Tourette’s and me: A drag artists’ perspective

Posted Mon 2nd Jun 2025 at 14:03
by Zilla

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Let me introduce myself, my name is Zilla, I am a drag artist from Cambridgeshire, UK and I am living with Tourette syndrome.

When I got my diagnosis aged 12, I gave up my dream of performing as I felt I was unqualified because of my tics. At the start, it became impossible to get through a sentence without a very visible tic being present. Each week felt like a new tic was being created. I used to hate being around new people because there would be stares and whispers amongst them. I would have agonising muscle cramps that were caused by my tics. Because of this, there has always been a voice in my head that tells me I’m not good enough for big dreams or goals that seemed out of reach and that I should hide away.

It was a long journey to get my diagnosis and an even longer journey to learn how to live with Tourette’s. After my diagnosis my mind went into a spiral, I was second guessing what was possible and found myself comparing how my tics are to others. Flash forward to today, even though my tics are “invisible” to some people, they’re still very much there and affect how I live day to day. Even now, I feel myself concealing my tics as it’s easier to hide them than explain how Tourette’s affects each person completely differently.  

As time has passed, I found my passion for the art of drag, and with being on stage and being present in front of an audience playing a major role in this, I have made it my right to prove myself wrong and that nothing will stop my passion of performing, especially something I can't help. Just like anybody living with Tourette’s, my tics do impact how I perfect my art, I have to take extra steps to ensure they do not mess up my hours of work and I have to take regular breaks sometimes when I get overwhelmed. I sometimes still hide away and keep my drag very private and to myself in fear that the thoughts will become a reality.

I want to be able to use my drag as a message to other people living with Tourette’s to not give up on anything they have a passion for - and to not let them get in the way of anything you want to pursue. Yes, I am living with Tourette’s, but Tourette’s will never force me to hide away and be ashamed of it.

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