"I was obsessed with the touring version of The Boy From Oz with Todd McKenney," she recalls.

"I even dressed up as Peter Allen for my 12th birthday. Looking back now, I guess I was always a bit queer."

At the age of 29, Caitlin is still dressing as a man; and with a completely over-the-top, flamboyant, sexy attitude that Peter Allen would have loved.

Caitlin, who has asked for her second name not to be used, is one of Canberra's first out and proud hyper queens: women who dress in drag. Yes, it's a woman imitating a man imitating a woman - and it's glorious.

It takes Caitlin, a former teacher, three-and-a-half hours of hair, makeup and costume prep to emerge as Faux Née Phish, her drag alter ego who's "not exactly an amazing singer or dancer" but who adores an audience.

Despite only joining the Canberra drag scene six months ago, Faux Née is already one of its most dominant forces.

She hosted the Christmas Queens competition in December - which included a surprise drop-in by iconic American drag queen and reality television personality Shangela - and is in the throes of organising an anti-Valentine's Day party with YES!Fest organiser Danny Corvini.

She's been working closely with "accidental" drag venue Verity 112, a basement bar on Alinga Street that comes alive almost every month with false eyelashes, fishnets and the squeal of drag queens popping champagne.

"Faux Née is me on steroids, she's me at the next level," Caitlin says.

"Since I was a child and especially as an adult, I've always felt like I had to tone myself down in so many ways.

"[Drag] is just letting out everything that you've always had to keep toned down, and it's just amping that up and letting it run loose."

Caitlin describes Canberra's group of drag performers as "strong and incredibly diverse". It ranges from a 14-year-old whose Vogue dance rocked the socks off YES!Fest to 40-year-old Indigenous artist Mad B.

Performers include cis-males (men who identify as men and perform in drag for the artistry), non-binary and trans-males. In the past 12 months, the number of drag performers in Canberra has tripled.

"I really love gender fluidity and people being totally free to express themselves," Caitlin says.

"I've always felt super at home with the queer community, and particularly queer artists, since I was really young."

Caitlin's "drag awakening" occurred in 2014, while watching Austrian drag performer Conchita Wurst perform Rise Like a Phoenix at a Eurovision semi-final. She became obsessed with RuPaul's Drag Race - binge watching every series on Stan - until she couldn't hold back any longer.

When she finally donned a wig, did her makeup and slid on a metallic fish outfit - Faux Née was born and Caitlin was hooked.

But it's been quite a journey for her heterosexual partner.

"He's mentioned a few times that it's difficult living with a drag queen," Caitlin laughs.

"He likes things that are subtle and thoughtful and ideas-driven - while there are a lot of ideas and a lot of thought in drag, it's very much over the top and out there so it can be a bit overwhelming for him.

"It takes some getting used to for a hetero man but most of all he sees how happy I am - and we are - and really appreciates the community that comes with it."