Kween Kong Interview Story
Kween Kong: From Rugby to Runway
Thomas Fonua, also known as Kween Kong, got her start as a buff Rugby player but later swapped the cleats for a pair of stilettos. Most known for her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race: Down Under, Kween Kong also received the New Zealand Prime Minister's Pacific Youth Award for Arts and Creativity in 2014. Throughout her career, she has gained national recognition as one of the most talented performers in the Down Under region. When I asked how she chose her name and what it meant to her, she gave a great answer on how she reappropriated a harmful stereotype and turned it into an admirable quality of her drag persona.
She answered, “I used to play Rugby in school, and I was this big buff guy who was obviously gay. So they called me Kween Kong as opposed to King Kong, not only because I was a person of color but because I was gay. It always stuck with me, but I guess it was a way for me to turn around that sort of harmful stereotype towards people of color, and it’s part of what I love to do.”
Kong discussed how her culture could be seen in her drag. She has openly celebrated her Samoan and Tongan culture and incorporated it into her looks and dance routines, but the drag community hasn’t always supported it. In Australia, prejudice is more common and can be seen more frequently than in America. It’s particularly noticeable in the drag community, with many queens often dressing in offensive attire and contributing to harmful stereotypes.
She says about her drag, “I always make sure to include some references and support my community on the stage and whenever I’m on the mic. I always think it’s important to make use of the communities around you. I’ve faced prejudice in Australia; mainly white queens lead the drag communities here. I experienced what we in Australia call ‘tall poppy syndrome,’ and many other queens were trying to cut me down. I eventually decided just to do my own thing and, like Beyonce says, ‘own your masters.’”
With her culture expressed through drag, the Pasifika community has shown to be supportive, and the representation provided by Kween Kong is a grand leap compared to what’s been received in the past.
“People in my community have been very supportive and proud to see themselves reflected in what I do. In Pasifika culture, we admire anyone who goes out there and does something to make a difference. Of course, some groups in the community may disapprove of what I do, but I don’t think that’s any of my business.” she stated.
This past year Kween Kong appeared in the cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race, making it to the finale in the top three alongside Spanky Jackson and Hannah Conda. Unfortunately, she did not win, but during the series, she discussed offensive behavior exhibited by queens throughout the region. Fellow cast member Hannah Conda opened up to Kong to apologize for her questionable behavior, assuring her that it didn’t reflect who she is now. The whole cast discussed how common this type of behavior is in the community, and I asked Kong how she handles these situations outside of the coveted Werk Room.
She says, “Here in Australia, there’s a really long history of casual racism because historically speaking, we never had a voice at the table. So black and Brown, Indigenous people of color, were never heard, leading to many white Australians adopting an offensive sense of humor. In all entertainment, our community is often viewed through a ‘white lens,’ and that was how the offensive behavior would spread to the younger generations through programs on television.” She then says, “Silence is violence; I’ve always spoken out against it. At this point, it’s not about simply educating but also holding people accountable. I’ve never been scared of speaking up or the repercussions; it’s much more tolerated nowadays with the Black Lives Matter Movement and all the conversation about gender equality and sexual rights.”
Returning to her roots, I asked Kong how she became familiar with drag and kept in touch with her early career.
She responded by saying, “Drag has always been around me. In my culture, there is a sort of third gender called the ‘Fa'afafine.’ It isn’t really a third gender, but it’s viewed like that by westerners. They are essentially beings of immense talent born outside male and female boundaries. They’re often dressed in fabulous clothes, wigs, nails, makeup, etc. I was always around them in my household, and we appreciated them as these entertainers or higher beings. So drag seemed like a natural way to connect with my inner Fa'afafine. I remind myself every day that I do drag to represent who I am with my platform and the Fa'afafine that came before me.”
Speaking of her platform, having thousands of fans worldwide and even establishing her own “Haus of Kong.” Kween Kong took time out of her busy schedule to let a tenth-grader in high school across continents interview her. She gave me this last piece of advice on using our platforms to express ourselves.
She lastly said to me, “I created the Haus of Kong out of necessity, to help fellow queens or color in an inherently white scene. So I could share this idea of a ‘chosen family’ with people and take them in to live and feel safe around me compared to the alternative, which was working in the streets in dangerous environments. I try my best to communicate in a safe environment on my platforms, and I think the best way to do that yourself is to address the struggle that comes with wanting to pursue your dreams. There will always be hard times, and there will always be these instances where you just want to give up, but the best way to keep yourself heading toward your goal is to remind yourself who or what it’s really for. Whether it’s for yourself, family, or friends, that is what will keep you going. Whatever you decide to do career-wise, you need to ensure you’re not only doing something you love but also understanding why and who it’s for.”
In conducting this interview, my goal was to gain insight from a person with abundant social influence within a marginalized community. Therefore, Queer people must share stories like Kween Kong’s for everyone to absorb. In addition, they could provide much information on the necessary steps to overcome these issues internationally, as prejudice knows no limits. I take great pride in knowing that I could share this story and contribute to the spread of Queer culture and its social impacts. Drag is not a harmful activity, and famously “not a contact sport,” and this interview will hopefully help to fight against that rhetoric.
written by Charlie Perez
