Drag, Advocacy, and Witchcraft with Kingston’s BeeWitched
Become bewitched, bothered, and bewildered in the best way! Bee Dupuis, also known as BeeWitched, wears many hats including drag performer, event organizer, advocate, and chair of Kingston Pride. Recently I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with BeeWitched about performing drag, advocacy work, witchcraft, and the Halloween season.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Dupuis’ drag persona, BeeWitched, is “the embodiment of all the beautiful, but slightly threatening women I had a crush on when I was younger.” According to her, the name “BeeWitched” comes from Dupuis’ legal name—which they chose—and her spirituality as a witch. Their persona is built up with complex lore—a witch slain for her witchcraft, whose soul became intertwined with a magical forest, possesses Dupuis and “it’s a constant fight for who’s in control… through the art of drag.” In summary, BeeWitched is an “evil witch that’s very hot… very manipulative, but also very sexy [and] makes people go feral.”
Their journey into performance began in high school when they were very involved in theatre and toured with a small group, and she got her start in drag with the mentorship of their drag mother Simone Says. “As a cis woman, I didn’t actually know that there were drag queens, artists that could perform drag, like me… so I asked Simone, can I do this? And she [said], ‘Absolutely you can!’” They were inspired to start performing drag after seeing fellow cis woman Annihilation perform, and that “kind of solidified it for me that this is something I want to do.” Dupuis was also inspired by Rowena Whey, founder of the Open Stage in Kingston, as well as Tyffanie Morgan—Dupuis says, “Without our platform, none of us would really be doing drag.”
For her, “Drag is endless self-expression through performance art… a great creative outlet for any wild ideas I have and it’s a way for me to express my femininity and parts of myself I had to suppress when I was younger.” Through drag, they can let out their “weird kid” and be “crazy, weird, funny, quirky, whatever,” allowing their inner child and teenager to blossom. “It’s been very freeing for me to just tap into my inner child, inner teen and be like, ‘What do you want to do? What crazy ideas do you want to express?’ And honestly in doing that, it makes other people feel seen and comfortable.”
Dupuis feels very blessed to be surrounded by a supportive drag community in Kingston, where many of her fellow performers have become her closest friends and chosen family. “I literally couldn’t ask for better people here in Kingston, whether they’re a drag performer or just in the community.” Dupuis also expresses gratitude for the community’s help with shows, saying that she makes her own posters and advertising, but needs the support of the community with volunteers—or “door gremlins”—checking people in or DJing shows. “The community has been very wonderful. I’m very happy to be in the Kingston drag scene.”
In terms of advocacy work, Dupuis feels that it is both very personal and also beyond the individual person. “We always have something to learn,” she says. “And there’s still so many things that I’m learning… this isn’t a one-woman or one-human show, the [Kingston Pride] board has taught me so much… I appreciate how much the passionate advocates in our city have taught me.” In their drag practice, Dupuis encourages all types of performers, noting that people often forget “that drag historically has been more than the reality TV that we watch.” Dupuis regularly has people express that they didn’t know cis women could do drag, or weren’t aware of “drag Mx, or monsters, or however people want to identity, they just thought it was drag queens they see on RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
Dupuis aims to create more visibility by educating and encouraging people to join the drag world, adding, “I just like learning more and more about drag, but also its history and its impacts on all parts of the world.” She seeks more “education and learning from others so that I can be more informed to spread the word.” In addition, they’ve recently helped to put on two counter protests against hateful groups because “when I was a kid, I was told it wasn’t okay to be, you know, bisexual… I just felt like I couldn’t express that part of myself or I was told my pronouns weren’t valid or my name was invalid, so I don’t want kids to feel that way, and I don’t want people to grow up feeling like they can’t be themselves.”
As a witch, Dupuis aims to “trust in the path of the universe and karmic law,” focusing on treating people how they would wish to be treated. “In all aspects of my life, I believe that we all serve a purpose to teach lessons to each other. Even if we don’t realize it, the smallest thing could impact somebody else.” They also love reading and analyzing people’s astrology charts, noting that it’s interesting to see how people’s signs relate to how they communicate or express themselves. I complimented a Taurus symbol wall hanging in the background of our Zoom call, which turned out to have been made by Dupuis’ partner who is a woodworker, and they showed me their altar below the piece as well. In relation to their drag performance, “It’s all about unlocking the divine feminine and not being afraid to express my true self.” They really connect with the tarot card Queen of Swords, and work to unlock her energy, one described as “being very precise and very calm and collected.”
When they aren’t performing drag, Dupuis has been taking full advantage of fall and the spooky season. They appreciate having “an excuse to get myself covered in blood and be sexy about it,” because it’s the time of year when people are most prepared for it and it’s the most fun. Outside of drag, they love hot chocolate or cinnamon drinks, adding, “I’m not really a big pumpkin spice person anymore, I like the apple, caramel, cinnamon kind of vibe.” They love how beautiful Kingston gets during the fall, especially around the K&P Trail. Dupuis also recently adopted a kitten from the Kingston Humane Society, named Lil’ Freak, and is excited to dress him up in Halloween costumes (he already has a little pumpkin sweater to grow into). Most of all, Dupuis looks forward to spending time with loved ones during the season.
Dupuis notes that anyone wanting to learn more about drag events coming up in general, can check out www.dragshow.ca, which includes performances from all over Ontario. They encourage folks to support local drag and come to a show—“Just know that we do some weird stuff sometimes, so come with an open mind.” They feel blessed to be in such a great drag scene, describing how “it’s really fun and we’re growing by the numbers, and if anyone wants to do drag, anyone can do it! Please come to the Open Stage, even if you want to just dip your toes in it, and try it—we’re going to cheer you on and give you tips!”
To learn more about BeeWitched’s performances, follow them on Instagram or Facebook @beewitcheddrag, or check out their website.
