‘Muslim Drag Queens’ documentary to air tonight
By Nick Bond
Screening tonight on Channel 4 and narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, the documentary Muslim Drag Queens will seek to shed light on Britain’s oft-hidden gay Asian community, following a series of drag performers including recent Attitude Pride Award winner Asifa Lahore.
“There is a whole community that is living in Britain which is hidden,” Lahore said in a statement. “Now is the time to come out. You’ve got to be big. You’ve got to be bold. And you’ve got to have balls of steel.”
Channel 4’s commissioning editor David Brindley added: “This is an incredibly important, surprising and moving film.
“Those who have chosen to tell their stories have done so with immense bravery and speak so eloquently about the struggles they have faced.
“With piercing honesty, Muslim Drag Queens gets right to the heart of a community that have up until now remained hidden from the wider British public.”
The documentary will also follow 28-year-old British Pakistani Imran, who goes by the stage name ‘Zareena Khan’, and 22-year-old Mauritian Ibrahim. Here’s a preview:
Lahore was one of the winners at the recent inaugural Attitude Pride Awards, which will feature in the documentary. Attitude also filmed a video interview with Lahore that screened on the night – watch it below:
Muslim Drag Queens airs tonight, 10pm on Channel 4.