Richard Burnett

Arts and culture journalist Richard “Bugs” Burnett knows Montreal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter. Montreal drag star Kiara is one of 12 finalists on RuPaul’s new show Canada’s Drag Race. But Kiara is not just competing to become “Canada’s First Drag Superstar” and win a $100,000 grand prize, she is also proud to represent Montreal’s LGBTQ+ BIPOC community to Drag Race fans around the world. “I discovered drag queens on RuPaul’s Drag Race before I was old enough to go into bars!” says 21-year-old Kiara, a.k.a. Dimitri Nana-Côté, born and raised in a biracial Quebec City family. “My mom is white and my dad is black, but when I was younger I didn’t have the same consciousness about being black – and queer – as I do today.” That changed when Kiara discovered Montreal. A former Concordia University film student, Kiara began performing drag full-time in 2019 and has become a regular headliner in Montreal’s Gay Village. “I’m really proud to be a black drag queen and have the full support of the drag community in Montreal,” says Kiara, who is also pleased to see the Pride movement aligning itself with Black Lives Matters. “Pride started with black women, black drag queens and trans women of colour. We need to acknowledge that. We must also acknowledge that without the black community, the queer movement would not be what it is today.” Kiara continues to deal with racism within the LGBTQ+ community. “When some (white) people hear my Québecois accent, they say stuff like,