Everyone and their mother—well, definitely father—is familiar with standard 2D porn. But 3D porn? That’s where things get taken to the next level. With recent innovations in virtual reality (VR) technology, there is now an extensive range of VR porn that people love for its incredibly immersive experience.

Although this article will do a lot of describing of the VR experience, there’s really nothing like trying it for yourself! So, without further ado, let’s get to ranking the very best VR porn sites for your pervy pleasure.

Top 17 Virtual Reality Porn Sites of 2022

RankBrandBest For1.VR BangersBest overall2.BaDoink VRBest 5k content3.VirtualRealPornBest user experience4.KinkVRBest BDSM content5.SexLikeRealBest for livestream content6.PornHubVRBest free content7.NaughtyAmericaVRBest exclusive content8.StasyQ VRBest for softcore9.VRB GayBest gay VR content10.WetVRBest new site11.Dark Room VRBest for fantasy content12.18VRBest 18+ teen content13.Wankz VRBest for newbies14.MILF VRBest mature content15.Virtual TabooBest á la carte content16.VRCosplayXBest cosplay content17.VR LatinaBest Latina VR

1. VR Bangers

VR Bangers is a 100% VR-focused site and one of the first in the area, so it’s no surprise that they’re among the best. You’re also not likely to get tired of their content for two main reasons:

They have a huge variety of categories with numerous titles in each oneTheir content is frequently updated, with usually two or three new scenes per week at least

Plus, the newly added scenes are always super-high quality, even featuring some 6K-resolution videos. There’s also a nice blend of conventional one-on-one content as well as multiple-partner scenes. Adding to the overall excellent variety is a choice of 180- or 360-degree viewpoints.

Like most sites, you can opt for a monthly, yearly, or even lifetime package, with a standard price range compared to other VR sites.

One bonus is that you get access to a VR porn game no matter which tier you buy.

The only major downside applies to iPhone users—if you want to use your phone, you’ll be out of luck as the site is currently only Android-compatible right now.

Pros

Tons of categoriesA variety of perspectivesIncludes porn gamesBoth 1-on-1 and threesomes, etc.

Cons

Android-only compatibilityNot teledildonic supported

Compatible With

Oculus Rift/RiftSOculus GoOculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRHTC ViveGear VRMicrosoft MRDaydreamAndroidiOS

2. BaDoink VR

BaDoink VR is another one of the premier VR porn sites, which makes sense as it’s one of the longest running. Some older content is in lower resolution, but all the new and recent uploads are 5K (or even higher).

BaDoink scores points for having one of the easiest sites to navigate, making it a breeze to make your way through their huge library of content. Making use of their sorting options, filters, and tags means that you can get to exactly what you want in no time—and hey, sometimes you’re trying to get in a quick sesh, let’s be honest.

Another big bonus is access to their other affiliated sites, like VRCosplayX, for example (a BDSM focused site). This really helps boost the overall value of your subscription.

When it comes to buying that subscription, however, you might need to spend a few minutes figuring out how you want to do it.

First, there’s only credit card or PayPal, so you’ll be out of luck if you were hoping to pay by Bitcoin or an alternative method.

Second, the pricing is a little weird—while you can get a 3-day trial for just $1 (cool, right?), you end up paying more if you actually sign up (ehh, actually kind of lame).

Pros

Mainly high-quality (5K) contentUser-friendly siteSister-site accessTons of exclusive content

Cons

Be careful when it comes to billingCredit card / PayPal only

Compatible With

Oculus Rift/RiftSOculus GoOculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRHTC ViveGear VRMicrosoft MRDaydreamCardboard

3. Virtual Real Porn

Virtual Real Porn is another one of the most user-friendly sites, which is always a big plus. They also have one of the largest libraries with over 400 scenes.

In addition to the usual array of categories, there are also some fetish ones like for foot fetish types—yeah, we’re looking at you, Quentin Tarantino.

You also won’t likely have to worry about your VR headset’s compatibility with Virtual Real Porn—the site supports Vive, Oculus, Gear VR, and all the most popular headsets.

There’s even a cool feature that remembers your preferred headset—so, tell them yours is Oculus and now they’ll only show Oculus-compatible content.

As with BaDoink VR, Virtual Real Porn wins major points for its user-friendly site. Since they store your settings, it’s extra easy to find videos that suit your preferences. Plus, movies come with a recommended viewing position, making things even easier.

For the moment, the content is largely 180-degree 4K videos, but they’re starting to expand to content with a wider field-of-view. This kind of innovation is promising as it means they’re committed to keeping up with the rest of the pack.

The biggest downside is that there’s no free trial option. Somewhat making up for this, though, is a relatively inexpensive 5-day trial. There’s also a streaming-only subscription that comes in at a cheaper price than the regular subscription that gives you access to all their scenes.

Pros

Super user-friendly sitePreferences are savedWorks with most of the popular headsetsOverall one of the best bang-for-your-buck sites (see what we did there?)

Cons

No free trial optionNo sister-site access

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

4. KinkVR

If you’re on the kinkier side—especially the more extreme kinky side—you can fully embrace it with KinkVR. The site is loaded with hardcore BDSM, and you’ll find some of the most popular porn stars in not only fetish porn but mainstream porn as well.

There are a huge number of categories, so you should be well covered no matter what your kink or kinks are. All the BDSM mainstays are here: bondage, master/slave, torture, etc.

Although the site has a much smaller content library than many sites reviewed here, every single video is exclusive, helping boost the overall value. And helping offset this smaller library is the addition of two new scenes per week, always shot in 4 or 5K.

Another big plus for KinkVR is its low pricing—monthly passes come in around ten bucks and a yearly membership means even more savings at less than $100.

As with all these sites, there’s one thing that holds back KinkVR from being truly excellent, and that is its slow download speeds, which can be a major boner-killer (literally).

Pros

Perfect for all you kink-lords (and queens) out thereTons of exclusive, super-extreme contentCheap compared to other sitesEmphasis on VR immersion

Cons

Smaller content librarySluggish downloading

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOS

5. SexLikeReal

SexLikeReal isn’t its own studio but an aggregator—that is, it compiles scenes from multiple studios.

On the plus side, this means that they have a huge variety of VR content. As you might expect, there are lots of categories and these are conveniently sortable by resolution, softcore/hardcore, teledildonic-supported, and other features.

This is also one of the few sites to feature livestreaming VR content, which is still somewhat of a rarity while the technology gains traction.

SexLikeReal also scores major points for its bevy of super-high-quality stuff, even up to 6K. For porn connoisseurs after more of a cinematic experience, they also have hour-long videos. And for the guy trying to squeeze one out before Econ 101, there are ten-minute scenes as well, so there’s really something for everyone and every situation with SexLikeReal.

Another perk of this aggregator is their flexibility in terms of accessing content. You can opt for pay-per-view or choose to subscribe. Although an expensive site relative to most, SexLikeReal does offer a lot of value.

Porn enthusiasts who might hanker for exclusive content will be a little disappointed in that respect. Many of their scenes can be had for cheaper elsewhere, but SexLikeReal does provide a convenient “one-stop-shop” for VR content.

Pros

Literally thousands of VR videosPay-per-view or subscriptionExtensive weekly updatesLivestreaming VR content

Cons

Quite pricy relative to other sitesMostly non-exclusive content

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboard

6. PornHubVR

Everyone knows PornHub as it’s the world’s largest and most name-dropped porn site. As you might expect, they’ve been working to stay up with the latest in VR offerings.

While VR was formerly an exclusive feature of their premium package, PornHub has since started offering free VR content. One drawback with these is that you’ll have ads unless you pony up the cash for the premium membership (the ads aren’t all that bad, though).

Unlike VR Bangers, PornHub works with both iOS and Android phones, making this a more accessible option. Plus, you can count on the same interface that you’re used to with the original PornHub.

Compared to an aggregator like SexLikeReal, however, or even other standard VR sites, Pornhub VR does lack in variety and overall number of videos. Plus, some viewers report perspective issues while streaming, so it’s probably best to take the time to download what you watch.

Pros

Fewer ads than many sitesGood selection of free contentBoth Android and iOS compatible

Cons

Weaker selection than many sitesOccasional perspective issues

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

7. NaughtyAmericaVR

NaughtyAmericaVR takes advantage of their status as one of the best studios out there to deliver high-quality VR content. For exclusive-hungry viewers, they have more than 400 exclusive scenes, with many of them coming in at over forty minutes!

In addition, their scenes—of which there are at least two new ones per week—are usually filmed with the biggest names in porn, like Aidra Fox and Adriana Chechik.

Plus, you get to appreciate them in either 4 or 5K, with all the newer content shot in 5K. Unfortunately, the high quality does come with a cost—slow download speeds. A nice feature that somewhat offsets this issue is the inclusion of high-res photos.

Another nice aspect of NaughtyAmericaVR is the ability to chip in extra money for access to seven sister sites (the caveat being you must purchase a twelve-month subscription). There’s also an impressive flexibility in how you can purchase your subscription, like using Bitcoin or even giving up unused gift cards!

Perhaps the most frustrating drawback to NaughtyAmericaVR is their site’s poor user friendliness. Finding your exact preference can take a while compared to other sites, but admittedly they help make up for it with such top-tier content.

Pros

Tons of 5K scenesThe biggest names in pornLots of VR categories and exclusive contentA number of payment options

Cons

Sluggish downloadingNot the most user-friendly site

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

8. StasyQ VR

StasyQ VR is a pleasant change of pace from the usual steady stream of hardcore videos. You can think of their site instead like a private strip club.

Not any strip club though—a very high-end one, as they only select the most gorgeous models.

Although you won’t get to see any intercourse, StasyQ VR offers a unique, more intimate experience. This is in large part thanks to the binaural sound they offer, which enhances the already-more-intimate feel of VR porn to begin with.

One downside, in addition to their relatively small library, is the fact that StasyQ costs about the same as regular hardcore VR sites. It’s more forgivable, though, when you consider their super-high production value.

Pros

A nice softcore optionStunning modelsElegant aestheticHigh-quality (binaural) sound

Cons

No intercourseSmall library

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboard

9. VRB Gay

There aren’t a ton of gay-only VR sites, so VRB Gay wins points for that alone. It’s also a sister site to VR Bangers, so it makes sense that the production quality is similarly elite.

Unfortunately, you can’t get a package for both VR Gay and VR Bangers, as you might expect, which might disappoint some bisexuals out there. Another downside is that the catalog is relatively small, with fewer than 100 videos.

Making up for this shortage in scenes, though, is an emphasis on extreme quality and content featuring some of the most notable models around.

Like its sister site, VR Bangers, VRB Gay is user friendly, with plenty of filters for quickly finding what you’re into. Another nice touch is the fact that videos are 2D-friendly, meaning you can still benefit from their high-quality content if you don’t happen to have your headset with you—and hey, who hasn’t gotten off away from home base?

Pros

Only super-high-quality contentVery user-friendly site

Cons

Small libraryNot teledildonic supported

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

10. WetVR

WetVR is from the Tiny4K studio, which made a name for itself with high-quality videos. You can thus expect the same insistence on high-res video from this site.

A downside of that, though, is that it may not be as suitable for people with weaker internet speeds or lack of storage for downloading video.

You might also be frustrated that there’s no video preview because you could end up downloading a video that you wouldn’t have if you had gotten a preview first. On the plus side, their download speeds tend to be good as long as your internet is.

All around though, WetVR offers super-high-quality content with household—well, maybe frat-household—names. Nothing is extreme hardcore, but it’s all tasteful and a must for anyone who loves to see their favorite porn stars slathered in oil.

Pros

Best newcomerStrong industry tiesGood download speeds

Cons

No video previews5K only

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

11. Dark Room VR

Dark Room VR offers a more authentic experience with their content. You won’t find all that many bleach-blonde actresses sporting fake smiles and moans.

Instead, Dark Room VR promises more realistic scenes with high production value. They also feature some of the most gorgeous European models.

Another big perk to Dark Room VR is their free previews, which allow you to make a better call on whether you want to shell out for a subscription. Plus, you can download and stream their videos at different resolutions, so if you’re having trouble with streaming or download speeds you can simply dial it down.

A high-quality site overall, two small downsides to Dark Room VR are its lack of crypto payment and relatively small library compared to other sites.

Pros

More realistic productions100% exclusive contentFree previewsDownload at different resolutions

Cons

No crypto paymentsSmaller library

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

12. 18VR

A sister site of BaDoink VR, 18VR offers similarly top-tier quality. This is a site to throw on your shortlist if you’re into nasty, slutty girls. There are lesbian, anal, threesome, even gangbang videos.

The quality is all POV, 5K, and featuring binaural audio plus a full 360-degree perspective. Even better, their videos work with almost all manner of VR headsets and toys.

One downside, as with other 5K-only sites, is that you may have issues if you’re experiencing slow internet speeds or lack a lot of space for higher-quality downloads.

Pros

Videos compatible with all VR devicesFree Google Cardboard includedOne free video download

Cons

Exclusively 5K videos

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

13. Wankz VR

Wankz VR is a great site for beginners as there is helpful content such as tutorials and a user community that provides useful feedback.

Wankz VR also wins points for its ease-of-use, especially on mobile. They also are on the forefront of innovation in terms of teledildonics, so you can enjoy nearly two hundred scenes synced up to your preferred sex toy.

While the site does accept a solid variety of payment options, the lifetime membership is quite costly compared to other sites. Plus, certain categories remain unavailable with the regular subscription options, which is honestly annoying.

Pros

Huge selectionRelatively low costFree previewsLots of teledildonic-supported scenes

Cons

Requires lifetime subscription to access sister sitesLifetime subscription is pricy

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRiOSAndroid

14. MILF VR

MILF VR is one of the top VR sites for mature content. If that’s your thing, you don’t really need to look any further.

It’s a premium site too in that it offers up to 8K resolution on select videos. There’s also a streaming option in case you’d rather stream than download.

Another nice feature is that you gain access to some fourteen other VR sites, which will help keep you busy should you want to venture away from all those MILFs.

One drawback of MILF VR is its library featuring a lot of remastered videos. Even though they’ve been “remastered,” the quality won’t quite be the same as with the more recentlyshot content.

Pros

Super-high-quality videosAccess to a bunch of VR sister sitesNearly 200 original videos

Cons

Many of the videos are older remastered onesSome of the actresses are rather young

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

15. Virtual Taboo

Virtual Taboo ranks among our top overall sites for its impressive quality and staying on the cusp of VR porn innovations like 7K resolution at 60fps, binaural audio, and 180-degree POVs.

All these features make Virtual Taboo among the most immersive experiences. It’s also very reasonably priced considering how high the overall value is.

One downside, however, is that your subscription is only good for content on the Virtual Taboo site. But while you won’t get other content, you’re likely to be satisfied with theirs given their consistent high-quality content and three weekly updates.

Pros

Super-high-quality videosFrequent updatesUnlimited streaming

Cons

No sister site-content

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

16. VRCosplayX

If you’re the kind of person who plans on going to Comic-Con every year, you’re probably going to appreciate what you’ll find at VRCosplayX. They really stick to their niche, so this site will only be for you if you’re into cosplay porn.

If so, you’re going to love the highly immersive VR experience that they deliver. As part of the BaDoink VR umbrella, you not only get access to BaDoink but can also count on the same high production value.

Unfortunately, VRCosplayX loses some points for maxing out at 5K, having a relatively small library, and the inability to save favorites—honestly, it seems like it would be such an easy feature to incorporate!

Pros

Free Google Cardboard includedAccess to BaDoink VRRelatively inexpensive

Cons

Maxes out at 5KLimited number of scenesCan’t save favorites

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

17. VR Latina

Last but not least, VR Latina offers some incredible Latinas like Veronica Leal, brought to life through the magic of VR. This site has high-quality 5K content as well, plus reasonable pricing.

The ability to purchase a single video for $2.99 as a tester before subscribing is a nice feature. In our humble opinion, more sites should offer free or inexpensive tester videos like this so would-be subscribers really know what they’re paying for.

Something that may detract from the experience is that the scenes tend to be in Spanish. So, if you don’t know Spanish and care about the dialogue, you’ll probably feel like you’re missing out. But hey, talk about a creative way to learn Spanish, right?

Another small downside is the relatively small library that VR Latina offers. Given that this is a niche site, though, it’s understandable.

Pros

High-quality 5K contentStunning Latina actressesReasonable pricing

Cons

Relatively small libraryMainly Spanish dialogue

Compatible With

Oculus Quest/Quest 2PSVRGear VRCardboardiOSAndroid

Our ranking criteria

Here are the criteria that we kept in mind for our reviews of these different VR porn sites, so it’s helpful for you to understand them.

Overall selection

You need to factor in quantity and quality of the site’s scenes.

Oftentimes sites charge around the same amount, but one might have only a tenth of the video library that the other has. The other site, however, might have ten times the production value.

So, it depends on what appeals to you most: quantity, or quality? Ideally, you can find a site that has both.

Compatibility

What VR device(s) do you have? Will it work with the content (or most of the content) on a given site? It’s best to do your research to ensure that your headset will be compatible and, while you’re at it, that your smartphone operating system will be as well.

Price

VR Porn is a premium experience and, as such, it carries a premium in terms of cost. There’s really no way of getting around it. That said, you can aim for sites that will bundle content with sister sites or opt for an aggregator to maximize the content you get.

Also, if you go with a lifetime subscription, you probably want to stick to well-established studios so you don’t end up losing out on money (and new content) down the road.

Resolution

VR quality is not necessarily the same quality as you get on your TV. It’s still a fairly new technology, after all (at least in its most current form).

4K is the new standard, with some sites offering up to 8K. This carries a premium, however, in terms of cost, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it to you.

Wrapping up

If you’re ready to enter the brave new world of VR porn, you’ll have a good head start with this guide. Don’t be afraid to take a little time before you invest your money into a subscription, particularly an annual or lifetime one.

Take account of the various factors above to ensure you settle on something that you’ll be plenty happy with. After all, why compromise that special alone time?

Either way, though, you’ll be in good shape with the high-quality offerings from these sites.

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For the first time since a pandemic hiatus, The Fly Honey Show is live for three days only of sparkle, sweat, and shimmy. Begun in 2010 with about 30 performers in the living room of the DIY venue The Inconvenience, The Fly Honey Show has since manifested through the bodies of hundreds of dancers, musicians, spoken word artists, and more, migrating from warehouse to nightclub to theater as the hunger for the Honeys and the collective buzz of the Hive has grown ever hotter. Now in its 12th year, the Fly Honeys appear for the first time at Thalia Hall, with music by Chicago artists Glitter Moneyyy,Maggie Kubley, Jana Rush, and Shannon Matesky.

The Fly Honey Show 
Thu-Sat 6/23-6/25, doors 8:30 PM, show 9:30 PM (midnight toast and afterparty); Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport, theflyhoneyshow.com, $40-$175.

“I fundamentally believe in the value of dance as a tool for physical liberation and healing and storytelling,” says founder and director Erin Kilmurray. “This is that idea exploded out to the universe—huge, very loud, and with a lot of glitter. Fly Honey is a project, where every time you come back to it, you as a person and artist can evolve and grow and re-identify inside of it. My relationship to my body, just like everyone’s, changes minute by minute and day by day. Every time I come back to this project I’m a year older. The ways in which I want to express and be seen have evolved. And in the best way possible, the people who watch and the people inside tell us what it is every year. Over the years, people inside the project started taking ownership over what they loved. It has created its own culture.”

“I’ll never forget my first show,” says multimedia performance artist Kubley, who has sung every year since its inception and serves as vocal director this year. “I was supercharged by this burlesque atmosphere that had this punk flare to it. These kids lived in a communal living situation in a loft. The show was a bunch of girls taking their tops off. It was like, ‘You want to sexualize me? Fuck you, I’m going to sexualize myself. You can’t stop me.’ I was hooked. I have stayed with the show because, as feminism changes, as people become smarter and more responsible and double down on inclusion, equality, and diversity, it not only teaches me but energizes me to become a better person and light that fire in me that I want when I make art. It’s hot, sweaty, sexy fun but it’s so much more than that.”

“The mission was always about body positivity and women’s empowerment,” says Matesky, poet and founding Fly Honey artist. “It empowers all bods, no matter what your bod, using movement as a catalyst for change in your own life. The first year we had negative responses about us being scantily clad. We are reminding people, I don’t lose value because of what I wear. It’s been beautiful to see how much the community responds to the show—not just audience but participants. We sometimes think maybe we’re getting too old for this; maybe we should slow down or stop. But there’s a need for the fellowship that the Hive brings and the opportunity to harness our liberation.”

“Every time a person is allowed to express themselves fully is resistance work,” says comedian Melissa DuPrey, who is cohosting the show this year. “It is combatting all the ways the patriarchy and porn, which is so male-centered, has oppressed our thinking of what pleasure is. I consider myself a pleasure activist.”

“One of our favorite memories was hearing the band play a mashup of our songs ‘Hoe’ and ‘Clit’ and having all the Fly Honeys screaming ‘CLIT CLIT CLIT CLIT’ back at us while we twerked,” says hip-hop duo Glitter Moneyyy. “Fly Honey has inspired us since day one to let it all hang out.”

“Forms of self-expression are acts of defiance against a world that wants us all to conform, homogenize, assimilate,” says drag artist Irregular Girl, a Fly Honey performer since 2017. “Dance, and in particular, dancing in your own light, celebrating your own spirit, is a gift that performance and nightlife give us. There is freedom in it. As a trans girl, it’s impossible for me to feel safe and secure in myself 100 percent of the time. The world has shown me that it’s a scary place for a lot of us. But I know that when I am performing, when I’m dancing, I am at peace.”

“I’ve been in Fly Honey since I was 22,” says singer/songwriter and longtime performer Quinn Tsan, who is coproducing the show this year. “It shaped my entrance into adulthood. I came out of an abusive relationship a little bit after I started the show. It made me feel more interested in the issues the show champions and interested in championing those issues with a larger organism of people and material and art-making. It was really fucking fun, and it pushed us to be more active and louder in the political and cultural space.”

Sawyer Smith lifts Quinn Tsan during a past Fly Honey Show. Eric Strom/GlitterGuts

“Seeing, and now performing with, so many beautiful and talented artists of all colors, genders, shapes, and sizes, really makes me feel seen and right at home,” says first-time Fly Honey performer Diamond Gant. “Dance is a big part of my life and as a Black, plus-size, female artist, this world and industry can definitely be narrow in how talent and beauty is seen in someone who looks like me. Despite the challenges that come, I’ve always pushed forward because I know that dancing and performing is one thing I was put on this earth to do, and the impact that I want to make through it is much bigger than myself. Joining the Fly Honeys on the stage feels like a moment to celebrate all of us being unapologetically ourselves and doing what we love despite how this world may feel about us!”

“I had no idea that this enigma of an experience had been happening for years. Then having my mind blown witnessing the Fly Honeys for the first time. I remember thinking about how badly I want to be a part of this community, not just a spectator,” says associate producer Vic Wynter, who has performed with the ensemble. (Wynter is also directing About Face Youth Theatre’s Gayme Changersthis month.) “There has been an open invitation to assist in how the show is getting shaped, shared, and structured, and I’ve appreciated the space I’ve been given to speak and be heard. I have felt genuinely valued from the moment I saw my first show, to being on stage, and now working behind the scenes.”

“The project at the end of the day is, we want to feel fly,” says Kilmurray. “We want to, and we want the people who are watching to see us that way, and we want the people watching to feel that way themselves. It’s hard to be in your body and feel good about it. When do you not want to feel that way? There’s a need to be in some kind of fellowship around feeling yourself—there’s pretty much never enough of that. People are continuing to do the project, people are experiencing their bodies change, people voluntarily change, people go through transitions in their bodies. To come back into this space and be seen as an updated version of yourself is pretty amazing.”

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Despite its experimental environment, Chicago’s drag world entered the pandemic with a lack of labor protections. COVID-19 exacerbated economic hardships, especially for queer performers of color who have dealt with the discriminatory practices of club culture. With Asian drag performers often left out of conversations about representation, forming a labor union may improve the city’s drag scene.

“I feel like Asian Americans aren’t really desired,” says Markiki Jones, a rising Filipino American queen from Skokie. 

To establish a stable career in the city, Jones says she’s trying to book as many shows as she can. But she says she feels Asian performers “don’t fit the beauty standard within the gay community.” 

Some performers are pointing to the lack of Asian American queer spaces. “I need people to blatantly know what they’re not doing,” says Laotian American queen Lo•ti•on (LOH ty-awn).

Lo•ti•on was born in Wisconsin, lived in Humboldt Park for seven years, and moved to Austin, Texas, two weeks ago. She started performing nearly ten years ago. But she says she still struggles to book consistent shows because “there’s no union.” She questions whether show producers are only booking their friends, rather than providing more opportunities for diverse faces. 

Since the Asian drag community is growing, Lo•ti•on says, “I need something for us to network more and get to know each other and support each other.”

Abhijeet is a Chicago-based queen from Mumbai who hosts Dim Sum & Drag brunches at Uptown’s Furama Restaurant to elevate Asian performers. She started this monthly event after noticing a need to celebrate Asian diversity in the drag world. 

Many issues manifest in microaggressions, Abhijeet says. Drag show hosts “would often be like, ‘You should rethink your song choices,’ if you’re performing music in a different language.”

Abhijeet sees merit in a union because “it’s much easier to advocate for workplace mistreatment or inequality if you are represented by a group.” But with drag shows expanding to hotels and restaurants, she says conversations about workers’ rights should be had with the venues. “How does having a drag union translate to places that aren’t even familiar with drag?” Abhijeet says.

Issues like pay inequity and marginalization impact all queens and kings of color. Because of the gig-to-gig work style, performers are left without health insurance or paid sick leave. 

“What do you do when you hurt your foot and then you can’t perform? There goes your income, but then you also can’t go to the doctor,” says Luv Ami, a drag king from Lakeview who is Black and Vietnamese American.

According to a 2020 report by the Economic Policy Institute, 94 percent of union workers have access to job-related health coverage; only 68 percent of nonunion workers have access to similar health care benefits. Considering union contracts also prevent employers from dismissing workers for reasons unrelated to performance, they can help reduce racial disparities.

Union workers also earn $191 more per week than nonunion workers, according to the American Federation of Labor.

Some performers have noticed differences in tips. “Drag queens get tipped a lot more than kings,” Luv Ami says. 

When performing at clubs, “a lot of people don’t know etiquette when it comes to being at a drag show, especially when it comes to consent and touching,” Luv Ami says. Before getting top surgery, they sometimes performed in a bra and a pair of pants. “People just felt like they could come up and touch my boobs without asking permission,” Luv Ami says. 

Many bars and nightclubs also underpay their performers, says Chicago-born Filipino American drag king Mac K. Roni. For a two-number show, he says he gets paid between $100-$175, excluding tips, which aren’t always guaranteed.

“If you’re doing full-time drag, you should absolutely be able to access health insurance, you should have all these benefits,” Mac K. Roni says. “You should be able to have regular bookings instead of fighting for a spot.” 

But despite unstable wages, Mac K. Roni says he’s noticing a positive progression towards diverse representation. He attributes the increase in opportunities for performers of color to the departure of T Rex, a former drag host who was dropped by Berlin Nightclub and Roscoe’s Tavern in 2020 after several Black performers accused her of discriminatory abuse, pay inequity, and unfair hiring, as reported by the Reader.

Her dismissal was prompted by a virtual town hall meeting organized by the Chicago Black Drag Council (CBDC), where performers recounted experiences that revealed a lingering, anti-Blackness culture in Northhalsted’s drag scene.

CBDC is a Black, LGBTQ+ community organization “motivated by fostering a sense of togetherness, as well as identifying and completing actionable steps towards restorative justice,” according to their mission statement. 

Though CBDC supports all community members, its focus is on Black performers. Asian performers don’t have a drag council geared toward their specific needs.  

The Black Drag Council is on hiatus while they determine what the drag scene now looks like after bars and nightclubs reopened last summer, says Luv Ami, who is a cofounder of CBDC. 

Luv Ami says the council has talked about a possible labor union, but “it is a lot of work to do, especially a lot of unpaid labor.”

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Despite its experimental environment, Chicago’s drag world entered the pandemic with a lack of labor protections. COVID-19 exacerbated economic hardships, especially for queer performers of color who have dealt with the discriminatory practices of club culture. With Asian drag performers often left out of conversations about representation, forming a labor union may improve the city’s drag scene.

“I feel like Asian Americans aren’t really desired,” says Markiki Jones, a rising Filipino American queen from Skokie. 

To establish a stable career in the city, Jones says she’s trying to book as many shows as she can. But she says she feels Asian performers “don’t fit the beauty standard within the gay community.” 

Some performers are pointing to the lack of Asian American queer spaces. “I need people to blatantly know what they’re not doing,” says Laotian American queen Lo•ti•on (LOH ty-awn).

Lo•ti•on was born in Wisconsin, lived in Humboldt Park for seven years, and moved to Austin, Texas, two weeks ago. She started performing nearly ten years ago. But she says she still struggles to book consistent shows because “there’s no union.” She questions whether show producers are only booking their friends, rather than providing more opportunities for diverse faces. 

Since the Asian drag community is growing, Lo•ti•on says, “I need something for us to network more and get to know each other and support each other.”

Abhijeet is a Chicago-based queen from Mumbai who hosts Dim Sum & Drag brunches at Uptown’s Furama Restaurant to elevate Asian performers. She started this monthly event after noticing a need to celebrate Asian diversity in the drag world. 

Many issues manifest in microaggressions, Abhijeet says. Drag show hosts “would often be like, ‘You should rethink your song choices,’ if you’re performing music in a different language.”

Abhijeet sees merit in a union because “it’s much easier to advocate for workplace mistreatment or inequality if you are represented by a group.” But with drag shows expanding to hotels and restaurants, she says conversations about workers’ rights should be had with the venues. “How does having a drag union translate to places that aren’t even familiar with drag?” Abhijeet says.

Issues like pay inequity and marginalization impact all queens and kings of color. Because of the gig-to-gig work style, performers are left without health insurance or paid sick leave. 

“What do you do when you hurt your foot and then you can’t perform? There goes your income, but then you also can’t go to the doctor,” says Luv Ami, a drag king from Lakeview who is Black and Vietnamese American.

According to a 2020 report by the Economic Policy Institute, 94 percent of union workers have access to job-related health coverage; only 68 percent of nonunion workers have access to similar health care benefits. Considering union contracts also prevent employers from dismissing workers for reasons unrelated to performance, they can help reduce racial disparities.

Union workers also earn $191 more per week than nonunion workers, according to the American Federation of Labor.

Some performers have noticed differences in tips. “Drag queens get tipped a lot more than kings,” Luv Ami says. 

When performing at clubs, “a lot of people don’t know etiquette when it comes to being at a drag show, especially when it comes to consent and touching,” Luv Ami says. Before getting top surgery, they sometimes performed in a bra and a pair of pants. “People just felt like they could come up and touch my boobs without asking permission,” Luv Ami says. 

Many bars and nightclubs also underpay their performers, says Chicago-born Filipino American drag king Mac K. Roni. For a two-number show, he says he gets paid between $100-$175, excluding tips, which aren’t always guaranteed.

“If you’re doing full-time drag, you should absolutely be able to access health insurance, you should have all these benefits,” Mac K. Roni says. “You should be able to have regular bookings instead of fighting for a spot.” 

But despite unstable wages, Mac K. Roni says he’s noticing a positive progression towards diverse representation. He attributes the increase in opportunities for performers of color to the departure of T Rex, a former drag host who was dropped by Berlin Nightclub and Roscoe’s Tavern in 2020 after several Black performers accused her of discriminatory abuse, pay inequity, and unfair hiring, as reported by the Reader.

Her dismissal was prompted by a virtual town hall meeting organized by the Chicago Black Drag Council (CBDC), where performers recounted experiences that revealed a lingering, anti-Blackness culture in Northhalsted’s drag scene.

CBDC is a Black, LGBTQ+ community organization “motivated by fostering a sense of togetherness, as well as identifying and completing actionable steps towards restorative justice,” according to their mission statement. 

Though CBDC supports all community members, its focus is on Black performers. Asian performers don’t have a drag council geared toward their specific needs.  

The Black Drag Council is on hiatus while they determine what the drag scene now looks like after bars and nightclubs reopened last summer, says Luv Ami, who is a cofounder of CBDC. 

Luv Ami says the council has talked about a possible labor union, but “it is a lot of work to do, especially a lot of unpaid labor.”

Read More