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INTERVIEW WITH Caribbean Drag Queen Jarett Sprock by Riselle Celestina
Jarett Sprock was born on Curaçao in the summer of 1977 , the youngest of three children . He is the cousin of one of my best friends in those days . Younger than us , he was often the subject of our teasing , and for that I would like to publicly apologize to him . Truth is though that I was quite fond of him and always felt a need to stand up for him - or so I remember it . He was small back then , but full of sass and in hindsight , completely capable of standing up for himself , whether he was aware of it at the time or not . Not only would he grow up to become a dear friend , but also the person behind one of the most Fabulous Drag Queens of the Caribbean . These days he shares his life and that of his alter ego , Pepper Katana , with his boyfriend of 18 years in The Hague , where they moved to in 2018 .
THIS IS HIS STORY .
How do you identify ?
Jarett : I identify as a male homosexual .
What was your childhood like on Curacao and what was one of your fondest
memories of back then ?
Jarett : Sunny Sundays on Barbara Beach , sibling fights and lots of mosquitoes . One of my dearest childhood memories growing up on Curaçao were rainy weekend mornings . My sister and brother would come to my bedroom ( I had the better carpet ) and we would play board games all day .
Were you ever bullied and did you have the support from friends or family ?
Jarett . I do remember a girl making comments about my clothes or snickering when I walked by . One day I called her out on it and she stopped . Other than that I am just not fazed . I have my brother to thank for that . Growing up , I felt loved , but struggled with figuring out my sexuality . I mean really , how do you ask about something that you do not know anything about ?
For those of us ( myself included ) who are not too familiar with the term Drag Queen , can you explain what it is ?
Jarett : A Drag Queen is a creature of fantasy often rooted in the female form . Some call us transvestite and though not entirely untrue , to me a transvestite is someone