Interview: Paul Hofman
Theatre Queen, Miss Travestie Holland 2016. A theatre animal with a heart of gold who immensely enjoys singing beautiful songs. "Be true to yourself, true to someone else and true to the world. This Is My Pride! Everyone experiences Pride differently. We are all unique, yet during Pride it feels like we are one. To me, that's the real Pride feeling anyway."
Interview
"LOOKING IN THE MIRROR MORE OFTEN"
Last year, drag queen Niki Today unexpectedly won the title Miss Travestie Holland. He proudly wears the title. For him, it meant a great victory over himself, A dramatic story that Whenever she enters the stage anywhere in the country, loud enthusiasm always erupts immediately. Niki Today is the alias of Nikolai Slisser. His alter ego arose by chance, he says smiling.
In the Amsterdam office of the Pride organisation, people are coming and going. Niki Today welcomes us cheerfully. When we ask Niki to tell us something about her life answer falls silent for a moment. "The creation Niki was born out of a very serious incident. I had a heart attack more than three years ago and that woke me up literally and figuratively. For years, I let myself be guided by fears and insecurities that prevented me from really living. I was on the run from myself and never really dared to confront myself. Until then, being a drag queen was not for me. I was an actor and in the theatre world the role of drag queen is just a step too far. My near death experience opened my eyes. It sounds like a cliché but a burden really fell off my shoulders. From then on, I decided not to let fears rule my life. I remember my first performance as a transvestite like yesterday. Suddenly I was shining on stage with glitter, glamour, feathers and beautiful dancers. I enjoy playing a character like Niki. Dame Edna is my great role model in this regard." " When we ask him what makes him so special, he answers spontaneously, "Unlike many drag queens, I sing live." For him, the stage is everything although he admits that he does get nervous before every performance. "But that's a healthy tension. I am always grateful that I get to sing. I enjoy the moment immensely when I'm on stage."
The theme of Pride 2017 is particularly appealing to him. "My live-sung rendition of 'This is my life' has become my anthem. As a result, I was chosen as the winner of the Miss Transvestie pageant." Gently he reveals, " During Pride week, I will be singing this song regularly. In gorgeous dresses with beautiful coiffures and in amazing heels. At the final concert on the big stage, I will go all out. My dream is coming true. It means so much to me."
The moment he was asked to become ambassador of Pride Amsterdam is etched on his mind. "It was totally unexpected. You don't get this opportunity thrown in your lap every day. You can imagine that I immediately grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Together with the other ambassadors, I want to be even more specific and in-depth about the content of the Pride. Because Pride is so much more than the, by the way, impressive Canal Parade with only beautiful people on board." he says, laughing.
Niki Today's eyes light up as he laughingly explains how his name came about. "Do you know that Irish song contest winner Johnny Logan was at the cradle of my career? Two years ago, I was working for Amsterdam Gaypride and I had jokingly dressed up as Conchita's mutti who had won the Song Contest that year. I stepped up to him and literally said, "Hi Mr Logan, normally my name is Nikolai but now I am Niki today". He immediately replied, " Well hello Niki Today". And so the name of his alter ego was born.
How does he want to fill his role as ambassador? He thinks for a moment and then says: " I want to address from my heart something that is not often mentioned or worse just denied. When something dramatic happens in the gay scene, like the recent assault of two gay men in Arnhem, we form a unity to the outside world. Then we stand hand in hand and radiate equality." He continues: "I myself am not the slimmest gay man which is why people often do not see me standing. How often are people excluded because they are dark-skinned or too feminine? I notice that too often in our community people look at each other with blinders on. It is very difficult to meet people and just have a nice conversation with them if you are looked out of the pub at the very first glance. No one is the same so why do we like to pigeonhole each other so much? We denounce that pigeonholing mentality of heterosexuals but we ourselves participate in it just as much."
As an ambassador, I want to show that it's okay to look in the mirror more often. Because do we always treat others the way we want to be treated ourselves?"
At the drop of a hat, he says: "Everything in the scene is about looks, that's what you are judged on. I am satisfied with how I look with my curves, but a large proportion of gays see it differently. True beauty, however, is in imperfection. In my role as ambassador, I hope to smash those self-created boxes, so to speak." And personally? "Meeting a nice boy and experiencing a fairytale wedding". He cannot wait for Pride Amsterdam to begin.
Pride Ambassador since 2017
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