In different ways, Luca’s vision and the drag scene Mati inhabits are both pocket universes: other worlds imagined and brought to life for us, by us. Mati gets practical: transit norms influence how people can show up and move through the world. I can’t think of a single performer I know who doesn’t take a Lyft in Boston-you can deal with one person’s weird look or a whole T car.” “In New York, you can just get on the subway, nobody will blink. In considering what drew my queer self to a place that slumps under the weight of repetitive J. Crew seasons, I reflected on the subcultures that keep me.

There’s a glittering world spooky art performance fans, burlesque-drag hybrids, activist communities, the punk/DIY scene, and so many others. The drag scene feels like an interstitial world flaring up nightly across the city: explorative, creative, curious, and refreshing.