What it feels like for a girl? I Rise like a Rainbow High!

I don’t know how to start writing here. This video was definitely the biggest challenge on this journey to meet Madonna so far. I just remember having my legs shaking before to go on stage. After my performance, I cried a lot. I thought about my homeland, Brazil, that the thing that my mom was most scared of was me being gay and dressing like a woman. Actually this is the first thought that crosses the thought of most of the parents when “they fear” that their son is gay: “OMG, my son is going to dress like a woman”.

I must tell you that I didn’t feel anything different, dressed like Madame X. During the last years, I’ve been working a lot on myself. And I must tell you that I am cured. I am healed of any kind of reminiscent prejudice that I had from my past. Actually, the worst thing of being a drag queen was walking on high heels. My feet were bleeding later. It took almost 3 hours for having my make up done. The drag team of Haus of ThomTom, in Nijmegen, here in The Netherlands, was amazing. What those guys do is art: lots of time with rehearsals, preparing clothes, make up and also dealing with prejudice.

We got lots of positive reactions, while recording on the streets of Nijmegen. But we also got quite bad reactions and I must tell you that our team was also a bit sadly surprised: some people passed by and spit on our direction, threw beer cans out of car windows onwards our direction, verbal harassments…but we were there. We were rising, despite any kind of intolerance that we could face. And the funny fact it’s that the Netherlands is one of, if not, the most gay friendly countries in the world.

I first thought about this video like one year ago. Last December, during a dinner with my friend Willem (the drag Miss Meggie), I shared with him that I would love to make a video dressed like a drag, but I didn’t know if I would have the confidence and courage. So, back to Madame X times, we’ve all heard that apparently Madonna has recorded a video with a team of Drag Queens. My inspiration came back and I couldn’t find a better opportunity to bring the message of “I Rise”. In the end of the month, I’m going to be 39 years old and I can proudly share that I healed most of my gay traumas before my 40th year of life.

And the best of all of this, it’s that nothing in this video would be reality without the support of my angel, my prince, my love, my boyfriend Daniel. I also got dazzled how people could help me on this video FOR FREE. I’m out of budget and I don’t even know how I am going to manage to buy Madame X tour tickets, but my friends were so wiling to help me, they got so infected by my enthusiasm, that I could only cry after seeing the final result of this drag masterpiece.

Finally, I’d like to share the credits of my team of almost 20 people HELPING ME on my dream to meet Madonna, spreading her message of equality, tolerance and love. THANK YOU A LOT!

Xtra special thanks to Haus of ThomTom  @hausofthomtom

Drag Queens:

Madame X: Fábio Viana 
@iwillmeetmadonna
Miss Meggie: William 
@peggiemeggiepegmeg
Tom Tompuss: Tom van Zitteren 
@t.tom.puss
Lexie-Lolli Pop: Sander Konings 
@lexi_lollipopp
Titt McPfeiffer: Kevin van Zundert 
@tittymcpfeiffer
Drag King: 
Justin Alfa: Lizanne Silvertant 
@lizzie961

Drag X:
Mx Flo: Floris van de Bulck

Visual Effects: Lugão Naretto

Cameras:
Brandon Schepers
Daniel Schepers
Emily Salvia
Leon Wesdijk

Boyfriend:
Daniel Schepers

Makeup:
Tom van Zitteren
Sander Konings
Pascal Boerboom

Costumes/Accessories:
Miss Meggie (“Rainbow High” coat and headscarf)
Fabrícia Viana (socks)
Fabiana Viana (bra)
Daniel Schepers (Madame X short paints)
Fábio Viana (all the rest)

Shoes:
Tom van Zitteren

Assistants:
Gérard Platenburg
Leon Wesdijk
Pieter Tigelaar

Props:
Fábio Viana
Phil Gaster

Choreography: Fábio Viana

DJ ThomTom: Gérard Platenburg

Creative Producer: Fábio Viana

Editing: Fábio Viana

Post-Production:
Fábio Viana
Lugão Naretto