It’s that time of the year when creativity runs free, wonder becomes visible, and inhibitions are left at the door.
I understand why Halloween is a favorite holiday for many. Aside from its excessive debauchery, it’s the season to become someone or something other than ourselves.
“I love Halloween because it’s the most-awaited time of the year when everyone is given a hall pass to dress up and become whoever they want to be,” shares Nix Alañon. A self-confessed fan of spooky season, the interior designer and the man behind Phoenix Home and FTA Design is famous for getting into fabulous drag on Halloween nights. “Being in drag is so liberating. There’s an instant boost of confidence that I get each time I play a different character. I wish the night would never end,” he adds.
No other night gives everyone the license to dress in flamboyant costumes. For this reason, I believe that Halloween is a boon to many queer people. “I look at Halloween as an occasion that requires a lot of creativity and resourcefulness—traits wherein queers are considered front-runners and always excel,” says Nix. It’s become an outlet of expression—an invitation to explore gender and fantasy—without the fear of judgment or ridicule. We can be extra fabulous and be celebrated for it, as opposed to the rest of the year, where it may be despised or shunned. Growing up queer, we were used to wearing masks to hide our true selves. Such a parallel is what makes this holiday more special to us.
The LGBTQIA+ community found a safe opportunity to openly reveal beautiful sides of themselves that they usually wouldn’t feel comfortable with any other day of the year. It’s also become a gateway to the art of drag. Some famous drag queens’ first time in drag was at Halloween, like Gigi Goode, Lady Camden, Black Peppa, Kerri Colby, and Jasmine Kennedie, to name a few.
For Onin Gaddi, a senior account manager at advertising agency, CO Studio Inc., it’s a night that gifts him the courage to express his creativity and show his campy side. He is known for his elaborate costumes throughout the years. “I guess it’s also a form to escape from my usual shy and sometimes boring self,” he furthers. “Being in drag gives me the fantasy of being a different person. It gives me confidence and the feeling that I can do anything and get away with it. It’s like I can be outrageous and silly without being shy or conscious about it. Drag is like an armor that protects me from all that.”
There will come a day when we won’t need a holiday to let our freak flag fly. But even when that day comes, Halloween will still be ours. Out, curious, or in the closet, it’s that night to explore more about ourselves, revel in our fantasies, and have a freaking great time.
Featured image: FRANZ SZONY
