Today we’d like to introduce you to Vivvi The Force.
Vivvi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a native resident of San Diego, I have developed a gainful knowledge of local history. With curiosity and enthusiasm, I have kept a watchful eye over the gradual yet steady shifts in the community’s LGBTQ art life and entertainment industry. Last year I set out to accelerate the growth of queer art life in San Diego by launching Whips n Furs. I created a queer alternative drag show for the weird and spooky to offer a platform to people who have never had the opportunity to perform and thus created a network of talented individuals with space to cultivate their craft, find inspiration, and feel accepted.
I began doing drag in 2011. Using my drag to break boundaries and social norms, I became the glamour demon of San Diego with punk rock spirit and die-hard passion for advancing the acceptance of queer and trans people within the LGBTQ spectrum. My drag character leaps through the barriers of your mind, surpassing gender and destroying stereotypes of what it means to be a drag performer. Having grown up in the punk rock world, unity and community are values I like to see in the LGBTQ community as I transferred from one scene to the next. I curate local art events, dance parties, drag shows, and fundraisers to create safe spaces for people who may feel underrepresented in the “scene”. My events have put almost 10,000 dollars in the pockets of local performers, DJs, artists, and nonprofits organizations since they began.
Throughout Hillcrest, North Park and downtown San Diego I host events with a variety of performers including drag kings, queens, club kids, musicians, singers, dancers, you name it and our stage has likely had it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My drag character has always faced judgement from others in the community for my artistic style and outlook. Jealousy or Fear of change? One thing that no one could ever deny that Vivvi has always been a force to be reckoned with and impossible to ignore.
I have always wanted to have my own event so I could expand the capabilities and potential encounters one could experience in nightlife. I’ve always wanted to create a space that brought people together to escape away from the dreary and stress of the world and into my own chaotic playground. I’ve always had the vision but haven’t been taken seriously.
In 2015 I had the idea to make a documentary about the LGBTQ communities in other countries. I wanted to share with the world what it is like to grow up and live in places around the world as an LGBTQ person, some places where it is deemed unacceptable or taboo to do so. I moved out from my apartment in SF and began couch surfing. Selling all my belongings, drag and all, I reduced everything to one large travel bag, I continued working full time at a costume store and day spa for about 3 months. I purchased a small camera, my passport and vaccines. I had a gofundme that did not gain much traction but I was determined to get out there. The first stop was Tokyo, then Taipei, and finally Bangkok. I had missed my plane from Bangkok to Mumbai and having run out of resources, I decided to call it quits. Filming a documentary had been a much harder task than what I originally thought. Things like camera battery, storage capacity on the memory cards, lighting, sound, language barriers, etc were all unforeseen challenges. I learned so much on that journey while doing drag at various clubs and meeting some amazing performers, including Pagina Heals, who later became one of the hosts for Drag Race Thailand.
When I returned to the States I felt defeated and quit doing drag for two years. I began getting bored with San Diego’s nightlife and felt a calling to share experiences from my knowledge and travels, noticing a strong need for something greater, queerer, and more fun than anything people who haven’t left San Diego would ever be exposed to otherwise.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My brand as a drag performer is known for smashing social expectations and expanding the mind about what it means to be a diva. My drag is wild, yet refined. It can be dark and chaotic, intergalactic and extraterrestrial, or high fashion glamour queen. My makeup and costumes have always stood out from the rest.
I am known for pushing boundaries while curating queer events that showcase local talents, artists and individuals. Over the last year and in various locations throughout San Diego, Whips n Furs has become a local safe space for mindful creatives and party-goers. A place for people to connect and share, whatever that may be and in whatever form. “Come as you are.”
I am so proud of being able to provide a stage for folx that would otherwise not have one in San Diego. My events have accelerated the pulse of change in our community and have given a home to the odd, strange and curious.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I plan to keep evolving the Whips n Furs platform. I’m working with new performers to offer help and guidance, specifically with developing their drag personas and navigating the broader entertainment industry. I plan to take Whips N Furs to other cities bringing with a cast of San Diego entertainers who will have the opportunity to be featured on new platforms while encouraging their growth and expanding our following.
My long term goal is to have my own nightclub in San Diego. I am working to own an entertainment venue where I can host community events and showcase other creatives with their own projects to develop and artistic visions to execute. I want to contribute to our queer and trans people of color communities by providing a fun, social play place for them to gather, engage and connect.
Pricing:
- $5-$10 Donation Most Events
- $5-$15 Ticket Price Some Events
- No one turned down for lack of funds, Free Events
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/whipsnfurssd/
- Email: vivvitheforce@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vivvithe_force
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vivvi.theforce
- Other: fb.me/whipsnfurs
Image Credit:
Vivvi The Force
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