Juno Birch Phones Home

Make it stand out

In the basement of a rock bar in rainy Manchester, the Creatures of Catharsis queer cabaret night used to run every few months. In December 2018, the small room, packed to the rafters with the gay Northern nightlife that had made its way from the city’s gay village, Juno Birch performed her drag debut.

Already a drag sensation online for her drawings, drag makeup and sculptures, this Frodsham native took to live performance like Rachel McAdams to a rom com. In the time since, Birch has appeared on the stage across the world - including LA, her own Birch Brunch in London and many a basement across her hometown of Manchester.

Located in the North myself, it’s not often we get to see something of this magnitude for the first time - the English arts scene, unfortunately, revolves around the country’s capital. Birch’s performance in pink pill box hat, Marge Simpson sized pearls and quintessential rubber gloves remains burned in my memory for its irreverent references and sheer cheekiness. Birch was having a laugh and so was her audience.

Unfortunately for patrons of live drag - not to mention the performers - quarantine killed the scene for months. While also dabbling in digital drag, Birch extended her cult following with a successful YouTube channel filled with The Sims play alongs and makeup tutorials with McDonald’s wrappers. The queen’s charm, which resounds throughout the internet, her lip syncs and the set of the Polyester photoshoot below, is that she is not taking herself seriously.

Sitting down with Birch who, considering the size of the Manchester queer scene, I consider a mate more than an interview subject, was an absolute riot. Hopefully, our conversation below will bring as much of a smile to your face as my recollections of her Jennifer Coolidge impersonations do to mine.

In your own words, what would you say drag is and what does it mean to you? 

Drag is an expression of self: It’s going back to that place as a child when you put your mum's heels on, and you start running around the house and you dress up for yourself and nobody else. You just naturally enjoy costumes and being dramatic and everything like that.

For me, drag is also all about performance, I love being on the stage. Performing is what I love most about drag for sure. 

Do you think the definition of drag has changed in recent years due to social media and Ru Paul’s Drag Race, or has it always had the same message? 

Drag has changed dramatically since Drag Race because drag has become a lot more mainstream, where it used to be a lot more underground. It used to be a lot more tongue in cheek, and a lot more naughty. But now famous drag queens, especially ones that have been on Drag Race are expected to be almost like a politician for our community.

It is true that drag is political, because you are automatically making a statement by getting into drag. For example, like being a trans woman dressed up like this? It’s seen as taboo, or at least it used to be. 

And while I think drag still has a naughty vibe to it, it has also become a lot more PG. It is a great thing on one hand, because kids like seeing drag queens will become more used to different kinds of people… But on the other hand, I am really not a children's entertainer and it’s hard feeling the pressure you have to be particularly PG or politically minded.

It’s worth remembering when queens used to do drag there was no social media, there were no  drag queens on TV or anything like that, it was all performed to a private audience and it was all about entertaining that specific audience. A specifically queer audience. 

I definitely knew who you were as an artist - prints and sculptures - before your drag performances, do you have any more plans for the world of art? 

I go through phases I think because like when I'm doing drag, a lot of the draw is going to the club and being social and having a laugh, and I  naturally want to perform and entertain. But when I'm doing sculptures and drawings, that’s more of a private thing for me. For now, drag is my main thing and  sculpture and drawings is something that I do to relax. It’s only on my own time and that’s why I have never and do not take commissions for it. That [Juno laughs] and being really lazy! 

So who are some of your favourite queer artists at the minute? 

I am obsessed with this sculptor called PJ Harper (@pig.malion), and I don't even know if they’re even queer - I don't know that background but I don't think it matters - their art is so gorgeous and the sculptures are incredible.When I look at their work on Instagram I straight away want to just make a sculpture because they inspire me so much, and that’s the sign of a good artist isn’t it?

There's also this artist who’s illustrations I have always adored., but I know they're not really queer - hiis name is Craig Gleason on Instagram. He does these cartoons that are inspired by like, the old school 60s and 50s illustrations, as well as old outfits and things like that. His cartoon work is so amazing.

I think it’s brilliant that you are based in the North - not enough creatives stay up here - what is it about being a Northern woman that is important to you? 

I think humour because I have quite a northern sense of humour, a very working class sense of humour. I used to live in London for two years, but I am glad to move back to Manchester because London's just too busy, too expensive and too big. I like Manchester because it's got the village and everything is in one place, it’s more of a close knit community where everyone knows each other. 

Seeing you work with and meet people like Trixie Mattel and Jennifer Coolidge has been so fun but on the flip of it, do you think the phrase “never meet your heroes” has any credit behind it?

I was really scared to meet Jennifer Coolidge because she's - if somebody said to me “Who is the one person you would want to meet” it would be Jennifer Coolidge -. And when we did meet, we just really got on. We just have the same sense of humour, you know when you just find random shit really funny. Just pure silliness. 

We had dinner with her one night in LA and she was like going around the table asking “What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?” and like we all went around the table to say it one by one. She loves watching My Strange Addiction and stuff like that, I'd love to watch it with her. 

Same with Trixie: She's so lovely and she was really accommodating to us! I've got nothing bad to say really, I know you wanted gossip but nope.

So what is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Ooh, I’ll tell you what I used to do - I would chew a sponge in the bathroom. I’m salivating just at the thought of it. 

What do you think people think of you after meeting you? And what do you want them to think? 

I hope that they know that I'm not a snob. I've heard it quite a lot that when people have met me, they've been surprised, because I think people assume that people on social media roll are obsessed with themselves and taking pictures. But really when I meet somebody in a club or a show or whatever, I’m like “You alright? What’s your name? How you doing?” I don't think people know I’m that common. [Laughing] But I’ll say, “Right I’ve got to go, I need a dump!”

The maddest encounter was when I was outside after a show and there was some girl that recognised me and burst out crying. I was so shocked because you’d never expect someone to have that kind of reaction to you, on sight. I just helped her stop crying and we got the picture, but it was really bizarre but it does mean a lot to me.

It’s gotten worse since lockdown because I've been doing all these YouTube videos and I've not realised how many people watch them. And now I'll go out to club and within the hour I'm doing a fucking meet and greet in the toilets. 

As a very publicly trans creator in a time where being trans is so contentious, do you feel any particular pressure to act or present a particular way? 

It’s different giving advice as somebody who is trans, has been through a transition and is now happy with myself, to people who are transitioning now.  But I do try to be helpful and give advice because it's good to give your experiences and put them out there, to have as many out there as possible.

When I was younger, I didn't know anyone who was trans, had never heard of anyone who was trans or who had been through this journey so it was quite alienating to transition, not knowing what was gonna happen to me. I think it's important to speak to people who reach out and give them a bit of advice -not just advice, but your experiences and support as well.

Still, on the flip of that, it is important not to pressure anyone to represent trans people because when someone has been spending their whole life transitioning, they might just want to be left to get on with it! Not everyone needs to be an activist for it and I’m also not sure I would call myself an activist either.

I think it’s fair to say a lot of your strength comes from being such a comedic person, how do you find things to laugh at in such a depressing time to be alive? 

I think I have quite a big sense of humour and I find a lot of things funny. Having a sense of humour is something that I've relied on throughout my life, throughout school and all that kind of thing. It's a coping mechanism, it makes your brain happier. If I’m thinking, “Well, I feel like shit.” I will seek out a dose of laughter. I love watching fail videos on YouTube and just allow myself a bit of uncontrollable laughter. 

I like to make other people laugh as well, especially when I'm performing. I love to act stupid, not be taken seriously or take anything seriously. It’s definitely a big way for me to cope with having anxiety. Even in my YouTube videos where I'm always like, “That’s happening!” And it’s caught on, but it’s more than just a catch phrase. Just say, “that’s happening” and let it happen.

If you had one piece of advice for queer artists just starting out, what would it be?

Don't take anything too seriously. Just do what you want to do and what makes you happy. There's no point in sitting down and going, “Right I'm going to be a queer artist and I'm going to do this, and I'm going to do this, and I'm going to do that.” You need to just sit down and see what comes out of you. 

I learned that lesson a long time ago that planning ahead never goes to plan. So now I never plan what I'm going to make. I just grab a pen and do it, or throw on your clothes and do it. Otherwise you’re never going to express what subconsciously, you want to express. Instead of sitting down and thinking, “This drawing will be about my transition!”, just sit down and see what comes naturally to you.

Words: Gina Tonic | Photography: Jade Hannah