Colleen Windsor: The Legend, The Showgirl, The DIVA Hall Of Famer
Image: Mark Dickson
Colleen Windsor, a retired showgirl and proud trans woman, has been a longstanding fixture of Sydney’s local LGBTQI community.
After attending 28 of the 30 previous Drag Industry Variety Awards (DIVA), last week, at the 2023 DIVAs, she was awarded and inducted into the DIVA Hall of Fame.
‘It’s Such An Honour’
In a conversation with Star Observer, she spoke about life as a showgirl, the heyday of Oxford Street, and the importance of the DIVAs.
Speaking about winning such an incredible award, Windsor exclaimed, “Oh, it’s a total surprise.
“I’m thrilled. It’s such an honour. I couldn’t be happier.”
She added, “One of the reasons that DIVA gave me this Special DIVA Award is they consider me to be the holder of the memories, if you like, for all these years. I’ve collected the stories, and I write about that whole industry.”
Arrived In Sydney In 1972
Windsor arrived in Sydney in 1972 and started doing drag in 1974.
“I used to do in an open mic kind of night at Capriccio’s, which was one of the big nightclubs of the day on Oxford Street.”
Opened in 1969, Capriccio’s was located near Taylor Square. It closed in 2008.
According to Windsor, she would perform every Sunday afternoon at Capriccio’s “amateur hour”.
“It was a great learning ground,” she said.
Les Girl Showgirl
In 1976, Windsor joined the famous Les Girls in Kings Cross, Sydney, and stayed until the mid-80s.
Sharing the experience of performing as a showgirl in 1970s Kings Cross, Windsor said, “We were having the time of our lives.”
“We were really treated like stars in the Kings Cross area. Of course, it was very different if you ventured out [of Kings Cross]. We were, at that time, still seen as freaks.
“But within the realms of Les Girls, the shows were fantastic and people came from all over the world to see them. It was a fantastic time.”
‘The Community All Hung Out Together’
According to Windsor, the LGBTQI community in those days was tiny.
“It was tiny, the size of the community back then. So because of the size, you knew people across the whole scene.”
“In those days, in the 70s and 80s, the community all hung out together. We’d go to a leather man’s drinks thing and they’d come and see a drag show. It was more a whole community as opposed to now, where everything is broken up into tribes.”
The Importance Of The DIVA Awards
First held in 1991 at DCM nightclub, DIVA Awards were created as a way to showcase and celebrate Sydney’s amazing drag queens, and their work, as well as celebrate the amazing people that make up the drag entertainment industry.
Windsor believes the DIVAs are still very important as they reward drag excellence and create a sense of community.
“Since we’ve come out of COVID, the industry has come back with a huge bang, and there’s so much going on now,” she said.
“It’s very important to reward people and encourage excellence in the drag art form. DIVA has a role to play in that.
“It also helps to create a sense of community, because it’s something that everybody can feel a part of.”
‘Support The Venues’
When it comes to Oxford Street and the state of the scene, Windsor shared some advice.
“Get out and support the venues where your local drag queens are performing. That’s important. Otherwise, if people don’t go out and support the queens, we will lose the industry – it will disappear.”
