Just a month after breaking the internet by stepping out in drag, Siv Ngesi is now being dragged for robbing “real” drag queens of their livelihood.
The actor and TV personality came under fire this week after posting a picture of himself in drag, promoting Adidas gear.
He captioned his post: “Sivanna is a month and 2 days old and she’s already shooting with @adidasZA, @weareivypark, #icypark, #adidasxivypark.”
Sivanna is a month a 2 days old and she’s already shooting with @adidasZA @WeAreIvyPark , #icypark, #adidasxivypark pic.twitter.com/GjICZ6Gw2E
— Siv Ngesi (@iamSivN) February 23, 2021
This ruffled the feather of the LGBT and drag communities, and #Sivanna started trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons.
@lukeindiaramos tweeted: “This not even about a straight man ‘dressing up’! This is about taking space from working queens who make drag their job and life’s work.”
This not even about a straight man "dressing up"! This is about "taking space from working queens who make drag their job and life's work."
— Luke India Ramos (@lukeindiaramos) February 23, 2021
@_Atandile, wrote: “Once you start taking up space, you can keep your ‘allyship’. This is not how it's supposed to be.”
When Sivanna made her debut in January, Siv, 35, said he did it out of curiosity: “I always wondered what it would be like... wondered what it would feel like to be in drag and then the vulnerability of a woman.”
Speaking to IOL on Wednesday, Ngesi, who stars in the drama series Still Breathing, said as a brand ambassador for Adidas, he was sent two outfits, one for himself and another for Sivanna.
“In hindsight, as a heterosexual man, I should have worded the caption differently,” he admits.
“I do understand the issue that people have, but give me the benefit of the doubt.
“I am a drag queen and I hope that we can get to a point where different rules don’t apply to me because I am straight.”
Sivanna’s “drag mother”, Manilla Von Teez, came out in her defence and urge all to see the bigger picture.
undefined“Reality is that no matter how hard we worked, South Africa as a whole never really accepted the artform,” she said.
“We have sent hundreds of proposals for sponsorship, brand support, etc. over the years, and have not had positive responses or support. Many of my fellow drag sisters know the struggle for corporate support and general support.”
Manilla said Siv is aware of this dilemma and was an ally of the LGBT community, using his connections to further the cause.