The lore of South Florida’s drag is a long and storied one, and it would not nearly be as colorful and dynamic without the contributions of the spectacular and larger than life talent and personality of Noel Leon. Many were stunned Dec. 29 when they woke to the news that the former Miss Florida FI At Large had died.
Whether performing at Georgie’s Alibi in Wilton Manors or hitting the street (literally) outside The Palace in South Beach, seeing a Leon show was something you didn’t forget. She was so in-demand that she appeared on Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live” in 2017 with fellow drag superstars Detox and Valentina. An accomplished pageant contestant and crown holder, Leon was a former Miss Continental Plus contestant (the official Continental Instagram page shared a portion of Leon’s talent that year and expressed their condolences following the announcement of Leon’s passing).
Like so many drag communities in cities all over the globe, it is the spirit of sisterhood that bonds so many communities of performers. That spirit was on full display as queens and performers from all corners of South Florida (and beyond) expressed their adoration, admiration and love for Noel Leon online.
Bianca Del Rio thanked Leon for her “generosity and kindness all those years in NYC” while South Florida legend Athena Dion recalled Leon as a “true talent” who always “looked out for me.” Sunshine State legend Tiffany Fantasia called Leon a “great influence on the drag scene in South Florida” and Mr. Continental 2025 and event producer Raul Griffith-Valentin posted a photo of he and Leon in happier times, simply saying “Oh sister … this is how I will always remember us.”
Ashley Malan mentioned Leon’s Garden State roots, saying, “To my friend Noel Leon, from New Jersey and me moving to South Florida. I'm forever grateful for your friendship and for introducing me to the Palace Bar family.” Sasha Lords spoke about her first time working with Leon and Tp Lords in Palm Beach.
“You both kept me safe when I was just a kid.”
South Florida’s own Latrice Royale summed up Leon as a performer, calling her “one hair doin, costume creating, self-sufficient DRAG GODDESS!”
I personally got to experience the intoxicating Leon perform in person several times in both New York City and South Florida. I even got to interview her back in 2017 (as The Palace prepared to move to their new location). I asked Leon to tell me about her favorite memories of The Palace and performing in that location.
Her answer speaks to the kind of performer and person she was, on and off-stage:
“One of the best ones is my family goes there, and my mother goes there quite a bit, she goes almost every Sunday to watch me. I just remember having her there, and she loves the people and she loves hanging out. Everyone loves her and they all know that she is my mother. The memories of her being there and her being so proud of me and my performances, those are some very special memories.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to assist Noel Leon’s family with the cost of arrangements. You can donate here.
