To Table of Contents who wants to look as close as possible to a biological woman , whereas a Drag Queen goes over the top to create a feast for your eyes .
When did you know you wanted to venture into the world of drag ?
Jarett : Well …. I wanted to do it once . Like something you try before you die kind of thing . Looking back , I looked busted my first time . It wasn ’ t till 2009 when I moved back to Curaçao and started to host a monthly party that I upped my game and honed my craft .
How did your family , friends and the Curacao community as a whole accept you in drag ?
Jarett : I know my boyfriend didn ’ t like it at first . He is a quiet guy by nature and didn ’ t see it as art , preferring to be less outspoken . My family and friends hardly batted a lash about it . Most of them know my love for Halloween and costumes , so it just felt like a logical progression . And , the LGBTQIA + community on the island took me into their warmest of embraces . I feel so loved by them and enjoy returning the love - because of them I have had the courage to push myself out into “ mainstream ” and find acceptance under the general population as well .
What does your boyfriend think of your life as Pepper now ?
Jarett : After all these years he has come to accept the art that I do and how it has helped other people find their voice . While that was never the goal when we set upon this journey , the love and respect we have for each other has allowed us to will Pepper into being . I guess we are a …. “ trouple ”?
Why Pepper Katana ? What ' s behind the name ?
Jarett : When I hosted the
monthly straight-friendly parties I became synonymously known with the party , which was called Madame Jeanette . As we all know , that is one spicy Pepper . After we parted ways , it did not feel right to keep the name of the party as my own . So I went with Pepper Katana . Katana was added as a reference to me severing the ties with the past .
Would you call Pepper your alter ego , or is she more like an extension of yourself ?
Jarett : I would say that she was an alter ego in the beginning . I assigned most of my feminine qualities and traits to her when I was in drag . Nowadays , Pepper and Jarett learn from each other and make each other stronger .
What does being a drag queen mean to you ?
Jarett : To me , it honestly started as a party gimmick . I never expected however how much I came to mean for the community on the island . Quite a few people found the courage to live life as their authentic self just by coming to the parties . Somewhere along the line , I went from party gimmick to being a face for a community that was still living hidden in the proverbial closet . I think that realization came in 2011 when a friend of ours told us how he heard people talking about the parties and my drag while attending a gay party in Jamaica .
Is there something of yourself you get to express through drag ?
Jarett : Art , Sugar . Art ! Making the costumes , styling the wigs , painting the face . I did and do it all myself . And it was recognized as art when I was invited to be part of the Alma Blou 20th anniversary art gallery exposition in Curaçao . Among many of Curacao ’ s great artists , I presented as a living blank canvas on the opening night . Guests were then invited to spray paint my dress .
What has Pepper been doing since your move back to the Netherlands ?
Jarett : Not much . Some bingo nights and the occasional