Kween Kong

Kween Kong is the stage name for the drag queen persona of Pasifika New Zealander former dancer Thomas Charles Fonua (born 9 August 1992). Kong is best known for competing on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, where she was a runner-up.

Early life and education
Thomas Charles Fonua was born on born 9 August 1992 in New Zealand, a Pasifika New Zealander with Samoan and Tongan descent. Fonua speaks both languages, and says that language is important for maintaining his culture. He has two older brothers and a younger sister.

He grew up in South Auckland, and began dancing aged seven, after his grandmother started teaching his sister to dance. He travelled to Samoa and Tonga as a child, staying with family and having to help out with chores. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, attending church several times a week with his family until he was around 16, when his parents split up. The family realised that he was gay quite early on.

When he was 16, he reached a fork in his life. One choice, encouraged by his father, was to play rugby for the New Zealand men's under-19 team, which could lead to a place with the All Blacks. The other was to join Black Grace, the top contemporary dance touring company in New Zealand. His father was worried that he would be laughed at if he became a dancer. He trained with Black Grace for two years, which meant moving away from home and touring with a much older group of performers. He had to go on tour to Germany for months, which he found very hard.

Dance career
After completing his training with Black Grace, he stayed with them for five years as a full-time principal dancer, which included international tours,

He was the recipient of an Indigenous Dance Residency, as a dancer and emerging choreographer at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada for at least three years. Also in Canada, he was an associate artist with Red Sky Performance, and performed at Toronto Dance Theatre.

Moving to Australia, he danced with the Sydney Dance Company in Sydney.

During his dance career, Fonua worked Neil Ieremia, Rafael Bonachela, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jock Soto, Douglas Wright, Raewyn Hill, Sandra Laronde, Ross McCormack, and others.

After migrating to Australia in 2013 or 2014, Fonua joined the Australian Dance Theatre (ADT), based in Adelaide, South Australia, where he was a principal dancer for around seven years.

Drag and performing artist
Living in Adelaide, Fonua and a friend took part in a Halloween-themed drag show, and then started doing drag, adopting an alter ego as a drag queen, Kween Kong. The name was originally Fonua's rugby nickname (because he was effeminate and like a bulldozer, "like a female gorilla", in his words). and Fonua says that it makes him feel strong.

In 2019, Fonua performed with Maggie Beer in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, in Liner Notes Live, in which they toasted to the soundtrack of The Blues Brothers film.

In March 2022, Kween Kong featured in Black Puddin', cabaret show in the Adelaide Fringe. In mid-2022, Fonua co-created, choreographed, and co-starred in Rella, a children's theatre production reimagining Cinderella presented by Windmill Theatre Co in Adelaide.

Fonua competed as Kween Kong on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under, from 2 July 2022, and came in as a runner-up. Fonua was the first Pasifika person to appear on the show.

In September 2022, Fonua performed for 29 days at the Edinburgh Fringe performing in 27 Briefs Factory.

In May 2023, he was in Los Angeles creating some music to be released later in the year.

Other activities
Fonua started Haus of Kong, a collective offering employment and support to young people rejected by their families due to their sexuality, and to mentor emerging drag artists both personally and professionally.

Costumes
Kween's costumes are made by Adelaide-based costume-maker, Sheri McCoy, who works under the trade name of CostumeCreater.

Awards and recognition
Fonua was the recipient of the New Zealand Prime Minister's Pacific Youth Award for Arts and Creativity in 2014.

He is the recipient of an inaugural "30 Under 30" award by Coming Out Australia, supported by the Boston Consulting Group, in August 2019.

In 2019, Kween Kong won the Miss Drag Nation Australia title in Drag Nation Australia. Drag Nation is a national drag competition, with entrants first competing in state competitions, giving them an opportunity to represent their state in the national finals.

In 2022 Fonua was nominated for the Dora Award For Outstanding Choreography in Canada.

Media appearances
In January 2023, Fonua (as Kween Kong) was a guest on Australian TV show The Project with Hannah Conda

In May 2023, he was interviewed on the inaugural episode of Stories from the Pacific on ABC Radio.

In February 2024, Fonua appeared with Australian journalist and television presenter Narelda Jacobs on Fran Kelly's podcast Yours Queerly.


 * RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars (2024)