Cupcake, Miss Kotti 2019
All pictures by Bernardo Martins
Life

This Area Was Known for Stinking of Piss, Until These Drag Artists Turned Up

In 2019, everyone wanted to be Miss Kotti.

This article originally appeared on VICE Germany.

Last November, Berlin's alternative drag community came together at Kreuzberg's S036 Club to crown their new king, queen or anything in between. Born three years ago in Kottbusser Tor, a high-crime neighbourhood best known for a roundabout that always smells of piss, the Miss Kotti competition was a perfect way to celebrate the area becoming a focal point for alternative drag.

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Hosted by Berlin drag icon Pansy, the show felt like a breath of fresh air in a scene sometimes stifled by the cis-man-in-a-wig act, with performers flaunting their gender, sexuality and identity in all of their diversity. Contestants brought personal stories about migration, self-destructive behaviour, climate change and the representation of women in public spaces. Lebanese queen Cupcake ultimately took the crown, but feel free to choose your favourite from the glamorous photos below.

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