NEW YORK (AP) — As the cast of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ celebrates the new season, they acknowledge the show’s creators popularized drag, protesting and threatening the performance style at the heart of the long-running series. expressed concern about
“RuPaul brought drugs into the mainstream and made people realize that drugs are more of an art than anything else,” said attendee Marcia Marcia Marcia at the season 15 premiere in New York on Thursday, The Associated Press. The new season starts Friday on MTV.
“I think everyone was fine in drag for a little while,” said the drag queen named after “The Brady Bunch.” .”
With a long and rich history, drag – the art of dressing as a different gender, often for performance – has been attacked by right-wing politicians and activists. What I had) surrounded the drug story window, during which the performers read to the children. A ban on children at drug events has been highlighted. In late November, Colorado was charged with hate crimes and murder after a shooting at his Springs nightclub dragged his Queen’s birthday party into a massacre.
Another contestant, Jax, said the threats, protests and hate were “disappointing” but not surprising. life. “
“But we always win,” Jax added. “We always win, we always come out on top because we are on the right side of history, we love what we do and we have done nothing to hurt anyone. I’m just trying to bring love to everything.”
For contestant Loosey LaDuca, this is nothing new either. However, LGBT people are well known to be public enemies. “
LaDuca says it’s okay to be wary of threats, but “don’t be scared.”
Last month, New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher attended the Drug Story Hour in his district. He filmed and posted a video of “dozens of homophobic protesters with the most disgusting signs verbally attacking family members and drag queens.” Two days later, he said, anti-drug activists vandalized the hallway outside his office and broke into his apartment.
“Two of them were arrested. A third were arrested for assaulting one of my neighbors,” he told the AP at the premiere.
Contestant Eileen DuBois has a theory about what’s behind vitriol aimed at drug performers.
“A man in women’s clothes, when we (gasps) ‘It can’t be that way!’ When you actually started enjoying I don’t like that.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” judge Ross Matthews describes progression and regression as a “pendulum swing.”
“The more we move forward, the more we are accepted, the more we are accepted, the more we celebrate that pendulum. “But you can’t put this genie back in the bottle. Darling, we’re great.”
Marcia Marcia Marcia has a simple message for drag critics: “It’s all about fun and expression.”
Finally, contestant Princess Poppy hopes RuPaul’s impact on culture with “Drag Race” will win.
“I feel like I’ve helped a lot of people who don’t really understand drag people, gay people, drag queens,” she said. But the show makes us human and shows us that we are human too. “
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