If there is one thing drag queens are known for, it’s a wicked sense of humor.
Meet Dizzy Bility. All-singing, all-dancing glamazon with an impressive voice and stage presence to challenge even her idol, the great Liza Minelli.
Oh, and she’s also deaf and legally blind.
Behind the wig is the talented 29-year-old Petey Walter, a Penrith native who now lives and performs in inner-city Sydney. Petey is a regular fixture on the colourful Sydney drag scene, and is preparing for his starring role on this year’s Poof Doof ‘Roman Orgy’ float.
In the lead up to this weekend, we spoke to one of the most incredible performers in the 2016 Mardi Gras parade, trumping the others in more ways than one.
Speaking to Petey, his energy and joy is infectious – this guy is living his dream. Successful, funny, and extremely open about his disabilities; Petey in inspiring in his positivity.
“I was born with a condition called Ushers Syndrome type 2, ” he begins.
“Basically I have a stable hearing loss since birth and an adolescent onset of Retinitis Pigmentosa which is a progressive loss of the use of my retina. By the time I was 18 I was legally blind.”
So how does he deal with performing in nightclubs, which can be perilous even for the best of us?
“The struggle can be a bit real sometimes,” he points out. “Having normal conversations in loud places, hearing my name called, seeing where I am going in a dark unfamiliar places is very difficult.”
Regardless of his condition, Petey has forged ahead with his glamorous career as a performer.