Clad in rhinestones and armed in sky-high stilettos, the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 10 are here to talk politics. Ahead of the May 9 season premiere, the cast chatted with out gay Councilmember Erik Bottcher of Manhattan at The Stonewall Inn on May 6 to discuss the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and the importance of drag in today’s political climate — and they left no crumbs.
This year alone, the ACLU has tallied 575 anti-LGBTQ bills in State Legislatures across the country. And with queer hate skyrocketing, these queens refuse to keep their mouths shut. It is no secret that trans folks are the target of most of this vitriol, and the dolls of All Star’s 10th season want to use their platform to show queer and trans folks at home that they are not alone.
Aja, a trans queen originally from season nine, needs her trans siblings to know that, no matter what the government might throw at them, they will persist.
“I’d love for trans children to know that we have been here for all of time in all different sorts of cultures and nations. We’re not going anywhere. They can take away our medications. They can take away our therapy. They can take away all of our resources, but we’re still going to exist. For generations to come, trans people will still be born, and there’s nothing, nobody can do about it.” she told Gay City News.
Kerri Colby, known for living her “trantasy” on season 14, echoes Aja’s sentiments. She spoke on how crucial trans spaces are for the community, especially in this political climate.
“It shouldn’t be a struggle just to find your happiness. Trans people, we work so hard, and we deserve to have safe spaces that love us and let us feel like we can explore and find ourselves. That’s what life’s all about,” she said.
And with the decline in queer spaces, especially LGBTQ bars, in the last few decades, creating safe environments is essential. Irene Dubois feels we can best keep these spaces around by supporting them with our wallets.
“Make sure that the establishment is getting money because that’s how they pay the rent on the building they’re leasing,” Dubois told Gay City News.
Season seven’s Ginger Minj pointed out that many of her patrons in Orlando are actually what we coined during our conversation as “Republican Debbies,” women from the far right who revel in hatred of the queer community.
“Republican Debbie is the first one at the drag show on a Sunday. She’s tipping those dollars and then immediately going home and getting on the internet and talking about how awful our community is,” she said.
And while the queens expressed frustration about the invasion of queer spaces, Ginger made the case that these intrusions can actually provide an opportunity for meaningful conversations across the aisle.
“I’ll take your dollar, and I’ll also take a moment to educate. I think that even if I’m reaching one or two of those 700 people every night, it is enacting change on some small level,” she told Gay City News.
However, out transgender queen Bosco pushed back a bit on this notion when she said, “Can I be a little bit inflammatory with it?” She’s done with trying to play nice with any Republican.
“I’m a little past meeting in the middle with government officials, and I think we just need to vote these assholes out,” Bosco said. “They need to be completely stripped of their power. There’s a certain point you have to put your feet down. Trans people deserve rights. Gay people exist. And I feel like I am so tired of coddling them at this point.”
On a similar note, Olivia Lux thinks Republicans shouldn’t even have a seat at the table when discussing drag because they fundamentally don’t understand it.
“I think they’re just fearful of us being authentically us and being able to outwardly express ourselves and giving others confidence because knowledge is power and drag is powerful, and they’re fearful of it,” she said during the panel with the rest of the queens.
No amount of glitter or hip padding can shield these queens from the harsh realities facing their community. As anti-LGBTQ+ legislation surges across the country, these performers are stepping off the runway and into the fight, not just as drag artists but as activists.
“Patriarchal standards in society crumble when you allow empowerment to go back into the community,” Kerri Colby said. “And I think that’s what trans people represent so unapologetically and so authentically. And I think that it’s something that threatens the Republicans’ base.”
Drag has always been more than wigs and witty one-liners. It’s a mirror, a megaphone, and a middle finger to anyone who thinks queer people should shrink themselves. These queens aren’t just serving looks; they’re serving truth, power, and protest.
