Finding Freedom Through Drag Kinging | Jules Billington
Apr 02, 2026
There’s a kind of jealousy we don’t like to admit.
Not the loud kind. The quiet kind. The kind that shows up as irritation. Judgement. A reaction that feels bigger than the moment.
And sometimes, if you sit with it long enough, it reveals something else entirely.
What if that feeling isn’t rejection… but recognition?
What if the thing you resist is actually pointing you toward yourself?
Watch or Listen
You can listen to the full episode here
Chapters in this episode:
00:00 Welcome to The Kings of Joy Show
01:32 Jealousy and gender tension
05:48 Performing arts and identity constraints
09:40 First experience of they/them pronouns
13:20 Discovering Drag Kinging
18:05 Creating Golden Boy Brad
22:40 First Kings of Joy performance
27:10 Following freedom and gender affirmation
32:30 Queer identity and performance integration
What You’ll Hear
• The moment jealousy revealed something deeper
• Gender constraints inside drama school training
• First experience of they/them pronouns in performance
• Creating Golden Boy Brad from scratch
• Performing masculinity in a safe group space
• Following freedom through gender-affirming choices
• Bridging queer identity and professional work
• What a thriving Drag King scene really needs
The Story
Jules Billington didn’t arrive at Drag Kinging through certainty.
It started with something far less comfortable.
“Irritation. Jealousy.”
Watching other people claim their gender. Watching them use they or them. Watching them take up space in ways that hadn’t been available before.
And instead of feeling inspired, something in Jules pushed back.
Why would you do that?
Why would you choose that?
But underneath that reaction was something harder to ignore.
Interest. Curiosity. Desire.
Because Jules came through a system that didn’t make space for that kind of exploration. In drama school, the message was clear. Be hyper-feminine. Fit the mould. Don’t disrupt the expectations placed on you.
And even in the professional world, those rules linger.
So when Jules began witnessing a new generation of performers claiming their gender on their own terms, it created tension.
Not because it was wrong.
Because it was possible.
That tension became the beginning of something.
Not a decision. Not a declaration.
Just a question.
What is this thing of Drag Kinging?
And could it be a place to explore what I’m feeling?
That question led Jules to Kings of Joy.
And from there, to Golden Boy Brad.
Golden Boy Brad isn’t polished. He’s not trying to be perfect. He’s a surfer from the Sunny Coast with a golden heart and just enough charm to surprise himself.
There’s humour in him. There’s sexuality. There’s play.
And there’s something else.
Permission.
The first time Jules performed as Golden Boy Brad wasn’t just about being on stage. It was about being in a room where everyone else was also doing something for the first time.
No hierarchy. No pressure to get it right.
Just a group of people exploring masculinity together.
That matters.
Because for many people, this is the first time they’ve ever been allowed to explore that side of themselves in a supported way.
Inside Kings of Joy, masculinity isn’t something rigid or toxic.
It’s something you can play with. Shape. Expand.
It can be sensual. Soft. Strong. Joyful.
It can be yours.
And that experience didn’t stay contained to the stage.
It moved into Jules’ life.
“Everything has just become about following my freedom.”
That meant making decisions that weren’t always easy.
Gender-affirming choices. Medical choices. Identity choices.
Not everyone applauds that kind of change.
Because the world still benefits from keeping people in boxes.
But the shift was undeniable.
Less irritation.
Less internal conflict.
More alignment.
And eventually, something else opened up.
An opportunity to perform in a production where gender wasn’t something to hide or flatten, but something to embody fully.
To go from being told how to present, to being cast as a trans masc character.
To bring together performance, identity, and truth in one space.
That kind of integration doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when people choose to follow what feels free, even when it’s uncomfortable.
And it happens inside spaces that allow that exploration to exist.
That’s what this conversation captures.
Not the end result.
But the moment before.
The decision point.
The part where you don’t have all the answers yet, but something in you is asking to be explored
This episode is part of a much bigger story.
Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality and self-expression so we can be 100% at home in our own skin.
These conversations are documenting what it looks like in real time.
Not just performance.
Transformation.
If you’re feeling the pull to explore Drag Kinging yourself, start here:
About Danica Lani, The King Coach
Hey you ๐ I’m Danica Lani - also known as The King Coach. I’ve mentored 150 first-time Drag Kings since 2020, and I’m here to say: if you’re feeling the pull to explore gender through performance, you’re not alone - and you’re not too late.
Whether you’re new to this world or quietly dreaming of stepping into your masculine side on stage, there’s space for you here.
Kings of Joy is a global Drag King community helping LGBTQIA+ people break free from constraints around gender, sexuality, and self-expression - so we can be 100% at home in our own skin.
โจ Ready to name your King? Download Claim Your Drag King Name in 4 Simple Steps - a free guide to choosing your Drag King name.
About the Guest
Jules Billington is an actor, director, and performance and movement coach, and a graduate of NIDA. They have built a career in the performing arts while also navigating their own evolving relationship to gender and identity.
As a Drag King, Jules performs as Golden Boy Brad, a playful and charismatic persona that allows them to explore masculinity, sexuality, and self-expression in a deeply embodied way.
Jules is also an award-winning actor, having received a Green Room Award for Best Performance in an Independent Production, and is passionate about supporting emerging artists through teaching at institutions including NIDA, Actors Centre Australia, and Sydney Actors School.
Production Credit
The Kings of Joy Show is produced by Bambuddha Studios. Their support has made it possible to document and share these conversations with care and cultural integrity. Learn more.
