Charlene Coco

Zack Newmark sits down with Amsterdam-based drag queen performer Charlene Coco, to talk about identity, fear, freedom, and what it really means to show up as yourself. Charlene Coco was voted Best New Drag in Town after her debut appearance in Amsterdam in 2019.

Charlene is the drag persona born from the mind of Charlie Robertson, a British performer based in Amsterdam who also uses drag to help offices become more tolerant and inclusive.

From performing political punk-rock drag numbers to moderating panels at Amsterdam Dance Event, Charlene shares her journey from Oxford private school to the stages of Amsterdam’s queer nightlife.

We talk about:
• Why drag still triggers fear
• The moral panic around drag & trans visibility
• Corporate diversity workshops in full drag
• Safety, backlash & being visible
• God Save The Queer – building community through performance
• Pride, politics & protecting nightlife spaces
• What allies can actually do

Chapters: 
00:00 – Taxi in Full Drag & Public Reactions
02:00 – Drag in Corporate Boardrooms
07:00 – Discovering Drag & Early Performances
12:00 – Political Performances & Punk Energy
19:00 – Winning Best New Drag Queen (2020)
21:00 – Building “God Save The Queer”
26:00 – Is Drag More Accepted Today?
30:00 – Fear, Backlash & Moral Panic
33:00 – Supporting the Trans Community
35:00 – Amsterdam Dance Event & Queer Nightlife
39:00 – Why Does Drag Trigger People?
44:00 – Cis Privilege & Taking Drag Off
47:00 – Coming Out (Twice)
52:00 – Drag in the Corporate World

Connect with Charlene Coco: 
https://www.instagram.com/thecharlenecoco/

Connect with me:  
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynewmark  

Instagram (The Dam Yankee Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/damyankeepodcast  
Website: https://damyankeepodcast.nltimes.nl/