I’m so thankful for the opportunities that I have had throughout my life and career, particularly in the past year. Doing Drag Race was one of the best moments of my life. RuPaul kicked open so many doors for queer and gender non-conforming folks and is an absolute trailblazer in the world of drag. But recently, Ru made statements I disagree with.
When I started my transition back in 2012, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned that absolutely no one has the ability or the right to define your womanhood, manhood or transness, but you. I also learned women should not be defined by what surgeries they have or haven’t had.
The most important takeaway is that ones transition, the beginning, the middle, and end, is entirely personal and cannot be categorized or measured in the context of being blessed by someone else’s validation or approval. RuPaul issued an apology, which I think is an important step in this ongoing conversation. It shows all of us, there is room for growth, education, and I’m hoping a bit of evolution.
Women have always been directly and indirectly contributing to the art form of drag. Like voting, driving, working, even eventually the Office of President of United States, drag evolves. My hope is that together, we can uplift all forms of drag, both on TV, and in the real world. Gay men do not own the idea of gender performance. RuPaul so brilliantly said, “Drag is a big F-You to male dominated culture,” and I believe people of all gender expressions and bodies can contribute to challenging that culture. This is a personal issue for many people, including myself. Unfortunately it won’t be the first or last time we will hear a woman can’t do something a man can. I’m out to change that.
