A native New Yorker and trans masc drag performer on the rise, Pacha is keeping it Mutual. [Cover photo: MCP Photo].
Thotyssey: Pacha, hello! Thanks for chatting today! So how is 2025 treating you so far?
Pacha: Hello! I’m so excited to be chatting with you! 2025 is off to a great start – between the usual open set hustle and the recent announcement of the start of “It’s Mutual” (a mutual aid focused drag show I’m a part of)! It has been a busy start to my year!
Are you a queen who prefers open sets over competitions, or do you roll with both?
I have dabbled in competitions, but tend to prefer the open set scene! I love being able to watch my drag improve without the stress of winning or losing. But honestly, one of my big goals this year is to compete more! I’ve finally reached a point of self-confidence (aka I have a big ego now) where I think I can hold my own and prove myself to others in ways I hadn’t when I last did competitions!
Can you tell us a bit of your origin story? For starters, I believe you are a native New Yorker of Peruvian descent.
Yes! I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and after a brief stint in Upstate New York (I quickly realized it was not for me), I moved back to NYC! I’m now in Manhattan, but miss Brooklyn dearly… which is why I spend most of my time there. My mom’s parents immigrated from Peru after getting married, and my Peruvian heritage has a tremendous influence on me. My older female relatives (shoutout to my Tía Jessy and Julie, haha) are some of the most influential and powerful figures for me, in how I interact with the world and those around me. And being a Latino with supportive parents who have come to see me perform many times now is something I don’t take for granted. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by such a loving community, both in the drag scene and out.
Being a native New Yorker may be the source of my massive ego–I had the green and orange metro cards, and I will treasure that status forever. Especially being so entrenched in the queer nightlife scene, I know firsthand that it’s not super common, and treasure each and every native New Yorker I meet, haha!
How did your drag came to be, and how you might describe yourself as a queen today as far as looks and numbers go?
I was a huge Drag Race fan in middle school (there’s a picture somewhere of 13 yea-old me at Bianca Del Rio’s show wearing a homemade t-shirt with her face on it,) but lost connection with the drag world–until early 2023, when I went to a Sherry Poppins show at Icon and my life changed. I started doing drag in my bedroom in May of 2023 and performed for the first time in early August of that year. I knew that, for me, one of the most important parts of my drag was and continues to be expressing femininity in ways that had previously been denied to me as a transmasculine person and performer. Out of drag, I have often felt pressure to present hypermasculine… which just isn’t me! But it wasn’t until I started truly exploring what femininity meant to me through drag that I realized what it meant to me out of drag.
In terms of looks and numbers–I love a pop girlie moment, and Sabrina Carpenter’s music is my life force. I like bright colors, big wigs, and everything rhinestoned. I know that’s super classic, but it’s classic for a reason!
Overall, my goal with my drag is to give pop princess, girly girl, etc – all the things I as a much younger transmasc person felt distanced from.
We are possibly looking at some dark times in this rapidly changing political landscape. Are you worried, and / or what keeps you hopeful?
I am definitely worried. It’s hard not to be–especially as a trans drag artist, this all feels very scary. What keeps me hopeful is the strong sense of community I feel with those around me. Every time I go to a show, I meet someone new that reminds me that the queer community is stronger than those who want to see us gone. The spaces we create are special, unique, and so important.
I performed in the Gender Affirmation Fair at LaGuardia Community College (hosted by the LGBT Network) this past week, and while there I met people for whom we were their first drag show. I actually talked with a LaGuardia CC student about this topic! We were talking about the power of drag and self-expression, and while talking with her it struck me how important it was that we performed there. And it’s events like that which leave me hopeful for the future, as scary as it seems. It’s going to be hard, for sure — but there are always going to be people that look to drag artists as inspiration, not just artistically, but also in how to live as your truest and fullest self.
Well said! That brings us to “It’s Mutual,” a bi-monthly showcase at C’mon Everybody that will serve as a fundraiser for folks seeking gender affirming care. You will be performing in the January 22 premiere!
I’m super excited about “It’s Mutual!” The group has been discussing and planning since early November the best ways to holistically and financially support our local trans community through drag, and are so proud of what we’ve come up with. We’re going to have an incredible raffle, fabulous trans and queer-focused community resources tabling at the show (including an on-site notary for name changes), and of course a star-studded lineup of drag performers. With a focus on trans mutual aid, “It’s Mutual” has a google form available for trans community members to submit requests for financial assistance with gender affirming care, which the show will in turn help to raise money for! This is alongside the goal of fundraising for queer and trans community organizations. And it’s bi-monthly! I’m so excited for the positive impact this group and show are going to have on our community, especially in the coming year.
What else do you want to mention?
I just want to say how grateful I am to be in this community. I know that’s super cheesy, but growing up I was one of the only trans people in my community. I felt super isolated and often felt like no one really understood me. And now I’m part of such an incredible community! I feel so lucky and blessed and grateful. And I’m so excited about what 2025 has in store for me!
Glorious! Okay lastly: what’s your favorite item in your drag bag, cosmetic or otherwise?
Cosmetic is 100% the Made by Mitchell color case. It’s a new addition and it’s SO. AWESOME. So vibrant! Non-cosmetic has got to be the crocs I stole from my mom. They’re the best shoes ever.
Thanks, Pacha!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Pacha’s upcoming appearances, and follow her on Instagram.
Thotyssey 
Slay!!
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