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parties!
January 31, 2020

What a Queer Lunar New Year Celebration Looks Like

By Andrew Nguyen Photographs By Alexandra Cuerdo

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Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo

What started as a need for more queer Asian representation in New York nightlife has quickly turned into one of the most fashionable parties in the city. Three years ago Bubble_T was just an underground party scene. Now it’s a movement and home for a large, close-knit community of self-dubbed β€œSlaysians.”

To ring in the Year of the Rat, Bubble_T returned to its Brooklyn roots by throwing a party called β€œRAT_ROYAL_T.” Held at Elsewhere in Bushwick, it was a little different from the conventional celebration you’d expect. There were high-concept drag performances, decorations from New York–based artists (Vincent Chong drew calligraphy on giant red scrolls), and festive looks that bridged tradition and the current moment (drag queen Yune Neptune made her own DIY version of a traditional Vietnamese garment).

β€œLunar New Year is normally a time where relatives spend time together,” said Bubble_T co-founder and makeup artist Stevie Huynh. β€œFor many of us who live in New York, away from our relatives, it’s important for us to not only hold on to but also recontextualize traditions by celebrating with our chosen family at a space where we can fully be ourselves.”

Director Alexandra Cuerdo, who’s creating a short film about the party called β€œDancing on My Own” with VSCO, took photos at the party all night. Keep scrolling to see all the fabulous, glittering, red-and-gold looks.

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1 / 20 Photos
Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Yune Neptune. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Mimi Zhu, Khoa Sinclair, and YΓͺn Nguyen. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Adrian Manuel. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Snix. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Mimi Zhu. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Shaobo Han. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
YΓͺn Nguyen. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
K Rizz. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Dynasty. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Jan Vincent Gonzales. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Pearl Harbor. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
West Dakota, Sammy Kim, K Rizz. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Sina. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
K Rizz. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Clara Lu. Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
Photo: Alexandra Cuerdo
1 / 20

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