In her first outing, Patrick Salmon's alter-ego Yaya has won Auckland drag to riches competition Princess 2 Queen. We find out a bit more by the upcoming drag diva, who doesn't only wear many sets of heels, but also many hats. How did you come up with your drag name? I wanted a name that wasn't usual but had a precognitive influence of fun and mystery. How long have you been doing drag? Entering the competition was my first go at doing drag. So I was truly a princess in terms of the scene's perspective. Who is you drag mother and how has she helped you? I was a drag orphan but then with blessing of friendship, family and love I was taken under the wing of her greatness Chanel DVinci. She has supported me from day dot, with training in walking, posture and style. Most amazingly she has helped cement strong foundational blocks of self-support and awareness by helping me feel confident in letting my internal flame burn strong. What does winning Princess to Queen mean to you? Winning Princess 2 Queen has made me more confident in myself around being confident and comfortable in my own skin. How excited are you for your Pride Parade and BDO appearances? I am always overwhelmed positively with the response from our LGBTI community and I am very humbled to be a part of such a diverse whanau. What do you do for a day job and how supportive have your colleagues been? I wear a few different hats. I am first and foremost a father of three beautiful girls. I am currently a Governor of Ngati Awa and I teach Te Reo at TVNZ. My main professional role is the National Community Engagement Coordinator Maori at NZAF. All the people within the different places have different views on what I do but are all positive. What's your advice to anyone who wants to take the drag plunge? Educating our friends and family on anything in general can always be challenging, but keeping an open mind ourselves can be more so. GayNZ.com staff - 2nd December 2013