© DesmondIsAmazing/Instagram10-year-old Desmond Napoles from Brooklyn in New York City has founded the first drag club for kids
Desmond Napoles from Brooklyn in New York City is better known by his drag name, Desmond is Amazing. Though still quite young, he first expressed an interest in dressing up in drag as a toddler and has become somewhat of a celebrity on the drag circuit.
And he is convinced that there are more kids out there just like him. So now, the precocious youngster is launching Haus of Amazing, the 'first and only drag club for kids,' where no adults are allowed.
When Desmond was younger, he would fashion bed sheets and towels into dresses and wigs, and would 'clomp up and down the hallway in his mother's high heels.'
'Ever since day one... ever since I was able to walk, I used to take my mom's towels and take her heels and clomp around the house. [I'd] put the towel on my head, wrap a towel around my body and walk the runway down my house,' he revealed to Out.
At age five, he liked to play with toy trains, maps, video games, and Barbies but when he was six, an Elsa from Frozen costume changed everything - and Desmond started asking his parents for princess costumes or dresses when they were out shopping.
Admitting that they were concerned about how other people might perceive their son, Desmond's parents consulted a therapist for advice on what to do.
The therapist advised them that the best course of action was to do nothing, and let Desmond develop naturally and explore his own tastes in clothing, toys, and activities.
Desmond's love of dressing up didn't falter, and his first big break in drag came in 2014 when he was featured in the music video for Jinkx Monsoon's The Bacon Shake, alongside his hero RuPaul and B-52 lead singer Fred Schneider.
In June 2015, he took part in Gay Pride in NYC, wearing a rainbow tutu and gold beret and his appearance went viral.
As a result, his mother's friends setup a Facebook fan page dedicated to Desmond's journey.
Named Desmond is Amazing, the Facebook page gave Desmond the idea to use the same moniker as his stage name.
And although he is only 10, Desmond's 'avant drag' style has evolved to incorporate his biggest inspirations - RuPaul, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring.
© DesmondIsAmazing/Instagram
And while he is part of drag culture, he refers to himself as a 'drag kid' rather than a 'drag queen,' explaining that this term should only refer to adults.
On his website he writes, 'People should be able to dance, sing, or dress in any way. You can express yourself however you want. It doesn't matter if you like jazz or rap, ballet or ballroom, dresses or suits. You can just do you.'
A fan of dancing - he started taking ballet lessons aged six and currently is the youngest member of the Iconic House of UltraOmn - Desmond is, above all, a natural performer, and hopes to facilitate other young people who share the same interests by providing a safe space at Haus of Amazing.
So far, the club has simply been announced on Instagram, and is described as being 'the first and only drag house exclusively for drag kids who are doing AMAZING drag.'
The first announcement came back in October, and bid interested parties to stayed tuned for more information.
This week, the club shared a letter to 'haters,' writing positive messages like, 'Your words do not hurt me - I am secure in who I am,' and 'You will not change me - I will be myself, always.'
Although he is an active member of the LGBTQ community, where he is involved in anti-bullying and suicide prevention (Desmond came out last year), his parents are emphatic that their son is not yet sexually active, and although he is an advocate for LGBTQ rights, he has not 'reached the age where sexual relations are appropriate or discussed explicitly.'
And while his mom Wendylou acknowledges that Desmond is an inspiration to others, she also revealed to Out that her son has been subjected to criticism.
'We get messages from people, like in Colombia, saying, "We're not allowed to be outwardly [in] drag or gay and it means a lot to see somebody that is." So there's a positive aspect to it.
'But then there's an uglier aspect where we get a lot of haters and things like that. It comes with a territory and I mostly just leave them alone.'
This is a sentiment shared by Desmond, who said: 'Mind your own business. If you don't like it, don't look at it.'
His ultimate goal is to own his own fashion and cosmetics line but in the meantime, he is committed to getting Haus of Amazing up and running.
'Stay tuned while we continue to create this positive, encouraging, and safe online community for all drag kids to connect with one another, share photos, videos, etc,' he shared with Instagram fans.
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