Sydney’s Oxford Street, which is home to many LGBTQ+ hot spots and the city’s Mardi Gras event, was lit up to honour the late drag queen Maxi Shield.

Maxi, whose real name is Kristopher Elliot, was 51 when she died. The Sydney-based star had been diagnosed with throat cancer five months ago.

Yesterday, community members, friends, family and fans of Maxi lined the street for the drag queen’s funeral procession. In photos shared by Q News, pride flags were displayed along the street as Maxi’s hearse passed. Inside Paddington Town Hall, where the funeral service took place, mourners held large fans which read “Bloody Glorious”.

As the Star Observer reports, celebrant Nick Bone led the ceremony, while friends of Maxi – Vanity and Tora Hymen – shared powerful tributes to the drag queen.

 

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Addressing mourners, Vanity remembered Maxi as “my drag sister, my chosen family, my ride or die.”

“I take so much comfort in knowing that she left no stone unturned, no opportunity missed,” she added. Vanity also said that Maxi would have considered the service “bloody glorious” and then led the congregation in chanting those words.

Tora said those who loved Maxi may take comfort in the fact that while her life was “far too short,” it was also “incredibly full”.

“She travelled, she performed, she made people laugh, and she built friendships that lasted decades,” she said.

Maxi, who was a fixture of Australia’s drag scene, gained mainstream prominence when she competed on the first season of Drag Race Down Under in 2021 and finished in sixth place. Outside of the franchise, Maxi was an accomplished performer, with credits including the 2000 Olympic Games closing ceremony, the 2002 Gay Games opening ceremony, and numerous film and TV roles.

After her death was announced, numerous queens from the Drag Race world – including Kita Mean, Art Simone, Anita Wig’lit and Cynthia Lee Fontaine – took to social media to pay tribute to Maxi.