Drag Race's lack of diversity is failing the LGBTQ+ community

Bring in the kings — The decision to cast the show's first cis-het contestant has sparked a furore, and speaks to Drag Race's ongoing failure to represent the diversity of its queer fanbase.

RuPaul’s Drag Race is no stranger to controversy. The show, which started out in the USA but now has versions in the UK, Canada, Australia, Spain, Holland, Thailand and more, has come under scrutiny, in particular, for its lack of representation. Female, femme, trans and non-binary people, and drag styles such as kings, things and monsters, have long fought for spaces on the programme, which posits itself as “the olympics of drag”. 

Fresh controversy has emerged in the last few days following the announcement of the US version’s Season 14 cast, with a line-up of contestants which includes Maddy Morphosis –  described as the first cisgender, straight male queen on the show. Fans have been quick to point out that, to date, no drag kings have been cast on the show, with Victoria Scone, who appeared in season three of the UK version of Drag Race, being the first and only ciswoman to be cast across any of the franchises in the programme. 

Let’s get one thing straight (pun most definitely intended), the argument is not  – and should not be – that straight men should not do drag. The Channel 4 series Drag SOS, for example, offered a nuanced take on the make-over show format and included a variety of people doing drag – among them, straight men. Neither is the argument that drag has never been done by straight men. I’ve spent my career researching or creating drag shows, both as an academic and a producer, and the history of drag is far richer, more diverse and complex than that which we’ve seen on TV screens to date. 

In the furore around the casting of a straight man on Drag Race, many have been quick to point out that straight men have done drag throughout history (Shakespeare! Panto! etc). The problem is, any reading of sexuality or drag in the past needs much more sensitivity than just assigning contemporary labels – a sensitivity which, as ever, is sorely lacking in much of the discourse on the subject. 

The lack of nuance, however, is just the top of the iceberg. In the days since the announcement Twitter, specifically Gay Twitter, has been awash with arguments, opinions, call outs and take downs. The overwhelming discourse since the cast announcement has been about the casting of a straight man rather than about the casting of two trans women from the Global Majority – Kerri Colby and Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté – who will be competing alongside Maddy. A cynic might argue that the outrage and counter outrage flowing from the decision is exactly what producers had hoped for. A way to breathe life into a show which, with a new season seemingly every month, feels close to reaching its saturation point. 

Again, and it cannot be stressed enough, this is not to say that straight men shouldn’t do drag or be on the show. Instead the point is this: when a straight man is on the show at a moment where the representation of trans and/or non-binary people is only just starting to feel like it has gained a critical mass (to give just one example of the issues of “diversity” on Drag Race) feels like a kick in the teeth to those communities and performers. When the presence of a straight man in the casting announcement overshadows the presence of two trans performers, that is even worse. To cast a straight male drag queen before putting drag kings on the show feels equally galling, as is the implication that kings and queens can’t partake in the same competition because they’re different forms. (I’ve co-ran Not Another Drag Competition since 2016 which has had kings, queens, things, monsters and more all competing alongside one another very successfully). 

In interviews since the cast announcement, Maddy Morphosis has demonstrated an awareness of the complex position she takes up on the show and in the wider drag community, and has spoken eloquently about how she positions herself within the drag scene where she started out. It is this nuance and understanding which has been absent from many of the decisions in the marketing of the latest season, with  repeated references to Drag Race casting its first “straight, cisgender male queen” overshadowing and dulling an important conversation about drag as a form of performance and as a way of supporting queer communities. What could have been an opportunity to explore the complex ways in which queer comminities and drag performance might act as homes for a wide variety of bodies and identities has instead become a publicity stunt intended to cause outrage. 

But beyond this, it also represents the end-point of a liberal identity politics where inclusion and including everyone becomes the most important position, rather than asking questions such as ‘what does it mean to include everyone?’, or perhaps ‘who is drag for, by and about?’. Neither of these questions have simple answers, but the questions aren’t even being asked in the first place, where the inclusion of a straight male performer is being seen as part of the same diversification of Drag Race as casting female and trans and/or non-binary performers. And, simply put, this is not the same. Fundamentally, this decision alongside the wider “diversification” of the show seems to be a lacklustre attempt to get everyone a seat at the table, instead of recognising that the table is broken in the first place. 

Drag Race has always claimed to represent something different. To create space to showcase and uplift not only queer performers, but their struggles and the communities they hale from. “We as gay people,” RuPaul once famously said, “get to chose our family”. The show positions itself as showcasing the best of drag, but in order to do this, Drag Race has a responsibility to reflect the true diversity of these communities and various scenes instead of casting to cause controversy. This decision by Drag Race’s producers feels rushed, sensationalised and careless.

The response to this, perhaps, is to insist on more nuanced conversations about who gets to do drag and, more importantly, who gets to succeed in drag beyond the Eye of Sauron that is RuPaul. To look beyond Drag Race and to uplift, support and platform performers who don’t get cast on the show with the same spirit and fervour as “RuGirls”.

 

Follow Joe Parslow on Twitter.

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

 

 


Latest on Huck

Smiling person in black wetsuit riding surfboard on calm ocean with rocky hills in background.
Sport

Maryam El Gardoum is breaking new shores for Morocco’s indigenous surfers

The Amazigh Atlantic — Through her groundbreaking career and popular surf school, the five-time Moroccan champion is helping women find their places in the waves.

Written by: Sam Haddad

Dimly lit underground carpark, long winding corridor with concrete walls, floor, and pipes above.
Activism

Youth violence’s rise is deeply concerning, but mass hysteria doesn’t help

Safe — On Knife Crime Awareness Week, writer, podcaster and youth worker Ciaran Thapar reflects on the presence of violent content online, growing awareness about the need for action, and the two decades since Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy.

Written by: Ciaran Thapar

Colourful embroidered jackets worn by two people, with skateboarder visible in background. Bright colours and graphic designs on the clothing.
Sport

Volcom teams up with Bob Mollema for the latest in its Featured Artist Series

True to This — The boardsports lifestyle brand will host an art show in Biarritz to celebrate the Dutch illustrators’ second capsule collection.

Written by: Huck

Black and white image showing a group of shirtless men socialising, some laughing.
Culture

A visual trip through 100 years of New York’s LGBTQ+ spaces

Queer Happened Here — A new book from historian and writer Marc Zinaman maps scores of Manhattan’s queer venues and informal meeting places, documenting the city’s long LGBTQ+ history in the process.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Four persons - three women and one man - posing outdoors. The women are wearing elaborate clothing and jewellery.
Culture

Nostalgic photos of everyday life in ’70s San Francisco

A Fearless Eye — Having moved to the Bay Area in 1969, Barbara Ramos spent days wandering its streets, photographing its landscape and characters. In the process she captured a city in flux, as its burgeoning countercultural youth movement crossed with longtime residents.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A person wearing a black cap and holding a sign that says "What made me"
Music

Tony Njoku: ‘I wanted to see Black artists living my dream’

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s avant-garde electronic and classical music hybridist Tony Njoku.

Written by: Tony Njoku

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.