Drag has been my life for as long as I can remember it’s my obsession and what makes my heart sing. I don’t see any end in sight – God willing and the creek don’t rise – because there’s a whole new generation of talented drag queens out there. I’ll do whatever I have to do to keep looking fierce to judge those queens. Do you ever see this show dying? Oh, I hope not! We always joke about how Ru and I, 70 and 80 years old, will be there in our wheelchairs under our knitted blankets. There have been Brit, Canadian, Dutch, Thai and (soon to be) Australian seasons. You’re not thinking about death, your life is just beginning.ĭrag Race has had 13 seasons All Stars has had five. How did so much death so early on change your perception of life? At 17 you’re invincible. As I got older, I understood the politics and impact. Far too many funerals for an 18- or 19-year-old girl to be going to. What I was involved in was my friends being diagnosed with HIV, which turned into AIDS, and losing them. Because I was so young, I wasn’t involved in the politics of AIDS. That’s why watching It’s A Sin recently just did me in. Did you lose friends? Oh my god, I’ve lost more than 20 friends. You came of age when HIV/AIDS was at its worst. But it’s when you don’t take responsibility that things can go wrong. All of us have spent those moments where we’re like, “Oh god, why did I say or do that?” That’s part of learning. Your worry is there doesn’t seem to be much room for second chances? You have to be held responsible and I think everybody should be given a second chance. The “you can’t sit with us” mentality is very damaging to a queer person who doesn’t get love at home and has no acceptance. That’s what we need to get back to, where everybody’s welcome. When I first got involved in the community, they didn’t care that I was a cisgender, white, middle-class girl from New Jersey. The bad part is the “you can’t sit with us” shaming mentality. What do you mean by that? It’s helping in that we’re talking about things that maybe weren’t seen as problematic and offensive before. You recently reflected on the queer scene, saying it’s more gay and more politically correct than ever – which is helping in some aspects, killing it in others.
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It’s an island of heaven in the middle of the sea. I know NZ is a small country – 4.9 million people compared to 330 million – but the same response could have been achieved in the US. Everything in NZ surrounding COVID was done right. Can you relate? I could cry talking about it. One British acquaintance of mine said after arriving in New Zealand for work, she felt relief – but also sorrow and anger that her country had failed to respond to COVID-19 responsibly. You filmed Drag Race Down Under in New Zealand.
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I’m excited about the COVID taskforce, for jobs being made available and people getting a stimulus cheque. How are you feeling about the United States right now? Wonderfully excited and hopeful about President Joe Biden, for what he’s doing for gay people and trans people. It was just, like, “I think you’re hot.” Simple as that. If you want to look at it in a broader picture, probably. Sexual relationships, but never relationships. I always felt that it would be rude to bisexuals, because I’ve never had a relationship with a woman. Do you consider yourself part of the queer community? I never looked at it that way. You’ve had sexual experiences with men and women. If I’d valued myself a little bit more, I would’ve realised that I’m worth so much more than a one-night stand. The way I felt wanted was to make every boy or girl I fancied want me. Being an adopted kid, it was about my sense of being wanted. I don’t get tormented by it, but it was my weapon of choice. We always joke on Drag Race about me being a slag.
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If you could get in a time machine and talk to the younger Michelle Visage about sex, what would you say? I would tell her to value herself and her body a little bit more. That’s what we need to get back to.” Credit: SEX Michelle Visage: “When I first got involved in the community, they didn’t care that I was a cisgender, white, middle-class girl from New Jersey.