Celebrating an iconic Kingston drag queen
Kingston’s drag scene wouldn’t be what it is today without the fierce Rowena Whey. Rowena is a drag queen entertainer and event promoter who hosts and performs at various events in Kingston and beyond. You’ll spot her at B*tch Bingo at Daft Brewing, or at Queers & Wines Night in Prince Edward County. She’s a drag queen who’s fully deserving of her crown, so we chatted with her about how she continues to slay the limestone city.
“Rowena is very sassy, theatrical. She’s also very friendly, as much as she puts on the front of being a b*tch. She’s a very kind person.”
Ian Burns, the performer of Rowena Whey, also believes he has crafted his character in a way that mirrors himself.
“Rowena and I are very much the same person. I like to say that Rowena is a heightened, more performative, theatrical version of myself, but I am very much that person in my day-to-day life anyways. I like to describe my character as a cougar. She’s kind of that mysterious woman you find in a bar who’s always hitting on the younger men—and she wears a lot of leopard print!”
Rowena, also known as “Muscle Barbie” in Kingston, captivates audiences on stage. She’s a gym-loving woman who’s a mix of rock ‘n’ roll and pure glamour. Rowena came to life in 2016, when Ian began doing drag while completing a master’s degree in genetics in Edmonton. Being in a new city, he had lost a lot of his previous artistic pursuits.
“I found drag by getting involved with the gay scene in Edmonton. I thought it would be really fun to try and then I got one of my colleagues to dare me to do drag for Halloween, so I went out and I bought all the makeup. I spent like $500, and I practised and practised, and I went out on Halloween in drag. A few months later, I performed for the first time and after that, I was just hooked. But I kept doing drag because it’s so many of the different artistic pursuits that I previously did and more, all mashed up into one.”
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Before doing drag, Ian was involved in theatre and music. Rowena allowed him to explore dancing, fashion, makeup, and hairstyling. It became an all-encompassing art form. While YouTube videos helped Ian pick up drag queen makeup tricks, his earliest inspiration was the concept that drag doesn’t have to be so serious.
“I like the ideal that you don’t have to take it too seriously. Drag isn’t serious. Drag is comedy, in itself. It is camp and it is performance of gender, so it shouldn’t be taken seriously. I’m a man who dresses up as a woman for other people’s entertainment.”
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But Rowena is sure to share the spotlight. She collaborates with other local drag queens at in-person events and on the podcast What’s the Maple Tea?! with fellow local drag queen Tyffanie Morgan. Ian says connecting with other drag queens is vital for developing a vibrant community.
“We all need community, so even as a drag performer, you need to find other performers to support you and do shows with you. Finding other drag performers also means that you can build the drag community and that’s really what the collaborations in Kingston are, for me. When other people who don’t do drag see all of these drag performers having fun, getting along, being themselves, or being their characters on stage, it allows other people to feel like they can do it too.”
Rowena also just loves working with her drag sisters and drag brothers.
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One of Rowena’s most memorable collaborations was with Spearhead Brewing Company in 2020. After a wildly successful anti-Valentine’s Day drag show at the brewery, the Spearhead team approached Rowena and asked if she would be interested in helping to create a wheat beer inspired by her, with proceeds going to a charity of her choosing. Rowena chose The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity (CCGSD). She had worked with the CCGSD in the past on a program called U = U (Undetectable = Untransmissible) which educated people across Canada on HIV through a series of drag shows. Supporting the educational vision behind the organization was important to her.
“It’s my belief that the one thing that’s going to improve the lives of queer individuals the most from every aspect of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is education, not just education to youth who might be queer, but also education to people outside the community who don’t understand what all those letters mean, who don’t understand the struggle that it takes to grow up being different than everybody else. The CCGSD is focused on providing educational programming in schools as well as in other facets of everyday life. They were my choice. They were the organization I wanted to support.”
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Spearhead also worked with Mia St. Amand, a queer artist who lived in Kingston, to incorporate an image of Rowena on the beer can. The beer was named Queen of Wheat and proved to be true beer royalty by winning gold for Wheat Beer – Belgium Style (Wit) in Canada at the 2022 Canadian Brewing Awards. Rowena became the first drag queen to be depicted on a beer can in the LCBO. She remains shocked at how the beer—and her profile—has blown up since.
“I’m so grateful to Spearhead for thinking of me and wanting to support the drag and queer community. I’ve been given so many opportunities to share the message that I wanted to share. My literal profile has been shared all across Ontario now. It’s just been such a rewarding experience.”
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Ian appreciates the Kingston drag scene because of the freedom it gives him to celebrate the art of gender expression. He says the drag and non-binary performers here are nothing but welcoming.
“We all joke, we all throw shade, but everyone is just so kind to each other and we’re always asking each other: ‘Do you think we should put on this show? Who do you think I could put in that show?’ Every community has its drama and Kingston’s has had its drama, but I just find it so supporting and warm. That’s what I’m trying to bring to the community as well, whenever I book and host shows. I want people to feel welcomed.”
Kingston has helped Rowena tap into her fierce, shameless attitude…and her sweet side ensures that she’s always serving Kingston realness.
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