Chapter Spotlight: How NYC Drag Brings Suicide Prevention Out of the Darkness and Onto the Stage

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention New York City Chapter’s third annual Drag Away the Stigma event takes place Saturday, June 20 at House of Yes in Brooklyn. Visit here for more information.

 

Like many of my fellow volunteers, my journey with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) began with suicide loss; unfortunately, not with just one, but two suicides in my family. As a closeted, emotionally immature teenager, I couldn’t process the loss of my gay uncle Mike (my father’s brother) in high school and instead chose to compartmentalize my feelings related to his suicide. A victim of the AIDS epidemic, he moved into an unshakable depression shortly following the loss of my grandfather. However, it wasn’t until I lost my mom to suicide nine years later, two years after coming out as gay, that I began to reflect on what these losses meant for me and acknowledged the suffering my uncle Mike must have gone through.

To process the loss of my mom, I found support through my therapist; family and friends; the reflection and enlightenment I experienced while becoming a certified yoga instructor; and the resources and community I discovered through my local AFSP chapter and the larger AFSP community. It was through this combination that I unexpectedly realized the purpose I had been looking for in my life, the purpose that had kept me up at night and made me wonder what my impact would be in this world: to bring hope to those who had lost or found themselves in their own crippling darkness. Two months after I lost my mom to suicide, I volunteered at my first AFSP NYC Out of the Darkness Walk, and eight years later, I became the chair of the board of the NYC chapter.

 

More than three years ago, the NYC board started thinking about other ways we could support marginalized communities –– communities that are disproportionately affected by suicide –– when we decided to combine suicide prevention with one of the most culture-defining and norm-breaking art forms: drag.

With roots dating back to ancient Greek and Roman theater, the emergence of today’s drag artistry began in the mid-twentieth century as a safe space for sexual and gender expression –– especially for minorities –– and the establishment of an underground political resistance to queer discrimination that had lasting historical significance for queer people across the spectrum. Evolving from predominantly Black and Latinx ballroom and house culture into mainstream zeitgeist, thanks to pioneers like Paris is Burning and RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag helped pave the way for queer actors, artists, and politicians alike to show up as their true, authentic selves.

 

Like drag, suicide prevention had small beginnings, but thanks to the enduring work of AFSP and other mental health organizations, suicide prevention has become more ubiquitous whenever mental health is brought up. Fusing these two significant movements into one meaningful extravaganza couldn’t be a more representative way to honor my late uncle Mike and mom.

 

In 2025, after the smashing success of its inaugural year, the NYC Chapter of AFSP hosted its second annual Drag Away the Stigma event at its new home at House of Yes in Bushwick. A now cultural Brooklyn institution, with humble beginnings as a creative space and circus theater, House of Yes has brought amazing performances to diverse audiences in the current iteration for more than a decade. With professional flair and indisputable vibes, House of Yes has helped elevate our incredible ensemble of drag artists to new levels. Our drag extravaganza brought together four incredible drag performers, including two extremely talented former queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, for one incredible night to benefit AFSP and help bring suicide out of the darkness and onto the stage. Following the success at House of Yes, the NYC chapter of AFSP is excited to be bringing back Drag Away the Stigma to House of Yes with another round of extraordinary drag performers.

 

AFSP NYC’s third annual Drag Away the Stigma event will be a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as a tribute to those from the community lost to suicide or affected by suicide. The event will feature drag performances by Out100 honoree, Marti Cummings; RuPaul's Drag Race season 12 contestants, Jackie Cox and Brita Filter; and Britain's Got Talent season 18 finalist, Jasmine Rice LaBeija. All tickets and tables include complimentary open bar, passed bites, a dynamic drag show, and complimentary entry to the House of Yes after party, Hard Crush: Blessed Madonna.

 

To view last year’s highlight reel: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DL0maiSurDl/

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please email Jessica Wagman ([email protected]).

To purchase tickets or a table, please go to https://giving.afsp.org/event/drag-away-the-stigma-nyc/e776477.