His personal scrap book on the other hand, shows his female personna, Barbie. Most of the time Barbie is just what you would expect, the tall blond with a million accessories and an impossible figure. But this Barbie has none of the cold aloothness of the famous doll. In fact, her smile is radiant, her sense of humour effervesent and you can tell she puts her heart into her performance.

But it is a performance. Barbie by night, Jason is a construction worker by day. His muscles are hard not from working out, but from being a labourer. His hands are often gloved to hide the callouses, the scars, the bruised nails.

He tells us that his audience enjoys the dichotomy, that many of them know that he does renovation work and if he misses a bit of paint on his arms or the other side of his life spills over into the Barbie image, that it just adds to the fun.

And it is fun. Even his father enjoys it. It took his father a few years to get used to the idea. It was hard for him to accept the fact that his son was gay, and then to find out that he was also a drag queen. But he gradually changed his mind when he saw Jason perform. His brother Derek has been quite supportive and also attends the shows. His Mom has yet to see Jason as Barbie.

For Jason at least, drag is slowly becoming more mainstream. When his co-workers on construction sites ask why he has no eyebrows, he tells them that he is a drag performer, and now he has been hired for a major corporate gig. His Carmen Miranda has been adopted by The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company as part of their "Fresh Obsessed" campaign for their Dominion grocery stores. They featured him in the Toronto Gay Pride Parade and for ads in local magazines and papers.

Barbie's Beauty Tips

1. Find the best red lipstick you can afford
2. Hair spray is your friend, but only if it is ozone friendly
3. You can never have too many shoes or hand bags - (stolen from Patsy) but what else would you expect a Barbie to say?
4. If you don't fit off the rack, have it altered
5. Try not to wear too much black it only gets you down, colour comes alive without trying
6. Blend your eye shadow, line your lips and don't forget a mole anywhere visible. (i.e above the lip, under the eye, on the chest, behind the knee, or on the ankle)
7. Gifts of jewelry are the best for many reasons, but having your own made feels better
8. Stay grounded.
9. Be yourself.