Rupaul's Drag Race

Another queer tv/documentary post! As June and PRIDE Month begins to come to a close, I want to reiterate my thanks to everyone who has followed along this blog. I've received so many messages from people from all across my circles and for many this has allowed me to reconnect with people I haven't spoken to in years. I'm grateful that through this little month project I've been able to reawaken friendships I perhaps abandoned when I clearly didn't need to. Blessings to all people. 

I want to give some attention to on this post is Rupaul's Drag Race. I'm a late fan of this show as the first season I watched while it aired was Season 7 where Violet Chachki took the crown. I would spend the following summer and fall watching all of the seasons (even seeing the lost season, season 1). I had seen a drag queen before...and it was the summer of 2012 in Washington D.C. where I first saw my first drag anything during drag bingo at a bar on evening. Little did I know I would grow to become a huge drag fan several years later. 

Rupaul's Drag Race is a problematic show, I am aware of the transphobia, biphobia, insensitivity to mental health issues, etc. that have occurred throughout the series. I also am aware that Rupaul's drag focuses on feminine white queens and has never included a drag king, or anything drag performer that doesn't fit Rupaul's drag aesthetic. This ultimately leads to a VERY LIMITING exposure to drag culture. At the end of the day, there's more to drag to experience and appreciate than what is ultimately showcased on the show.

Despite my beefs with the show...it's still been a show I've laughed at, cried with, and made me feel all sorts of feels. The drag queens often are coming from places and experiences that are tough and cut throat...to see queer folks be vulnerable on the show is encouraging and good for the spirit. 

I'm also convinced drag race allowed a space for my mom to connect to the queer community. Last year in Season 9, Valentina, a Mexican-American queen from L.A. competed and ultimately brought Mexican representation to drag that hadn't been seen so prominently and quite frankly so elegantly as it was. While she didn't win the season (she of course would forget the words to a lip sync when she failed at the Club Kid category) she left quite a mark. Shortly after the end of the season Valentina would release a music video of herself lip-syncing to one of my mother's favorite artists, Isabel Pantoja. I'm convinced that when my mom watched the video and realized it was a drag queen who was performing it she realized that queer people, drag queens included, were like any other "typical" people. In many ways, Valentina disarmed drag to make it a welcoming and a bit more familiar space for people like my mother who hadn't been exposed to drag culture. Showing Valentina to my mom paved the way for the eventual adventures we'd have at the Kit Kat Lounge late last summer. Check out the video below that helped bridge the gap between the queer community and my mom!

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I'm currently watching Season 10 and am rooting for Asia O'hare...but I'm excited for the lip sync battles that determines the winner as I assume will be done this year as it was last year. In the performance I couldn't help but cheer for both, but break for Peppermint as she dominates Trinity towards the end of the song...and I should note that lip-syncing to a song by the Holy Spearit is a blessing and these queens did it justice! Check out the lip sync from last year's finale with Peppermint and Trinity Taylor! 
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