Meet Manny Dingo, the magnetic drag king redefining Black masculinity on stage

Written By Daniel Birnbaum

Manny Dingo is just one of the many extraordinary subjects featured in the fourth season of Canada's a Drag, a docu-series from CBC Arts that shines a light on some of this country's drag heroes.

Manny Dingo is a queer, Black drag king who wants his work to confront stereotypes. His performances — which fuse vulnerability with Manny's exceptional skills as both a gymnast and a voguer — have an undeniable force, as does his philosophy behind it.

"Black men get masculinized a lot," Manny says. "And they're not allowed to reach in for their femininity. And I grew up around a lot of men that embrace their femininity, whether or not they really knew it."

Originally from Nova Scotia, Manny moved to Toronto in 2019, where he's been performing ever since. That's where we had the privilege of showcasing him on an episode of Canada's a Drag, which you can watch in all its glory here:

Daniel Birnbaum
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