Wang Newton
Wang Newton (born Mei-yin) is a professional drag king and Asian LGBT figure whilst running "Wang TV" on YouTube.[1][2] They were featured in a 2021 New York Times article by Frank DeCaro profiling notable American drag kings.[3] Performing since 2004, "Dr. Wang" is one of the few full-time drag king performers with an international profile.[4] Their name is a reference to Las Vegas singer Wayne Newton.[5]
Early life
[edit]Wang was born in Taiwan but grew up in midwest America, mostly in central Pennsylvania.[1] In the era before RuPaul's Drag Race aired in 2009, Wang started to explore their masculinity and first performed as a drag king at friends' parties. Their debut was on Halloween night in Philadelphia in 2004.[2][6]
Career
[edit]Wang does shows internationally most notably in Taiwan, Berlin, Los Angeles and New York City.[7] Starting in 2020, Wang Newton co-produced an online monthly performance series called Sacred Wounds featuring Asian drag artists.[8] In December 2020, Wang Newton participated in an advocacy campaign called #DragForAllFlavors that was organized by PepsiCo sparkling water brand bubly and the LGBTQ+ elder services organization SAGE.[9]
In 2025, Wang was one of the permanent judges on the King of Drag competition show that aired on Revry.[10]
Wang is represented by the leading Diversity and LGBTQ+ talent agency, LTA INC (Luxe Talent Agency, Inc).
References
[edit]- ^ a b Castañon, Kelsey (2019-06-06). "The Gap of Asian Representation in King Culture". POPSUGAR Beauty UK. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
- ^ a b "Meet Culture-Fucking Drag King Wang Newton". NSFW. 23 May 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
- ^ DeCaro, Frank (4 March 2021). "Drag Kings Are Ready to Rule". The New York Times.
- ^ Factora, James (2022-06-06). "It's Time for RuPaul to Finally Cast Drag Kings". Vice.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-26. Retrieved 2022-07-26.
- ^ "Stories & Insights: Meet Wang Newton". CanvasRebel Magazine. 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ Cortés, Michelle Santiago. "The Best Places To See A Drag Show In NYC, According To The Queens (& Kings!)". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
- ^ Dazed (2017-11-14). "Groundbreaking drag artists who aren't RuPaul". Dazed. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
- ^ "#DragForAll Flavors Crack a Smile with Wang Newton". www.pride.com. 10 December 2020.
- ^ "bubly™ Partners With SAGE And New York City Drag Talent To Slay The Holidays - Bringing Holiday Cheer As Well As Critical Resources To New York City's LGBTQ+ Community". www.prnewswire.com (Press release).
- ^ Shatto, Rachel (2025-06-06). "'King of Drag's Dr. Wang Newton says the kings' moment is now: 'we're no longer chasing approval'". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2025-07-20.
External links
[edit]- "Cheeky Drag King Wang Newton: actor, emcee, comedic persona". wangnewton.com. Retrieved 2019-06-26.
- Chang, Joy YT. "Wang Newton: a drag king in a world of queens." Video interview. South China Morning Post. 25 November 2019.
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