All drag queens want is for you to be yourself
Video: André Kloer
Text: Tim van Erp
Photo: Jon Haywood
Becoming a Pride Ambassador had been on drag artist Janey Jacké’s (33) wish list for years. This year it’s finally happening. Maybe at just the right moment. ‘I feel like I’m really ready now.’
Things are going well — very well, even — for Janey Jacké. “Every year better and better, really. I’m happy, working hard and very pleased with how things are going. I can’t say anything else.” Janey had been building her career for years as a drag queen in Amsterdam when, thanks to her participation in the first Dutch season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2020 she became nationally known. She finished in second place. Two years later she competed in RuPaul’s Drag Race: UK vs The World, an international all‑stars version of the show. There she reached the semi-finals.
She didn’t slow down after that. She became a judge on RTL4’sMake Up Your Mind, a programme in which Dutch celebrities perform in drag. She was a contestant onWie is de Mol?. She won the European drag championships last year. And she took part in Miss Continental in the US, where she placed sixth and — as the first European contestant — won the Talent Round. ‘Every year better and better’ fits her story well.
Janey was born 33 years ago as Justin Mooijer and grew up in Volendam. When when she goes out as Justin, Janey is never far away — you can tell from the long acrylic nails and shaved eyebrows. In her portrait as Pride Ambassador we see her in full glory as Janey herself. Including her hidden message to the theme LOVE: her dress, designed and made with love.
She took her first steps as a drag queen at sixteen at a friend’s party — the attention and compliments made it clear immediately that she had talent. In Amsterdam’s nightlife she honed her skills under the wing of several well‑known queens.
It’s no surprise Janey has always been busy with Pride. “I’ve had the chance to do so many fun things. Performing, of course, on different boats for example. I hosted the closing party on Dam Square and got to announce fantastic artists: Melanie C, Eleni Foureira, Conchita Wurst. All those special parties, the chaotic buzz on Reguliersdwarsstraat… it’s impossible to name one favourite moment. It’s mainly the overall feeling Pride gives me each year: love, togetherness and inspiration.”
A harsh conservative wind
When the Pride organisation phoned to ask her to be an Ambassador, Janey wasn’t exactly surprised. “I’d hoped to do this for a while. But I must say it feels like the right moment. I feel really ready now. A few years ago I might have still been searching: who is Janey and what does she stand for? Because of Drag Race, being thrown into the world with a group of girls, we’ve become more aware of our differences. I now know the message I want to share. I convey that in talks I give, for example at schools and companies. I talk about what makes us unique and what connects us. The world often focuses on differences, but we all want the same things: to be loved, heard, inspired. If we approached it from those commonalities, perhaps there would be less polarisation, hate and discrimination.”
The harsh right‑wing wind currently blowing does worry her. “Especially everything happening in the US. That is a big concern for me. Like for the whole world, I think. I’ve worked there, competed there, and I have friends and colleagues who live there. Where is this going for them, what do Trump’s actions mean for their lives? Here in the Netherlands we also have a right‑wing cabinet, but at least no laws are being reversed.”
In the current political and social climate drag artists get a lot of abuse: “People think we’re trying to influence others or ‘convert children to our lifestyle’, for example with reading sessions. We don’t do that at all. All we want is for you to be yourself. To allow yourself and others to be who they are. Sometimes, when I see negative reactions online, I’ll engage in discussion. I want to explain how things really are. But I know that’s pointless: some people don’t want to learn or understand. I prefer to focus on those who come to shows or watch the programmes I’m in. Connecting with them is much more important.”
Pelted with M&Ms
On the street Janey fortunately notices little of that online hate. “I know terrible things happen in real life too, but luckily I experience that rarely. Partly because I don’t always notice it. A side effect of fame: I don’t always pick up when people are staring or talking about me. Friends notice it before I do: ‘Did you see how that person looked at you?’ No, I didn’t. Not when the look was positive and not when it was negative. I just live my life.”
Janey says that when she walks the streets in drag she usually receives compliments and kind remarks from passersby. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a darker side. “Recently I was in the car on the way to Amsterdam wearing pink sunglasses and a sheepskin coat. When I tried to drive into the parking garage a group of boys started shouting and threw M&Ms at my car. I thought: what a warm welcome in the city I love so much.” Did that frighten her? “No. I mostly found it funny and very, very sad. I thought: what are you accomplishing here? I just don’t get why my presence triggers this reaction.” She corrects herself: “No. Not ‘triggers’. Because I didn’t.”
She doesn’t get scared easily anymore. “I chose deliberately not to let that feeling in. Fifteen years ago I was beaten up in Volendam, where I’m from. The time after that was awful. I became panicky: can I take this route? If those boys get on the bus, should I sit somewhere else? I didn’t want to live like that. So I don’t allow that feeling anymore.”
Easier said than done? “Yes, many people tell me that. But it works for me. I hope I can be an example to others. Of course I have bad days too. And it’s always wise to trust your instincts and assess safety. But that constant, ever‑present fear — I refused to keep living with it.”
Alongside Janey’s ambassadorship and her inspiring message, there will of course be plenty of entertainment. “That comes with being a drag queen, just as drag automatically has a political edge. I’m an entertainer: it’s about having fun and celebrating life. A tear and a laugh. The entertainment side also makes things lighter and more human. Not a politician in a tie, but a more accessible way to connect.” So how will Janey fill the ambassador role exactly? Referencing Lady Gaga she laughs: “No sleep! Bus, club, another club, another club, plane, next place!” Clear: this is going to be awild ride.
Pride ambassador since 2025
