今日吃瓜

Doug Lucas stands as a living archive of queer joy, and a staunch queer elder in Melbourne鈥檚 glittering LGBTQIA+ nightlife.听

As he prepares to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year鈥檚 Melbourne Excellence in Drag and Entertainment Awards (known as the MEDEAs), we celebrate not just a performer鈥攂ut a pioneer whose legacy is woven into the fabric of Victoria鈥檚 queer history.

In a time when homosexuality was criminalised, Doug felt the imperative to carve out spaces where queer people could breathe freely. 鈥淲e needed somewhere to go where we could feel safe to be ourselves,鈥� he told Star Observer.听

In 1975, he launched Melbourne鈥檚 first gay disco at the Union Hotel, and in 1977, he co-founded the legendary Pokeys with the late Jan Hillier.听

Intended to be a casual Sunday 鈥渨ind鈥慸own鈥�, Pokeys quickly became a weekly phenomenon.听

鈥淲e started without any sets or props鈥� but it ended up being a huge do. We used to put on a massive show. They were the biggest drag shows Melbourne had ever seen,鈥� Doug recalled.

Every Sunday night, Pokeys would swell with up to a thousand people 鈥� it was, very clearly, a space that was needed.

Doug Lucas: larger than life

From the Union Hotel鈥檚 fashionably late licence to the explosive stage production at Pokeys, Doug was a key figure in shaping Melbourne鈥檚 queer entertainment.

His signature musical-comedy style was big, bold, unapologetic, and his shows featured people of all sexualities and gender identities.

鈥淎 full drag show would be drag kings and drag queens together. That鈥檚 what I love,鈥� he said.

Lucas was perpetually dedicated to making audiences laugh, dance, gasp, and feel seen. To Doug, a performance was about bringing the room with him: 鈥淚鈥檝e always made it about the audience 鈥� I was the host, welcoming them into my home.鈥澨�

While Melbourne is home, Doug has travelled all over the country over the years, performing and hosting in every state and territory. 鈥淗onestly, I鈥檝e been everywhere鈥� I was always in a car, on a plane, on a bus,鈥� he laughs.听

Creating community during the HIV/AIDS crisis

During the AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s, Pokeys became more than a beloved tradition鈥攊t was a lifeline and a sanctuary.听

Doug and his fellow entertainers offered both remembrance and sustenance: organising benefits, sharing resources, raising funds for the AIDS Council, and supporting the early days of radio advocacy like Joy FM.听

That energy, born in a time of tragedy, also created deep bonds.听

鈥淚t actually created more of a community鈥� we become the voice piece, but we also become like the mother hen,鈥� he reflected.

For over five decades, Doug has mentored countless performers. He is fiercely generous 鈥� and famously honest. 鈥淚f you want an honest answer, that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l give you,鈥� he laughs.

Doug鈥檚 hard-won advice for new drag artists is as sharp as his eyeliner: immerse yourself in shows, learn from the best, but make sure to carve your own identity.听

鈥淒on鈥檛 look like everyone else! Develop your own individual look,鈥� he says.听

鈥淒rag should be an extension鈥� of the person,鈥� he shared, laughing as he recalled that while he mostly used his real name as a drag name, he would sometimes refer to his drag persona as his 鈥榮ister鈥� (who was named 鈥楨lly鈥� after Elly Lukas, a famous Australian model in the 50s).

Asked his proudest achievement, Doug said he never performed with accolades in mind. And yet, he says, to be honoured by one鈥檚 own community is profound.听

鈥淕etting this Lifetime Achievement Award, it鈥檚 very special鈥� to have that respect from people, from my community.鈥�

The MEDEAs

The MEDEAs stand as the city鈥檚 annual love letter to queer performance.听

Now in its second year, the awards centre drag, burlesque, and cabaret in a ceremony that honours kaleidoscopic commitment to queer diversity.

Onstage brilliance and backstage heroes are celebrated alike: drag artists, performers, DJs, choreographers, costume magicians, and community spirits.听

And none are more deserving of recognition than Lucas, whose daring creativity and nurturing leadership created the very ecosystem in which Melbourne drag thrives.

His story is not nostalgia 鈥� it鈥檚 a living testament. To dance loudly, to shine bright as exactly who you are, and to build the spaces that you and your community needs; places where queer people can live, love, and leave their mark in history.

Here鈥檚 to Doug Lucas 鈥� living legend, comp猫re extraordinaire, mother hen, and trailblazing drag icon.听

The Melbourne Excellence in Drag and Entertainment Awards will be held on 16 June 2025 鈥� find out more at .