Hosting a viewing party for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is quite common these days at many gay bars and other venues across South Florida, and even across the country. But there’s nothing common about Doll LinkUp.
An Oolite Arts 2025 Ellie’s Creater Award recipient and the premiere trans drag showcase in South Florida, Doll LinkUp is Miami’s girliest “Drag Race” viewing party, a drag show and an open stage. The dolls throw a weekly party Friday nights starting at 8 p.m. at Villain Theater, 5865 NE Second Ave., Miami.
Co-produced by Linerbaddie and Ariesela, the event unifies the community with a safe space, watch party kiki and a trans-centered drag show featuring Miami’s top dolls, including resident cast Opal Am Rah and The Angel Nova. It’s also an open stage for anyone wanting to experience the magic of drag by filling out a registration form. Free RSVP, parking, trivia prizes and more are included with just a simple two-drink minimum to support the small business and dollhouse, Villain Theater.
The dolls don’t just serve looks and give shows. They also serve the community by partnering with local nonprofit organizations such as TransSOCIAL, Prevention305, Impulse Group Miami and People Power for Florida to increase queer voter engagement, provide access to free STD/STI testing and connect trans community members to accessible HRT, among many other resources they collect and share.
For example, there’s The McKenzie Project (founded by Jasmine McKenzie), which provides a plethora of resources and events for all transgender people, but highlighting specifically Black trans people. Also, there’s Call To Action, a fundraising party produced by Mr. Bitch to crowdfund trans people’s gender-affirming care.
Doll LinkUp started in January 2024 for the premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 16.
“We were just Drag Race Fridays then and started off with a small $100 budget that Villain Theater provided,” Ariesela said. “Eventually, we grew in popularity and found our brand being ‘Miami’s girliest drag show’ as we didn’t even realize we were centering on becoming a safe space and showcase for trans drag performers. This led us to the name ‘Doll LinkUp.’ Linerbaddie and I came up with it together.”
Ariesela says she and Linerbaddie were “just girls who loved drag and wanted a space for queer women, trans people and allies to feel safe to queen out and see fierce trans drag in a time [when] legislative conditions have worsened.”
“Through the popularity of our open stage, our stellar trans centered cast, and unique meme promotion, we’ve grown a really committed following and community that often fills our whole theater, especially on finale or premiere viewings of Drag Race,” Ariesela said.
Linerbaddie is a “bio queen” who started off doing drag as a Drag Race super fan but felt she couldn’t do drag due to being a cis woman and seeing no one like her in Miami doing drag. She pitched a viewing party to her second home Villain Theater, brought Ariesela on board as her co-hostess and the rest is history.
“It was the first time a producer gave me that opportunity,” Ariesela said. “I was really young in my drag career and [Linerbaddie] debuting, but together we found our voice and used our platform’s growing popularity to work with nonprofits to serve the community and commit to improving trans visibility in Miami.”
By centering their cast rotation around trans women, Doll LinkUp ended up providing a space for new artists to experience the magic of drag while simply having a girly kiki.
“Doll Linkup was born out of our deep desire to see more platforms dedicated exclusively to uplifting trans, bio and non-binary performers in the Miami drag scene,” Linerbaddie said in an Instagram post. “We never dreamed our show would lead to hosting legends and title winners at Villain Theater, but it just goes to show the power of disruption.”
Linerbaddie says drag in its essence is a rebellion, and “as women in drag it's our duty to represent for all the femmes and the queers who feel they haven't found their place in queer culture.”
“Yes, you are femme. Yes, you are gay. Yes, you deserve your own parties, your own clubs and your own drag queens,” Linerbaddie said.
Ariesela says Doll LinkUp has been more than just a show to her.
“Doll LinkUp is like a love letter to the metamorphosis that comes with transitioning to your true self and embracing your femininity. As a pre-op and plus-sized trans woman of color, I felt I had to fight much more for my art to be understood and prove myself as a worthy professional than other amateur performers when I was coming up. I told myself then that if I ever had the platform and opportunity to produce, I would give back to the community that saw me before I even knew me. To see that goal come to fruition makes me feel like I'm on the right path, and this is just the beginning.”
Doll LinkUp is taking a break from hosting “Drag Race” viewing parties, as Season 17 wrapped on April 18. But the party will return at its usual Friday 8 p.m. slot at Villain Theater for “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Season 10 starting May 9. Find more information on Instagram at instagram.com/dolllinkup.
In the meantime, the dolls are keeping busy with other trans-centered events in South Florida.
Since Doll LinkUp shed their “bright pink light in Miami,” Ariesela and Kat Wilderness were brought on board by Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar to host Transtasy, Wilton Manors’ premiere trans inclusive party every first Sunday at 8:30 p.m.
Transtasy is the newest show to hit Wilton Manors and the first of its kind on The Drive in years. Georgie’s Alibi debuted the monthly Transtasy show on Feb. 2, featuring an all-trans cast.
“We’re still not even a handful of shows in, but every time there’s a packed house of trans people and allies [who] are relieved to have found a trans community visibility on the drive,” Ariesela said. “This is a night of unity, celebration of trans excellence and a combined effort to increase trans visibility in Wilton Manors. Although the show has just started, it’s a hit and we hope to build our support system so everyone can feel the ‘transtasy!’”
Published with permission from miamilgbtnews.wordpress.com.
