IN NYC: RUPAUL'S DRAG CON

RuPaul’s Drag Con NYC this month was a truly fulfilling experience charged with affirmation and self-love. Drag Queens from across the world convened at the Jacob Javitz’s Center in midtown New York City and got up close and personal with their fans, serving fierce looks while providing insights about everything from dragdom to burgeoning queens.

It was a celebration as the franchise kicked off its new beginnings with RuPaul's Drag Race UK set to take over the world in the next few weeks.

Now I have to be honest, I’m not the biggest RPDR fan. In fact, besides watching the lip syncs on Instagram, clips on YouTube, and following most of POC queens on social media, I’m really not crazy about it. With questionable politics and a somewhat problematic fan base, it serves its purpose to appeal to the mainstream queer - read white - culture.

The black queens and queens of color on the show have been trailblazers for me often unapologetically themselves and willing to risk popularity for the sake of authenticity. Many are actively fighting the fight on social media, enlightening the heauxs on what’s really good with this drag life.

Silky Nutmeg Ganache is one of those trailblazers. A dynamic queen who made it to the top four of Season 11 and won two challenges, Silky endured a lot of fatphobic and racist comments along with general hate. That doesn’t stop Silky from talking that hot shit in real life and on social media, however, and she is known to get in the occasional tiff with hateful entities. And while the Chicago native’s bluntness may rub folks the wrong way, the queen wants people to know she’s so much more than that.

“I think people think that I am a mean and hateful person and I think they forget I didn’t edit myself on Rupaul’s Drag Race,” she said. “There are people who were paid to edit me. Yes, I did everything on that show. Yes, I was crazy but I was also very loving and the girls had a lot of respect for me.”

Silky gracefully looks forward, working to continue pushing boundaries and serving lush realness. She wants people to actually get to know her because she is ‘only giving love’ while also maintaining her brand and standing firm in who she is.

“Get to know a person first because as a community, we’ve learned to shade people” she stated. “But we don’t know the difference between shade and ridicule.”

The Vixen - another Chicago queen (because clearly, the real heauxs come from the Chi) - has faced a lot of criticism and ridicule for how unapologetic she was in calling out contestants for their privilege. An amazing lip-syncer, The Vixen threw down and gave political commentary that was just undervalued on the 10th Season. Unfortunately, she received death threats because of how “harsh” - read honest - she was to her white peers.

But like Silky, she is so much more than that and continues to throw her amazing show “Black Girl Magic” - a Chicago show full of black queens.

“When women of color and queens of color are so unprotected in this country, I think that it is our job and our duty to stand up and put that cape back on.”

Honey Davenport, a Black queen idolized by many after her stint on Season 11, has been extremely outspoken about the fetishization she’s experienced since the show. The New York queen is all about placating the hostile energy while focusing on promoting her craft as a Black drag queen.

“I’m really working on giving an accurate representation to our community especially in media and especially as drag has taken off and I think we deserve a part in that,” she said. “We deserve things that are catered towards us.”

A show serving stellar content, Drag Race Thailand offers some truly breathtaking moments. A fascinating show, these queens are giving looks and don’t appear to have some of the same ‘isms’ and tropes as the America version.

photo: loyal nana

I’m crazy in love with Angele Anang - the Season 2 winner of Drag Race Thailand and first Trans woman in the WORLD to win Drag Race. Angele performed at the end of a segment at the Jacob Javitz Center this weekend where queens from her season SHOWED OUT! Mocha Diva came out first and absolutely did THAT to some Pink jams and had us all hyped for Genie, who served fierce energy in YELLOW. MISS EFFING VANDA JOAQIM was no joke and had me screaming at the top of my lungs for her! She was truly the lip-sync assassin of her season, so seeing her in action was treat.

I went to Thailand in May for my mother’s birthday and completely missed Angele at a club where she was performing. I was distraught! Then, I missed her when she came for World Pride in NYC. So it meant everything at that moment to connect with her and tell her how amazing her journey was to watch and how proud I was to be a fan! And while we only shared a brief moment, she showed me so much kindness that was reflected in many of the queens at Rupaul’s Drag Con.

Here's to Queens moving forward, taking the world by storm.