Interview: Drag more than art – its a manifestation of gender and a way to challenge society

Parent. Partner. Author. Dancer. Drag performer. Patruni Chidananda Sastry wears many identities – all just as proudly and courageously. Like the colours of the rainbow that have come to represent queerness, Sastry’s identity spans its many shades, some of them darker.

The idea of a fixed gender identity can permeate queerness as well. In 2012, says Sastry, when they realised that they were different, there were only two labels to associate with: that of a “transgender” or a “homosexual”. “I didn’t know a better vocabulary for self-identity and it made me confused,” Sastry said in an interview.

Sastry’s eventual realisation of their non-binary bisexual identity, however, came with a different set of complications. “People still believe bisexual individuals don’t exist and usually it’s a phase people use when they fear coming out,” said Sastry. “…Hardly do people realise that bisexual individuals can be trans too, bisexual individuals have their own set of problems and issues especially when they explicitly come out and speak up their truth.”

For Sastry, this has meant that their marriage can be perceived as not adequately or appropriately queer. “I was pulled out of performances and opportunities based on how not queer I am,” said Sastry. They stuck to being to being...

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