JAZMINE IS AN ATTENTION WHORE (& ISN'T AFRAID TO SHOW IT!)

JAZMINE IS AN ATTENTION WHORE (& ISN’T AFRAID TO SHOW IT!)

After garnering 26.8K followers on Youtube by talking about her love of drag, Jazmine (aka Renata Moreira) moved to New York City from Portugal. After only a year in the city, Jazmine has already taken the drag scene by storm. She’s performed in just about every venue a queen can perform in the city, (well, without taking her top off!) and is well on her way to NYC drag superstardom. We sat down with the performer and fashion lover on a hot summer day in Central Park to discuss how they got started in drag, growing up queer in Portugal, and her favorite words: accessories, accessories, accessories.

BRYCE RAY: Hey, baby! Let’s talk about drag--how did you first get into drag?

JAZMINE: I started thinking about drag because I was a very big fan of Pabllo Vittar. Pabllo became very, very big in Portugal. Drag became mainstream in Portugal because of Pabllo. Before that I’d never watched Drag Race. Honestly, I didn’t start watching Drag Race until three years ago. I started doing drag four years ago--all because of Pabllo. Then I learned about Aquaria from Drag Race. They inspired me to start trying makeup and dipping my toe into the drag pool. At the time, I was a well-known Youtuber in Portugal. This was when I was 17. I was able to interview Pabllo and some other well-known girls. Then this club reached out to me asking if I’d do a video with them while in drag. From there, every week I would be at this club trying new things on my face and just figuring out what my drag style was going to be. 

BR: Besides Pabllo, who would you say your influences are?

J: Honestly, it was always Pabllo, Pabllo, Pabllo. I looked to some RuPaul queens for inspiration, too, but it was mainly Aquaria. 

BR: What about them do you like?

J: I’ve always wanted to be a fashion queen. I always knew that I wasn’t a dancer, and I really like fashion. And let’s be honest: Aquaria’s a white twink that kind of looks like me. I wanted to be her and I look like her. I figured, since we kind of look alike out of drag, I could look like her in drag. 

BR: You moved here from Portugal a year ago, right? How has drag changed for you since then?

J: So after I started four years ago, I did drag in that club for some months. Then I went to this drag house for a year. Then COVID. So I went back to my family’s house and used the time to invest in my social media. When I started in drag, there were a lot of people who were trying to judge me because I was a Youtuber. They thought I was stealing their slots and didn’t deserve to. So I gave up on Youtube at that time. I was very pressed about it. When quarantine started, I was like, oh, I have the followers on my Instagram, why not start creating drag content. That was two years that I really spent working on the craft. I got way better at makeup because I didn't have a call time rushing me. I started doing make-up tutorials and collaborating with a lot of designers from Portugal--you know, to wear their clothes and promote their brand. Quarantine ended up being really good for me. I was starting to get all of these international gigs, so I decided to try something new. It was either London or New York, for me. After Brexit though, I decided to go to New York. Why not choose the biggest? I told my friend and he said he was coming with me. So we came together in May of last year [2022], for two months. I’d never been to New York before. It was like a trial. 

BR: How do you like New York?

J: I love it! It was difficult. I lived by myself for two years before quarantine. I moved out when I was 16. 

BR: Is that typical in Portugal?

J: Kind of. We’re legal at 18. So everyone moves out when they turn 18. But coming here after two years of living back with my family during quarantine, I was in shock. I’d gotten so close with my family, so I really missed them. The environment of the city is just very different. New York is very overwhelming if you’re not used to it.

BR: Oh, absolutely. I totally understand. It’s a lot. 

J: It was so overwhelming in the first two months. And I had trouble with that friend, and he went back to Portugal after a month.

BR: Of, course. There is always drama.

J: The gays. [Laughs.] So I went back, too. I really needed a break, but I always had the intention of going back. I got a lot of work while I was here. A lot of people were giving me opportunities. I know 90% of them probably came from my Instagram. I have something to show. They probably have hundreds of queens asking for an opportunity. I feel like they saw me and saw the work I had already put in. But then I went back to Portugal and stayed there for the summer. 

BR: That sounds so nice.

J: It was! Though I should say that most of my opportunities are coming now. In the beginning, it felt like a lot of people didn’t want to give jobs to someone that was just visiting. It felt like they were like, who are you to come in here and try to steal our girl’s jobs?

BR: Right. And New York is so hierarchical. The more people you know and meet, the easier things become. You know?

J: Of course! And the drag in New York is like the most competitive thing ever. Even worse than LA. It’s wild here because there are hundreds and hundreds of queens showing up every month.

BR: All trying to achieve similar things.

J: So if you have it, you have it. If you don’t? You need to know the right people. [Laughs].

BR: Well, clearly you have it…or just know the right people. [Laughs]. Going back a little bit, what was it like growing up queer in Portugal?

J: It was difficult. I don’t know. I was always very feminine. I never wanted to put anything on my family’s back. I never told them anything. I tried to keep them to myself. [A squirrel approaches.] Oh, baby. You are not coming here. No! They are small but they are dangerous. Back away, bitch! [Squirrel retreats.] SO--it was always difficult. A lot of bullying. All the time. But I never complained to my family. I didn’t want to burden them, you know? I didn’t want to be seen as a problem to them. My house was my safe place, and I didn’t want to bring it there. 

BR: Was your family accepting?

J: It was never a problem. I never heard any weird comments. At least not from my closest family. We all lived in the same building--my uncle, my grandmother, and my mother. From other parts of the family, I heard some things, but again, I never really said anything. At least not until years later. When I grew up and learned to accept myself, I learned that it doesn’t matter whether other people accept you or not. Of course, we’re human beings that love to be accepted and loved, but when I grew up and saw other people like me, something changed. I started talking back to those outside family members. Even when I started drag, my immediate family was very accepting. I made them accept it. [Laughs.] I was like, you have two options, either accept or accept me. And they did!

BR: How did you learn to accept yourself?

J: Youtube really helped me a lot. It gave me a little fanclub that always cheered me up. I’m an attention whore.

BR: It’s called being gay!

J: So their attention and acceptance were a big start. When I first started making gay friends and drag friends, I had that moment where I was like, oh, they’re like me! It really helped.

BR: What’s your relationship to drag in your everyday life? 

J: I don’t necessarily see drag as this third, separate person. There are a lot of people who separate themselves from their drag persona. But drag is me. Drag is Renato. Jazmine and Renato get along very well. The only real difference is that I feel more comfortable doing certain things as Jaz. If I’m in a nightclub and in drag, I know that a lot of the attention is going to be on me, and I’m not going to be ashamed to dance and other things. When I’m not in drag? I need some drinks in me. [Laughs.] It’s about the confidence. In drag I feel very confident--like I can do whatever I want. But I don’t like to think of it as a character. It’s still me. I’ve just learned how to put a lot of things I love into one part of my life--the fashion and makeup, all the things I’m not fully comfortable with outside of drag--I put into Jazmine. You know, I had a conversation with a trans friend the other day who told me, you’ll never understand my struggle at this point because I can never be out drag but you can. That really resonated with me because, as much as I love it, I love to be out of drag. If I’m not working, I’m not in drag. I have a lot of fun doing it, but it’s a lot. I’m only doing it if I have a purpose for it. 

BR: Do people tend to recognize you out of drag?

J: With Instagram, yes. I did Gitano last week, and with day gigs you cannot expect me to stay in drag. Ten minutes after I’m done performing, I’m out of drag. So last week this birthday girl came to our section to pay us and didn’t recognize me sitting next to her. Then, of course, when she found out she wanted to show me off to her friends and all that. It’s still a huge transformation for straight people. But I love that. Drag is all about transformation. 

BR: How did you get into the fashion side of things?

J: I’ve always been in love with fashion, but it wasn’t until I joined that drag house that I learned a lot about fashion. I give them their flowers, for sure. Through them I learned how to style looks and put things together. It’s my biggest flex right now. 

BR: How would you describe your personal style?

J: Well--first of all, I’m a whore. [Laughs.] And I want to be seen as a whore! I love being extra. Extra but still stylish and fresh. I love accessories. Last week, I did a look with this bodysuit and five belts. If there is one word about my drag, it’s accessories. I love them all. Belts. Gloves. Berets. I love a beret.

BR: Where is your favorite place in the city to perform?

J: I love Playhouse and 3 Dollar Bill. I love a big crowd that I can walk in. Like 3 Dollar Bill on the other side--not the big stage. I like to interact with people and see them experience me.

BR: It’s the attention whore!

J: Uh huh! I want to see them gag for me!

BR: Okay--one last question: what’s next for you? What do you want to accomplish?

J: I hope to be on Drag Race in the next two years. I’ve never auditioned, but I think I can get in. And then after Drag Race? I want to create my brand and use the platform given to me from Drag Race to make it bigger. 

BR: You heard it here first. It’s going to happen!

*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and your viewing pleasure. 

You can find Jazmine on Instagram @isthatjazmine.

Lensed by Andy Roelofs (@andyxroo)
Styled by Jazmine (@isthatjazmine)