In an interview that aired Friday on MSNBC’s “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Jinx Monsoon denounced a Republican-led legislative push to ban drag performances.
Monsoon told Ruhle, “What I want to say to the people trying to oppress my community right now is, look, every time you’ve tried to oppress a community in America, that’s what happened.” “You tried to oppress women, women got the vote. You tried to oppress people of color, we are not going to accept that anymore.
“We are not going to accept that some citizens just have to sit outside and live on the outside of our society, because that is not what this country was founded on,” he said.
Lawmakers from at least 16 states have proposed legislation so far this year that would prohibit drag performances, according to an NBC News analysis. Most of the bill would ban performance in the presence of minors and impose fines of thousands of dollars. Some would publicly ban the art form and jail repeat violators.
This month, Tennessee became the first state to enact such a law, banning “adult cabaret entertainment” on public property or in places where it can be viewed by minors. Artists who violate the law more than once can be charged with a felony and face up to six years in prison.
Proponents argue that these measures are necessary to protect children from exposure to inappropriate entertainment.
Critics such as Monsoon say these bills unfairly target the art form because of its deep ties to the LGBTQ community.
Monsoon, who currently plays Matron “Mama” Morton in Broadway’s “Chicago,” won season five of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.” She speculates that the recent wave of anti-drag legislation is a response to “fear” of shifting gender norms in America.
“We have been conditioned to believe that there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way of doing things and a ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ way of doing things,” she said. If you’ve spent your whole life following rules and then you’re told those rules don’t really exist.”
“We need to be told that whatever works for you is natural and normal and right,” he said.
Monsoon, who identifies as nonbinary and uses he/those pronouns when not in drag, also addressed a controversial speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference this month, where a speaker said, “Public life Transgenderism should be completely eradicated from India.” He said. speaker’s remarks That wasn’t really what scared her the most.
“I’m more scared of people who clap for it,” he said.
When asked by Ruhle what his message was to LGBTQ people who are fearful amid the current political climate, Monsoon advised them to move to areas of the country where they can “find their community.”
Monsoon said, “There are places where it’s safe to be queer, or a drag queen, or trans at any age, and there are places in this country where it’s not.” “I mean, they’re still debating whether we deserve to live in certain parts of our country.”
“We need you with us to keep fighting for our freedom and liberty and equality,” she continued. “And if you have to move to a more metropolitan area, until the rest of the country catches on, you know what to do to keep yourself safe and find your community so that you can live your life truthfully and without May you live with regret.”
To that Rühle replied, “Madam, you don’t just exist – you shine.”
