I’m not mad solely at Sharon because unfortunately there are many other drag queens and artists and performers out there who think it’s ok to be racially offensive and call it art. It’s nothing new. And obviously I do not think she is a racist and I really don’t think she means any harm, she’s just ignorant and needs to learn some shit about the world. My problem is that she has such a HUGE influence, especially on really impressionable young people, and she’s influencing those young people to think it’s alright to say or do ignorant shit and it’s harmful. You can’t fucking deny it’s harmful. Look at the way some of her fans have lashed out; they’re telling actual PoC that they’re not allowed to be offended by racist slurs that have oppressed them for their whole lives because a drag queen said that it was “art.” If you don’t think that’s fucking harmful then I really don’t know what to say to you.
“I love the way your mind works. But that made no God damned sense. Hahaha.”
This was a really ugly moment from Sharon for me, who i usually adore and defend like nothing else. But , as a Puerto Rican , im getting really tired of all the whole no habla engles jokes, when it comes to a queen who has trouble with english. Not just from her either, if i remember correctly i recall blogging about Delta Work in last season’s show making reference to Yara Sofia’s ethnicity as a gimmick she uses on the show. Im really glad Kenya spoke up about it. Because at first i thought the zaniness of Kenya’s Beyonce was physical comedy to overcompensate for her accent. But when she started to explain it, i got what she meant. How Beyonce is “Beyonce” and this alter ego she concocted of Sasha Fierce is her more primal side, and how Kenya wanted to portray that in the snatch game ( poorly portrayed ) but i got what she was saying. So Kenya knows she’s up for elimination, she knows she might be going home, she knows she slipped up, and when she tries to explain what happened, she gets laughs in her face.. I don’t speak a lick of spanish either so it’s not like i had some sort of edge in deciphering what she was saying. I just feel like instead of hearing her out Sharon saw an opportunity to poke fun at her accent. I did see Sharon hug Kenya after that which i hope/assume was in some vein of an apology. Yeah they’re all catty queens and all that and im sure they pitch a fair amount of bullshit at each other on a daily basis, and it may not have been done in malice, but when you’re pretty much isolated from your group over something that is distinctly you that you can’t change, the jokes tread on a fine line of obnoxiousness.
Would you date a drag queen?
Ive seen Sharon Needles mention on Facebook that this issue has been passed for a while now ( Jiggly Caliente was receiving some online hazing over the subject, understandably ) , and im glad to hear that. What was said was very offensive. If you wouldn’t do something, then that’s you. No one is even telling you that you can’t voice your opinion. But to say it’s “disgusting” , is a really thoughtless thing to say. There is nothing inherently wrong with two Drag entertainers having a relationship together at all. ( i actually kind of envy that two creative people can enjoy being in a relationship together ) And to say that you find it ‘disgusting’ doesn’t properly convey that it’s just not something you’re into, but instead shows the opinion you have of the two people who conduct that kind of relationship. Which is a type of thinking i find really odd coming from a homosexual man that performs drag. I just pictured Jiggly being a little more open minded. But like Sharon has said , they’ve patched it all up so cool beans.
