostess Nina West — a Drag Race alum, singer and activist — is looking back with Orlando Weekly.
“That 2022 show, the state of Florida was really rough that year. It was really, really hard on that tour. We had protesters at every single stop. Every single stop. And when we got to Florida, which was towards the end of our run, the governor was really doing his best to try to create this fake outrage,” remembers West. “It’s never just about pulling up a few bricks on a rainbow crosswalk. It’s not about taking a venue’s liquor license away. It’s not just about a drag show. … It’s about attacking us — and our trans siblings, more specifically. Drag seems to be the big bad, the easy mark for people to have the entry point with which to do that. But it’s part of the indomitable queer spirit that we will not go away and we will persevere.”
West is also, legitimately, thrilled about being back on the road to celebrate the season. Here’s a little secret for you on the nice side of the ledger: West is a “huge fan” of the Christmas season, and of the rich mine of inspiration that love provides for her drag.
“I love the nostalgia of it all. I love the decorations,” says West. “What makes it so rich for drag is that there is so much to pull from, whether it’s in pop culture or tradition or even just the decorations, so over-the-top and really gaudy and larger than life.”
And naughty NDAs or not, West even spills a little bit of cinnamon-spiced tea about her looks this year as she remembers her own drag ghosts of Christmas past. “I’m doing Buddy the Elf this year. I have done Christmas Vacation send-ups. I’ve done Rosemary Clooney and reworkings and reimaginings of Christmas songs. I’ve done the Muppets Christmas Carol,” says West.
This year’s Christmas cast features Lexi, Bosco, Shea Coulee, Jewels Sparkles, Crystal Methyd, Suzie Toot, Brooke Lynn Hytes and Lydia B. Kollins — a great mix of young and established performers, with West hosting the evening, as she’s done for years. She’s excited about getting in the mix.
“We’ve got so many incredible cast members,” she says. “Jewels and Suzie are both from Florida, so it’s exciting for us to come to Florida and have two natives be a part of our tour, and to celebrate their success over the last year with people in their hometowns.”
Like any good Christmas special, album or revue, planning and work begins for cast members like West as early as the summer.
Besides the intense preparation — West starts planning her looks in June and carries a notebook with her with ideas and “throughlines” for banter in each city — it’s endearing how seriously West takes making A Drag Queen Christmas a tradition for LGBTQ+ folk and allies to gather and create connections and memories as a chosen family.
“Being on the road allows me to interact with people who may not have the opportunity to have celebrations in the way that they want to, or maybe this is the way that they choose to celebrate. Which is fabulous because I get to help lead that as the host of the show and welcome people into this new tradition,” says West.
As we talk about joy, our conversation shifts to the increasingly loud and, yes, joyous defiance we’ve witnessed onstage at drag shows large and small over the past year. It’s something even a seasoned pro like West has noted.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time. So you know, you go through periods where you think, ‘Oh, everything’s great.’ Then you kind of take it all for granted, that you can go do a drag brunch or you can go to a library and do a story hour. And now those things are all very much under question,” agrees West. “And I’m watching my fellow artists and entertainers proudly grab hold of the wig — or the reins — and drive the story to ensure that they and their community members are safe and are protected and spoken up for and advocated for.”
And while Nina West wants you to dress up, pregame with an eggnog or two and maybe “treat yourself to a pair of silly holiday earrings” to usher in the holiday season with the queens, she also wants you to remember that there’s a deeper connection at work amidst the Christmas razzle-dazzle.
“I see this as an opportunity to remind everyone in Florida that, ‘Hey, we aren’t going anywhere, and we will continue to come through and tour,’” she says. “I think our job is to serve as a reminder that [drag] is a very powerful and purposeful art form that really is about joy. It’s centered around joy, and it’s a great reminder during a holiday season also about joy. Those two things are intrinsically linked, our queer joy is vital and our deserving of our own happiness is vital, especially during this time of year.”
(7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21; Hard Rock Live, 6050 Universal Blvd.; entertainment.hardrock.com; $45-$160)
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This article appears in Dec. 17-23, 2025.
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