Ava Pauline Emilione

Ava Pauline Emilione (they/them) is a writer from Brooklyn, New York. Their writing has been published or is forthcoming in Them, Salon, Fruitslice, Salty, and Expat Press. They are a 2025 PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, as well as the founding editor in chief of Ebony Tomatoes Collective, a literary and arts magazine centering Black writers. They are working on their debut novel about queerness, memory, and mental health.

“You shouldn’t wait until somebody is on ‘Drag Race’ to show your support,” says Afrosephone. “The one thing that will keep us performing, the one thing that will keep us afloat, is if you show up.”

Drag Can Save a Life in New York City—if People Show Up Drag Can Save a Life in New York City—if People Show Up

Black and trans drag performers are crowdfunding to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Feb 9, 2026 / Ava Pauline Emilione

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