The Australian drag scene is in mourning after the passing of Maxi Shield, the acclaimed and extensively beloved Sydney drag performer.
Friends, followers and fellow performers have taken to social media to share reminiscences of Maxi, glowing stage presence and the enjoyment she dropped at audiences all through Australia and past.
Universal Sydney licensee Dillon Shaw posted from the Universal social media pages, saying, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the information of our beloved Maxi Shield’s passing.
“In all my years on this group, there has by no means been a time I can bear in mind when Maxi wasn’t an iconic presence (and she or he’d completely smack you for reminding her of that). Maxi labored throughout each queer venue in Sydney, touching hearts not solely throughout the nation however all over the world via her look on Drag Race Down Under.
“This Mardi Gras will feel different. It will be more solemn, as so many of us gather carrying the space left by her smile, her quick wit, and her remarkable spirit.”
“What a fight you gave it!” wrote Beverly Buttercup on social media. “What a showgirl! 
A true legend will be sadly missed.”
The legacy of Maxi Shield
Maxi Shield — whose actual identify was Kristopher Elliot — was a veteran of Australia’s drag world lengthy earlier than she stepped onto the worldwide stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. Across greater than 20 years of efficiency, she stood as a larger-than-life presence with a deep dedication to group, inclusion and celebration.
Her resume of achievements is nothing quick of phenomenal. She appeared within the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 and the Gay Games opening in 2002, moments that marked her as a trailblazer.
For many, Maxi’s look on the inaugural season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under in 2021 was a defining second that launched her to the worldwide queer group. She introduced her complete self to the competitors with humour, honesty and that unmistakable vitality of a performer who had earned yearly of her craft. She made an impression not simply along with her drag, however along with her voice — talking brazenly about being a proud, “plus-sized older queen” because the “seasoned chook” of the season — reminding audiences that drag is for each dimension and form, and each stage of life.
But Sydney’s queer cultural life knew Maxi effectively past tv screens. She was a fixture on phases on Oxford Street and all throughout the nation, internet hosting and acting at long-running occasions, festivals and fundraisers. She was all the time one of these queens that really confirmed up for group.
In a previous interview with Star Observer, Maxi spoke concerning the significance of displaying up authentically and lifting others up, notably inside Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ communities she cared deeply about.
She was additionally a prominent Star Observer contributor, penning articles and opinion items that captured the color, chaos and care of group life.
A tough-fought battle: most cancers analysis and group assist
In the center of final yr, whereas performing abroad on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Fountain Lakes In Lockdown: A Drag Parody, she was hospitalised as a consequence of a swollen gland that was later recognized as a cancerous progress.
From her hospital mattress in Scotland, Maxi shared candid updates with fans, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of love that adopted information of her sickness. Fundraisers rapidly emerged with the purpose of $10,000 — which it rapidly hit inside thee days — to help with medical bills and journey challenges whereas she was away from dwelling. The fundraiser ended up elevating $45,000, which actually does present absolutely the love the group had for Maxi.
She spoke brazenly concerning the street forward, together with chemotherapy and radiotherapy therapy, and all the time maintained an air or positivity and resilience — in typical Maxi type.
Further particulars about memorial occasions for Maxi Shield might be shared as they grow to be obtainable.
The workforce at Star Observer wish to go on their condolences to Kris’ household and family members, in addition to all who cherished Kris and the true icon that was Maxi Shield. Vale, Maxi.
