10 February 12-18, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | STING DION BY SHAWN MACOMBER To call Sting Dion’s multifarious lives extraordinary would be among the most unfabulous understatements of all time. Less than a decade ago, the fu- ture drag icon, armed with an environmental science degree, was out doing grassroots or- ganizing around climate justice and the im- pact of environmental policy on marginalized communities. By 2025, she was taking home the Miss Wynwood Pride title and setting her sights on the Miss Continental Newcomer pageant in Chicago this spring, representing Miami in one of the most prestigious compe- titions in Greater Dragdom. “Going from environmental science to be- ing a drag queen on stages all over the world was definitely not what I originally expected from life at all,” Dion tells New Times, “but I’m really glad it’s what turned out to be on my Bingo card.” These callings are not as disparate as they might initially seem: Both involve standing with the underdogs against dominant para- digms. “If you look at the history of queer re- sistance, there’s always been trans people and drag queens on the frontlines,” Dion says. “This line of work is inherently political — es- pecially here in Florida, where you have the state constantly attacking folks. As drag per- formers, we have a platform whether we like it or not, and it’s our job to educate as well as entertain. Whether it’s sexuality, gender identity, or anything else, we’re here to in- spire and empower everyone to express themselves in the fullest way possible — and to make sure they feel safe doing so.” Dion first embraced drag in 2018. The vibe? Very fait accompli:She had two friends who had already begun performing — Mor- phine Love Dion, who would eventually place fifth on Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and South Florida drag royalty FKA Twink — and a background in competitive cheerleading and theater. She signed up for a talent compe- tition on a whim...and won. She went back the next week and won again. And then, again, the week after that. “I thought, ‘Okay, so this might be some- thing I’m good at,’” Dion says. “And the more I do it, the more love that I have for it.” That is, in part, because for Dion it is about much more than outside validation. “I have never had any interest in abiding by standard gen- der roles,” she says. “Growing up, that was al- ways a struggle. So, to have his art form where you’re able to dive deep into yourself and be whoever you are feels really special and affirming...And then also you have people throwing money at you, which feels pretty good, too.” Of course, a rising tide (of concealer) lifts all boats, and Dion’s entire drag family — the Dion Dynasty — is a small yet mighty armada sailing full-speed ahead towards new hori- zons and victories. Dion’s drag mom, Athena Dion, and sister, Juicy Love Dion, are both competing on the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and the House of Dion overall is in ascendancy. “Oh, it’s definitely insane right now,” says Sting. “I love that so much is hap- pening for all of us. We’re such a close-knit chosen family, and I’m so grateful to have them all in my life. I genuinely don’t know where I would be without them, generally, and Athena, specifically, who has taught me so much and helped shape me into who I am as a person and performer.” Which brings us back to the Miss Conti- nental pageant, in which Dion aims to em- body “the talent, resilience, and excellence that Miami drag represents” — even if level- ling up requires stepping out of her comfort zone to prep for traditional pageant catego- ries like evening gown, swimsuit, talent, and question and answer. “It’s exciting,” Dion — who is currently immersed in a regimen of choreography, elocution, and outfit planning worthy of a cinematic training montage — says, “but also stressful.” Good thing she has a secret weapon in her arsenal: That Magic City magic dust. “As drag performers, you can kind of tell that a performer is from Miami. We’re very high energy. We have all the craziest looks, do all the craziest tricks. Being born and raised in Miami, I carry a lot of pride with me to shows in Orlando, New York, Chicago — wherever — I always let the people know that I’m from Miami. “ “Even before it began, I told myself, ‘2026 is going to be the year I just take this whole wild thing as far as I can,’” she adds. “So far, everything is aligning in a beautiful, magical way. I can’t wait to see where it all ends up.” EULOIS CLECKLEY BY SHAWN MACOMBER As omens go, it would prove to be a very good one — both for seasoned trans- portation public servant Eulois Cleckley and the Miami citizenry at large. Back in the fall of 2021, Cleckley had just arrived in the Magic City to take over the reins at the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works after four years as Executive Director of Denver’s equivalent Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. Lodged downtown and eager to explore his new city, Cleckley took a stroll across the South Miami Avenue Bridge and promptly stumbled upon the bustling Urban Gym. Its pristine, modern flex court for basketball and mini-pitch soccer, run- ning track, and fitness equipment served as a gateway to the Brickell section of the Under- line. “I was amazed,” Cleckley tells New Times. “I knew of the project, but until I saw it with my own eyes, I did not realize the magnitude of it — how unbelievable and fan- tastic it truly was.” He’s right, you know, to crib the word bub- ble of the popular Morgan Freeman meme: The Underline is an exemplar of the promise and possibility of city building in an age of cynicism, doubt, and decay — an innovative, on-time, on-budget public-private partner- ship that is transforming ten miles and 120 acres of underutilized space (to put it kindly) beneath the Miami Metrorail into a lushly landscaped urban trail bespeckled with parks, living art installations, pollinator gar- dens, meditative spaces, and oases of commu- nity and respite. The Underline is also a force for economic good, supporting more than 300 local busi- nesses and, in conjunction with the Chapman Partnership, hiring individuals who have ex- perienced homelessness to work on horticul- ture, operations, and maintenance teams. For three and a half years, Cleckley ad- mired the Underline planning and develop- ment from — well, probably not exactly from afar, considering his position, but certainly at a remove. And then, in January 2025, when the opportunity arose to help shepherd the project to its projected 2026 completion as CEO of Friends of the Underline, Cleckley signed on the dotted line. Still on the agenda: approximately another five miles of trail, along with everything from pickleball and basketball courts to amphitheaters, outdoor classrooms, and natural habitat-protecting microforests. (The day New Times catches up with Cleckley, he’s at the opening of the Chewy Bark Park. “It was very [well] at- tended,” he reports. “We had 600 RSVPs and more than 200 attendees — and that’s not in- cluding all the dogs.”) Photo by Satana Rituals / @thesatanaofficial Culture Culture P E O P L E TO W ATC H 2026 Sting Dion
