在骄傲月期间，变装皇后Brita Filter的演出预订通常非常繁忙，但今年情况却大相径庭。与往年相比，她收到的企业活动预订量下降了60%，导致她有更多空闲时间。文章探讨了这种变化对Brita职业生涯的影响，以及更广泛的社会和经济因素对LGBTQ+社区活动的影响。

🎤Brita Filter是变装娱乐界知名人士，曾参加《鲁保罗变装皇后秀》。她通常在骄傲月期间演出不断，但今年企业预订量骤减60%。

📉企业对骄傲月的兴趣减弱，一些公司取消或缩减了对纽约市骄傲游行的赞助。这反映了经济不确定性和对政治报复的担忧。

📅Brita讲述了过去几年在骄傲月期间的忙碌经历，以及今年演出锐减的对比。为了维持生计，她更加依赖与网红合作和社区活动。

🌍Brita认为，全球对骄傲月的关注有所减弱，今年的世界骄傲节参与者多为美国人。她还提到了预算变化和企业兴趣的变化。

Brita Filter says her corporate bookings for Pride events have dropped by 60% this year over last year.She's never had this much downtime in June, a typically busy month for gigs and events.She relies on influencer partnerships and community events to sustain her career, which she loves.

Brita Filter, 39, is a household name in drag entertainment. Her popularity went mainstream when she appeared on season 12 of "RuPaul's Drag Race," and she's made appearances on "Saturday Night Live," "Broad City," and "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah."

I first heard of Brita in 2023 when my then-employer, PayPal, was trying to book her for a Pride happy hour near our NYC office. But Google had already booked her for the same coveted time slot: post-work drinks the Thursday before New York City Pride — what Brita says was usually her busiest time of year.

This year, she says her corporate bookings are down by about 60% compared to last year. Another drag entertainer Business Insider spoke to, Holly Box-Springs, said the few June Pride bookings that have come through for her have been last-minute. Corporate interest in Pride is softening elsewhere; around 25% of corporate donors for NYC's Pride parade (taking place Sunday, June 29) have reportedly canceled or scaled back their support, citing economic uncertainty and fear of retribution from the Trump administration.

We asked Brita about how this shift in interest is affecting her career. These are her words, edited for length and clarity.

'I've never had this much downtime in June'

I started doing drag over a decade ago — around the same time as Holly Box-Springs, actually. And I've seen the highs and lows. This year feels especially slow. I've never had this much downtime in June since I started.

All year long, at least twice a month, I fly all over the US to perform — Alabama, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Detroit, Atlanta, Hawaii. Usually I'd fly out on a Thursday, do a show on a Friday or Saturday, and fly back by Sunday for my regular set at a bar in New York City.

But during Pride, drag queens are like Santa Claus during Christmas — everyone wants to book them at the same time.

A typical week leading up to New York City Pride used to be nonstop for me. In 2019, during World Pride, I worked 43 days in a row — no breaks. I was hired by big companies. Some days, I had multiple gigs, back to back. I kept count because it was the year I filmed "RuPaul's Drag Race." In one month alone, I made enough money to buy a brand new Toyota Prius.

This year? I only have eight gigs total for the month. It's a complete 180. I used to have a manager, assistant, and publicist, but I've been doing it on my own for the past two years.

I don't have any corporate bookings at all this year. I'm just working a regular bar shift on the 29th — the day of the Pride parade — at Hardware Bar in Hell's Kitchen, where I perform weekly year-round. This week, I hosted a big activation event in Union Square for National HIV Testing Day. The community events — the more politically-focused or pro-LGBTQ charity events — are still happening, but the corporate big-ticket gigs just aren't there.

'We'll do anything for a comma'

When I was booked solid during World Pride in previous years, I'd take as many gigs as humanly possible. If that meant waking up at 6 a.m. and being in drag until 4 a.m. the next day, I did it. We all did. Sleep, skincare, physical exhaustion — it didn't matter as long as the check had a comma in it. We used to say, "We'll do anything for a comma."

You just pushed through because that kind of money didn't come year-round. July was for recovery.

This year, I'm not taking July off. I might have to work straight through the month. I'll pick up more shows and cover for people who are out of town. Moneywise, I'll have to figure things out; I'm not sure how.

I'm grateful. Because of my situation [being on TV], my rates are higher. I'm given more opportunities and at times bigger checks. I'm working smarter, not harder. About 50% of my income is from influencer partnerships and content creation for private companies that pay me to spread political messaging.

But I'm spending money as soon as it comes in. For every gig, I have to talk to designers, get a new dress, a new wig, take new photos, do new press. Almost everything I make has to go back into the craft because it's all about the look. My entire job is the look. Or I'm spending money on getting 10 dancers, a rehearsal room, a choreographer, costumes — I'm like my own little Broadway show, except I'm the producer, the artistic director, and the star.

'Corporate interest has changed'

A few years ago, Pride was global. You could feel it. People flew in from all over the world. This year's World Pride in D.C. earlier this month didn't feel global at all. It was mostly Americans. I barely met anyone from outside the country. I think a lot of folks are hesitant to come to the US right now.

Things have shifted. Budgets are different. Corporate interest has changed.

But the work that supports the community directly, such as Pride galas — that's still going. That's what's always mattered most to me anyway.