Politics, pop culture and entertainment news of interest to the LGBTQ community
Cristian Hernandez (image courtesy – Cristian Hernandez)An Indiana high school elected an 18-year-old drag queen for prom king, and the win went viral. Continue reading “Indiana High School Elects Drag Queen For Prom King”
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| Ada Vox, drag persona of Adam Sanders |
“Disney Night” on American Idol did not prove to be a magical event for contestant Ada Vox, the drag persona of Adam Sanders, who has been wowing the judges all the way into the talent competition’s Top 10.
Although her rendition of “Circle of Life” from the hit animated musical The Lion King was one of the best performances of the night, she couldn’t garner enough support from the voting public to move on to the top seven.
“How special it is to have you on this show,” said judge Lionel Richie. “You are a movement unto yourself.”
Vox was the first drag queen to ever get this far in the competition.
“Although America might not be ready for people like those of us who are a little bit different,” Vox told HuffPost in advance of Sunday’s show, “I think it’s very important that our talents be recognized.”
In the previous round, Vox was one of the judges’ “saves” from being eliminated. But in Sunday night’s show, the viewers were in charge of the competition and the San Antonio-native apparently didn’t inspire enough votes to advance to the next round.
I’m not an expert on drag but I do think I know talent, which Vox has served up in large portions.
I’m hoping this journey on AI helps propel the queen to a fabulous next chapter.
Disappointed but not shocked that Ada Vox was eliminated from Idol. If we weren’t ready for a woman president, there was absolutely no way we were getting a drag queen Idol.— andrew (@andrewtcourtney) April 30, 2018
WTH American Idol! I’m pissed @AdaVox didn’t go through….The best singer on the show is gone now. Thanks America for ruining my show. Bring Ada Back!#adavox #AmericanIdol #bringadaback #vox— Kyle Green (@kgreen7100) April 30, 2018
This is pure talent. @AdaVox was voted off American Idol because we’re living in a Trump society. If she was a little, white, blonde girl, America would love her. Someone give Ada Vox a record deal already!! She’ll sell out arenas!! pic.twitter.com/ZgTn5Xjy4u— Victoria Clemons (@tori__ec) April 30, 2018
There is still an out musician in the running to win the AI crown this year.
Jurnee Siani, an 18-year-old from Littleton, Colorado, has been open about her sexuality and her wife military veteran Ashley Weathers, since the beginning of the show.
Her performance of “How Far I’ll Go” From Moana earned her a ticket into the top seven. It’s worth noting that an out singer has never won the talent competition.
Watch Jurnee’s performance below.
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| American Idol contestant Ada Vox heads to the Top 10 |
There was quite the dramatic moment last night on American Idol as Ada Vox, the drag persona of Adam Sanders, found herself without enough viewer votes to be automatically advanced to the Top 10.
So, the San Antonio native had to sing for her life. The judges were given the power to “save” four contestants from elimination and head into the top 10.
Choosing the apropos “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls, Ada wowed the judges yet again.
As an emotional Vox waited to learn her fate, Katy Perry quieted the crowd and said:
“I don’t know everything. I’ve got a lot to learn. But I have worked my butt off for over 10 years in the spotlight and these gentlemen on my side (pointing to Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan) – all of us collectively together – how many years would that be, maybe 60? Collectively? I think we do know talent when we see it. I would say that we would like to make an executive decision right now that Ada – you get that seat, baby.”
And with that Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan joined Perry in pointing to the area where the Top 10 contestants were sitting.
Later, Vox commented on the video page below expressing her thanks:
Hey, y’all!!! Firsrly, I wanted to start by saying that I love you all!!!
Secondly, I wanted to make note that I am aware of my much less than perfect vocal. Haha not only did my emotions run wild on me, but before the show, I had an allergic reaction to our lunch which made my tongue and throat swell up almost immediately. So that was fun… Lol. Thank you to everyone who did vote!!! If you want to see me continue on, make sure to vote next week! I promise it will be so much better!
America, we have our first American Idol drag contestant – Ms. Ada Vox.
Watch the clip below.
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| Ada Vox on American Idol |
When Adam Sanders was 19-years-old he made the Top 50 of American Idol in Season 12.
Clearly, Top 50 means he was cut and had to head home.
But Sanders admits he “wasn’t ready.”
“After American Idol I started getting messages on social media every day, people attacked my weight, my sexuality…telling me that I was horrible, that I sucked, that I didn’t deserve to be here, that I shouldn’t be who I am. And I let it get to me in the wrong way. It killed me inside, almost as much as people telling me I should have killed myself.”
“I just kind of disappeared from the world for a while, and in doing that I kind of hurt myself even more. That’s really when I was at my worst, thinking maybe I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I’m not worth the fixing, maybe I’m not worth another try. But through all of the negativity I have managed to build myself up as a new person, as a stronger person. I have recreated myself in ways I could not have imagined.”
Sanders is a bit older and wiser now, and back for a second go-round on American Idol. And this time, he’s Ada Vox – ready to show the world who he is.
There’s a lot of story-telling in the clip below (because that’s what American Idol does…) but get to the where Vox wows the judges with a bit of “House of the Rising Sun.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race might not be the only place a queen can make a name for herself on TV, ok…?
Watch below.
No. No. Wait – you need to see this.
Don’t tell me that my tribe isn’t fierce.
Check out this video of a drag queen dressed as “Elsa” from Frozen freeing a stuck police wagon in a blizzard.
A drag queen dressed as Elsa just single-handedly freed a stuck police wagon from a blizzard in the middle of March. If that sentence doesn’t perfectly encapsulate the spirit of Boston, I don’t know what does.Video credit: Christopher Haynes pic.twitter.com/6IiXVWFVvw
— Sarah McGonagall (@sarahmcgbeauty) March 14, 2018
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| RuPaul |
RuPaul recently got into a kerfuffle with the transgender community when he told The Guardian he would “probably not” include a transgender woman who had fully transitioned to compete on the Emmy Award-winning reality show.
“You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body. It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve had some girls who’ve had some injections in the face and maybe a little bit in the butt here and there, but they haven’t transitioned.”
As the trans community took exception with the remarks, Ru seemed to pour gasoline on the fire with a tweet that seemed to compare transgender drag competitors to doping athletes.
You can take performance enhancing drugs and still be an athlete, just not in the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/HkJjzXzUGm— RuPaul (@RuPaul) March 5, 2018
Alexandra Billings, a transgender star of Amazon’s Transparent, stepped into the fray with a message to Ru via Instagram which read, “Dear RuPaul, You did not invent drag. We did.”
I’m not an expert on drag, so I do have a question:
My understanding is drag is about illusion. Separately, transgender women are women. So, where would the illusion be in trans women competing in a drag competition?
Ru issued a Twitter apology today that didn’t include the word “sorry,” and folks were not calmed by the choice of words.
Each morning I pray to set aside everything I THINK I know, so I may have an open mind and a new experience. I understand and regret the hurt I have caused. The trans community are heroes of our shared LGBTQ movement. You are my teachers. pic.twitter.com/80Qi2halN2— RuPaul (@RuPaul) March 5, 2018
In the 10 years we’ve been casting Drag Race, the only thing we’ve ever screened for is charisma uniqueness nerve and talent. And that will never change. pic.twitter.com/0jsyt6MRvO— RuPaul (@RuPaul) March 5, 2018
so @Rupaul point blank lied in that apology. Casting ALWAYS asked about hormones transitioning etc tellin girls to get off mones/delay transitions til after taping. Ask the dolls. She’s trying to save face and even Mathu’s touch couldn’t save it now— Willam (@willam) March 6, 2018
BBC weatherman Owain Wyn Evans decided to embrace International Drag Day with this hysterical drag themed forecast and he’s quickly going viral.
“The time has come for me to forecast FOR MY LIFE! Now listen guys, I’m going to spill the tea and tell you that some of these clouds today are going to be throwing some serious shade.”
From RuPaul to Conchita Wurst, can you catch all the drag references? Watch below.
It’s #InternationalDragDay! How many drag references can you count in this forecast? 💅🏻 pic.twitter.com/uPRRmSTEvw— Owain Wyn Evans (@OwainWynEvans) July 16, 2017
The fab RuPaul dropped by The Real on Fox to promote the 8th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” (beginning March 7 on LOGO), and along the way was asked to explain the difference between being a “drag queen” and being “transgender.”
Said the wise and wonderful Ru:
“Well, drag is really making fun of identity.
“We are shape-shifters. We’re like, ‘OK, today, I’m this. Now, I’m a cowboy. Now, I’m this.’ That’s what drag is about.
“Transgender [people] take identity very, very seriously, in that their identity is who they are.
“But you know, I come from the school of you know, I’ll do whatever I want to do at any time and change and whatever.”
I’ve explained the difference to folks this way: drag is about performance; transgender is about how some folks view their gender identity.
Mary Cheney, daughter of Dick Cheney, recently commented after seeing a promo for RuPaul’s Drag Race that drag seemed to be another form of “black face.”
Cheney asked on her Facebook page, “Why is it socially acceptable — as a form of entertainment — for men to put on dresses, make up and high heels and act out every offensive stereotype of women (bitchy, catty, dumb, slutty, etc.) — but it is not socially acceptable — as a form of entertainment — for a white person to put on blackface and act out offensive stereotypes of African Americans?”
RuPaul saw a teachable moment.
Check out this “Drag Herstory” lesson.
As Ru says at the end of the clip, “And the most important thing of all, drag never – ever – takes itself too seriously.”
The answer to any situation? “Just Add Coco!”
From the fab and funny Coco Peru.
