Don’t Be A Drag. Just Be A Queen.
“We’re all born naked and the rest is drag.” So said RuPaul. And gurl, Mama Ru was right!
Wherever we go, there we are. Everyone is playing a role. Our stories are our own to tell, and we owe it to ourselves to do it well. Drag is art, but drag is also self-expression. It takes a tremendous amount of vulnerability to stand in your identity and invite people to connect with you. If you’re new here, there’s a common formula for how to achieve this, at least according to Ru — it takes a lot of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. In that order. Read that again. If you got it, you’re on the path.
And if ever you find yourself in need of inspiration or solace or hope or comfort, may I heartily recommend you take a season of Drag Race and call me in the morning. When I tell you drag queens saved me, I mean it. In their stories I learned that authenticity isn’t actually a noun — it’s a verb. It’s how we move through the world and stand in our power. It’s choosing to be visible when we could blend in. It is unapologetic joy. And yes, it is charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent.
And this? This is your primer.
CHARISMA
Bob the Drag Queen
From Drag Race to stand-up to We’re Here and a recent too-short, but exceptional, run on The Traitors, Bob the Drag Queen is a STAR. Bob is known to be a queen who will read you for filth — and you’ll love it. It’s not done out of spite, but in sharp wit. To be read by Bob is to be seen. Case in point: Bob’s Drag Race sister, Thorgy Thor, recently spilled the tea on a years-old prank Bob pulled that had the pair of them rolling, and you better believe Thorgy had the receipts.
Let’s be clear, no one makes Bob laugh more than Bob. And though I could pull a myriad of iconic moments here, I love this candid story because it shows that even on a crappy zoom recording, Bob is compelling. But, because I am kind, I will also drop this INSANE and extremely endearing wig reveal.
When I think of Bob, I think of someone who is always precisely themselves, who advocates for others and never makes themselves small. Charisma in spades.
UNIQUENESS
Gottmik
As the first trans man to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Gottmik is a trailblazer among trailblazers. Equal parts high fashion and utterly goofy, Gottmik’s drag is stunningly gorgeous and terribly clever — the dialogue between the masculine and feminine is absolutely brilliant. Mik’s transness infuses the drag with this incredibly rich POV. Just look at the jaw drops on the judges:
Gottmik is who I want to be when I grow up. Talent? Enormous. Storytelling? Flawless. The vision and the gumption to do such singular drag on the largest stage possible is almost too major for words. Uniqueness for days.
NERVE
Sasha Velour
And speaking of queens with a strong POV — enter Sasha Velour. Sasha flies in the face of drag convention by performing, as a rule, without a wig. It’s a choice she makes to honor her mother’s battle with cancer and challenge the way culture equates femininity with hair. So, when she came out in a simple dress and a WIG for the biggest lip sync of her life, well, there’s nerve and then there is ner-ve!
I simply don’t have the words to sum up how exciting it is to see Sasha Velour stand in her power, so instead I’ll just leave this here.
Outstanding nerve.
TALENT
Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx “I tried to tease it but I just pissed it off” Monsoon is known as the Queen of all Queens for a reason. Technically, because she won not only her first season on Drag Race, but also her season of Drag Race: All Stars — the only season to feature all previous winners. And since then? She’s become a bonafide Broadway star, taking on the iconic role of Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago and most recently as Ruth in Pirates! The Penzance Musical. She brought a Doctor Who villain to life and recently completed the seventh annual run of her holiday spectacular show with fellow Drag Race alum BenDeLaCreme.
Her all-around talent as a performer is difficult to overstate and also to properly encapsulate. Fortunately, she recently did an absolutely audacious bit for the MISCAST Gala fundraiser. Charitable and a flex.
What is there left to say really? Talent supreme.
So you see, drag queens represent (and elevate) several universal truths.
When we dress, we tell a story. When we choose joy, we tell a story. When we choose kindness, we tell a story. And when we choose love, we tell a story.