Hundreds gathered at Paddington Town Hall on Wednesday to farewell drag icon Maxi Shield, who died aged 51 after a battle with cancer. The former RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under contestant, born Kristopher Elliott, was remembered in a colourful service filled with laughter and tears.
Celebrant Nick Bone opened the service, urging mourners to 'inhale glitter and exhale grief'. He described Shield as 'an international drag artist whose extraordinary talent, boundless generosity and unforgettable spirit lit up stages and touched hearts all around the world'.
Fellow drag performers Vanity and Tora delivered a eulogy reflecting on their decades-long friendship. Vanity declared the day 'bloody glorious', a phrase Shield often used. Tora recalled Shield's love for late-night Oporto and a trip to Adelaide where they ate $500 worth of Haigh's chocolate.
Shield's partner of 15 years, David, broke down in tears, calling her 'more than a partner, my soulmate and companion'. A live rendition of Purple Rain by Prince was performed, and a montage of Shield's life played to Vanessa Amorosi's Absolutely Everybody.
The service concluded with Shield's remix of Madonna's Like a Prayer as pallbearers carried her casket out behind pride flags. The hearse then processed along Oxford Street, where flags at Taylor Square were flown at half-mast. The wake, dubbed 'the after party', was held at the Beresford in Surry Hills.
