Kings of Joy Podcast
Kings of Joy Podcast
Podcast Description
The Kings of Joy Podcast takes you behind the scenes of Kings of Joy, a thriving Drag King community. Hosted by Danica Lani, The King Coach, this podcast features interviews with Kings of Joy as they share their experiences in Drag Kinging, performance, and gender expression. From first-time performers to seasoned Kings, we dive into personal journeys, masculinity on stage, and the impact of queer artistry. Whether you’re a Drag King, a fan, or curious about gender performance, this is your go-to podcast for all things Drag Kings, LGBTQIA+ performance, and queer creativity—inside one of the most vibrant Drag King communities worldwide.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast showcases themes surrounding Drag King culture, gender expression, and LGBTQIA+ performance. Episodes include discussions on personal journeys, such as the transition from a novice performer to a seasoned Drag King, and explore topics like the influence of queer artistry in live performances. Specific episodes discuss shows like 'I Want It That Gay,' a cabaret that reclaims queer stories through nostalgic pop music, and 'They Will Be Kings,' a documentary theatre piece focusing on gender and visibility.
“What is a Drag King?”
“How do I start Drag Kinging?”
“Where can I explore gender without toxic masculinity?”
“Can I really feel at home in my own skin?”
If these are your questions, you’ve just found the podcast you didn’t know you were looking for.
Welcome to Kings of Joy, the Drag King podcast hosted by The King Coach, Danica Lani. Each episode is a deep dive into gender expression, queer identity, and the transformational power of performance. You’ll hear real, unfiltered interviews with emerging Drag Kings from the Kings of Joy community—alongside solo episodes where Danica shares tools, stories, and insight to help you explore your own masculinity, express your truth, and step into your power.
Whether you’re dreaming of getting on stage or just curious about playing with gender, this podcast is your invitation to feel 100% at home in your own skin.
👑 https://kingsofjoy.com | https://instagram.com/kings.of.joy | Show notes: https://www.danicalani.com/blog?tag=podcast
In this episode of The Kings of Joy Show, I’m joined by Trans Mission, a Naarm-based Drag King whose journey began with a sneaky DM from Malaika Mfalme and unfolded into something far bigger than a first Drag performance.
Trans Mission shares how they found their Drag King persona through humour, trans pride, memes, gender euphoria and a very real queer agenda. What began as a playful name became a mission grounded in joy, solidarity and art. We also talk about the Kings of Joy and Queers of Joy journey through online performance during the pandemic, the decision to step away from Midsumma Festival when it no longer aligned with the group’s values, and the unexpected global connection that grew with LGBTQIA+ refugees at Block 13 in Kakuma.
At the heart of this episode is Joy, the song Trans Mission wrote for our friends in Kakuma. It is tender, political, hopeful and full of the kind of care that reaches across oceans.
In This Episode
• How Trans Mission was invited into Drag Kinging through Kings of Joy
• Finding a Drag King name through humour, puns, memes and trans pride
• What made online performance unexpectedly powerful during the pandemic
• The difference between competitive performance spaces and Kings of Joy culture
• Why Queers of Joy chose political integrity over staying in a festival that did not align with its values
• The connection between Kings of Joy, Queers of Joy and LGBTQIA+ refugees in Kakuma
• How Trans Mission created the song Joy as an act of queer solidarity
• The power of Drag Kinging as art, community care and resistance
Watch the Episode
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qabG7WMUDY0
Notable Quotes
“I definitely do have a queer agenda. And I do have a trans mission.” – Trans Mission
“I just loved the joke of having some secret mission that I’m on.” – Trans Mission
“It was a funny throwback to me being the trans flag, and really exuding that joy and gender euphoria.” – Trans Mission
“The culture and the inclusivity that’s embedded straight away, as soon as you start Kings of Joy, you set it up.” – Trans Mission
“That stuff does not happen in Kings of Joy. We are not about that.” – Trans Mission
“You could have never ever been on a stage before in your life. And we’d be like, you’re amazing. You’re the best. Let’s do this.” – Trans Mission
“There’s no point us performing in a festival that doesn’t represent who we are, and our values of social justice.” – Trans Mission
“That just shows the power of art.” – Trans Mission
“This is the vision, this is the hope, this is the imagining of a world where we’re together, and we’re all safe.” – Trans Mission
“We all grow from lifting each other up.” – Danica Lani, The King Coach
Start Your Own Drag King Journey
If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, begin here: https://www.danicalani.com/dragkingname
Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression, so we can be more at home in our own skin.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.