Talk ‘Drag for Change’ – with Tia Tilapia from Dragtivista collective, Horny Drag aka Tabea Rai and Angie Addo

Weaponizing the art of drag as a medium for resistance. We showcase our experiences as migrants, refugees, and victims of injustice and inequality.

Remembering drag from its origins. From the Stonewall Riots to the AIDS crisis, drag performers and activists have been among the loudest voices shedding light on issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community around the globe.

Drag in general blends art, activism, and performance, and is not just a form of entertainment; rather, it’s a vehicle for educating our people about our current struggles.  Is drag an effective tool for change?

Tia Tilapia is a baby drag queen from the Philippines, inspired by the tilapia fish—accessible to the masses yet capable of refinement and elegance. Her drag blends relatability with elevated artistry, using performance as a tool for storytelling.

Through Tia-Novela, a satirical improvisational format rooted in Filipinos love for telenovelas/soap operas, Tia Tilapia addresses social issues while drawing from personal experiences of racism, discrimination, and growing up in a machismo-driven culture. Drag becomes both resistance and healing—a space to unlearn imposed norms and reclaim identity through beauty, wit, and theatrical excess.

Now based in Barcelona, Tia Tilapia continues to develop her craft and explore new performance contexts. She seeks opportunities to present her work internationally, offering audiences a performance that is playful, political, and Filipino coded—ready to swim beyond familiar waters and make waves on global stages.

Angie Addo (they/sie) aka Coochie Water (they/sie) Angie ist Aktivist*in, Kunstschaffende, Sänger*in, Produzent*in, Schauspieler*in, Veranstalter*in, DJ und noch viel mehr. They lebt in Luzern und hält regelmässig antirassistische und queerfeministische Workshops und verbindet Drag oft mit ihren anderen Kunstformen. Coochie Waters ist eine hyperfemme Drag-Quing mit John-Waters-Schnauzer, Genderbending-Attitüde und einem politischen Auftrag: Pride ist mehr als Regenbogen undGlitzer, sondern eine Form von Rebellion. Queer, Schwarz, fett – und nicht verhandelbar.

Tabea Rai is an activist, cultural worker, politician, and drag artist from Bern. Professionally, they have recently started working as Project Lead for Inclusion at the Swiss National Youth Council (SAJV), as well as in member support at ABQ. Originally, they completed training and further education in disability care and later worked as a trade union secretary.

They are a board member of the Lesbian Organisation Switzerland and co-president of Dampfzentrale in Bern. Tabea is also the founder of Milchbar and the anti-capitalist CSD in Bern. Through various projects at the intersection of politics, community, and culture, they advocate for queer visibility and social justice.

For six years, Tabea also had the privilege of being politically active as a member of the Bern City Council and the Grand Council. At the moment, they are focusing more strongly again on extra-parliamentary activism, for example as a drag artist. As a Drag King / Quing, Tabea has been performing for seven years under the name Bartli von Glitzer.

Together with Angela Addo, they co-founded the drag collective Horny Drag Family, which organises and curates its own events in addition to performances.

As a lesbian, non-binary Person of Color, Tabea is especially committed to making lesbian and queer diversity visible.