15 best LGBTQIA+ characters in movies

Lola (Kinky Boots)

We warned you there would be more drag queens, and this certainly isn’t the last!

Lola, much like Angel from Rent and most drag queens in real life for that matter, is a total badass. She’s confident, and she demands attention everywhere she goes. And in Kinky Boots, that involves a small shoe factory in Northampton, England.

Charlie Price has to take over Price & Sons shoes after the untimely passing of his father. After taking the reins, he realizes the poor state the business is in, and if he expects to keep it running in his father’s honor, he has to come up with a bold new idea to boost business. Enter Lola.

Charlie meets Lola in London when he sees a group of drunken men harassing a woman, but ends up getting knocked out. Turns out, the woman he tried to valiantly defend was actually Lola, drag queen extraordinaire. After noticing how easily her heels break because of her massive male frame on a pair of delicate women’s heels, Charlie realizes exactly what niche product is going to save his father’s company.  

Lola is brought in as a consultant, and she brings her London flash to the tiny Southampton factory. Even when she’s hassled by some of the factory workers, she tries not to let it dim her shine.

In the end, Lola basically saves the entire company. Without her stage presence, creativity and all-around fabulousness, the Price & Sons presentation in Milan would’ve been a complete flop. She has a moment of self-doubt and tries to change who she was in order to make everyone else comfortable, and then she realizes that it’s a stupid idea.

Plus, if you don’t love Lola for her attitude or penchant for sparkly red boots, you can at least appreciate the way she owns a stage. Girl can perform!