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For most of her career as a performer, Jinkx Monsoon had to create her own model for success. Whether it was in music, stand-up or especially acting, the acclaimed drag star almost always took a do-it-yourself approach to finding stardom â mostly because opportunities for a transfeminine drag queen were, at best, limited.
âIâve been screaming it for years: âGive drag performers real chances to show what weâre capable of,’â Monsoon tells Billboard over Zoom from her well-appointed New York apartment. âBecause for so long, it was just lacking.â
Lately, though, itâs clear that someone was listening to her plea. On Friday (May 10), Monsoon starred in the newest episode of the beloved British sci-fi series Doctor Who. Titled âThe Devilâs Chord,â the episode revolves around The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) traveling back in time to London 1963, intent on watching The Beatles record their debut album Please Please Me. But when they arrive, something has gone terribly wrong â The Fab Four, along with everyone else in the world, canât seem to hold a tune.
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Enter Maestro, Monsoonâs malevolent, scene-stealing villain. Described by the performer as existing âsomewhere between Greek mythology and Lovecraft,â Maestro introduces themself as an eldritch deity who is the literal embodiment of music itself. Hellbent on hoarding the concept of music for themself to create a symphony out of the ending of the universe, Maestro battles against The Doctor and Sunday using the power of music itself, before being banished by a magic musical chord from younger versions of Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
âThis episode is so over the top and so stylized and heightened, that I felt very honored to be invited in â because I did have confidence in my ability to do that,â Monsoon says. âThereâs parts of it where it feels like Looney Tunes, which makes a lot of sense to be me because music was such a big part of those cartoons.â
Below, Monsoon chats with Billboard about creating a memorable villain for the show, her starring role as Audrey in the current off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, and why she hopes her success opens doors for even more trans performers.
Before we get into Doctor Who, I wanted to say congratulations on Little Shop of Horrors! Itâs such a great role â what has it been like for you to take on this part?
Itâs been strikingly easy! Honestly, I was so anxious about this, and the reason why itâs been easy is because the cast and crew is incredible. They are the best. I was very blessed and lucky to come into a wonderful cast and crew with Chicago, and here I am, again, in another setting where everyone is just happily coming to work to put on a really incredible show. Now that Iâve worked with Corbin [Bleu], I canât imagine anyone else having been Seymour. James Carpinello and I started our rehearsal process together, so we very much feel like weâre in it together. Itâs just been a dream come true.
There was so much anxiety I had about being a transfeminine performer and a drag entertainer coming in to play the female lead and the love interest in a show like this. But no one in the rehearsal process or backstage shared that feeling. Everyone else was so certain that this was going to be a hit, that it was easy to let go of that insecurity. Iâve been in situations where I hide my gender presentation or I donât enforce my pronouns, because I just donât want to be that person, I donât want to be the Norma Rae of everything. But this has been such an affirming experience.
Well, letâs get into your latest role as Maestro in Doctor Who â how did you get involved in this project?
[Showrunner Russell T Davies] came to see this show I did called Together Again, Again, which was written by me and music directed by my music partner Major Scales, where we play ourselves in a dystopian future in our 80âs, and Jinkx has become kind of a monster. Like, full-blown Norma Desmond, but with the brassiness of Rosalind Russell â sheâs grand and delusional. Russell came to see that show, and I guess on the walk home he thought, âJinkx should be Maestro.â Eventually I got the call and he was very forthright, and told me he got the idea from seeing me in that show. That kind of nipped my impostor syndrome in the bud, because my first instinct would have been to say âOh, my friend is trying to give me a leg up in the business.â But I genuinely felt that Russell trusted me to handle this role.
I know youâve been a fan of the series for a while â what in particular about the universe of Doctor Who attracted you as a fan?
I have very eclectic taste in television, and I prefer to live in the realm of fantasy. I like things that are over the top, even to the point that I like watching old sitcoms because itâs a very presentational style of acting. But what I love about Doctor Who is that itâs got good writing, good acting, wonderful guest stars, and captivating plotlines that are, of course, larger than life, but that have a purpose and a meaning. This episode, for example, shows us that music â and just artistic expression â is necessary for our survival. Without it, we would go extinct. I love getting to be a part of that message at a time when I hope weâve realized how essential art is after a pandemic that shut the industry down.
This is a very wild character youâre playing. How would you describe the character of Maestro?
I see Maestro as the embodiment of music, and I see them as a god who would also be interpreted as a demon by many. They are an eternal force that exists in the universe. And when you play a character that is that powerful and has existed for that long, certain things come to mind. First, they create their own rules â we see it in Maestroâs gender expression and pronoun reference. Maestro doesnât care about human rules and societal standards, because theyâre a god. Second, I think characters like that must be really bored. When youâve been alive for a long, long time, you get bored. So, the genuine excitement of meeting someone like The Doctor who actually gives Maestro run for their money â thatâs very, very exciting.
Jinkx Monsoon
Courtesy of BBC Studios
Part of what I loved about your performance was your ability to balance the campy, very arch bits of the character, while also being genuinely scary. What was your approach to finding a balance there?
I like to think about the fact that music can be erratic â Maestro can switch on a dime. And one of the scariest things about a person is when you have no idea what theyâre going to do next. And when you have a character like Maestro thatâs capable of pretty much anything, but you have no idea what theyâre gonna do â thatâs terrifying.Â
When it comes to the campiness, I feel like my whole life has been about studying character actors who make big choices feel natural. I think Bette Midler as Winifred [Sanderson in Hocus Pocus] is a great example â everythingâs Shakespearean and over the top, but like, do we get sick of it? No! So, specifically for the acting style for Doctor Who, I brushed up on Michelle Gomez as The Mistress. When she plays a villain, they are nuanced, and I love that she has flipped so many female archetypes on their side. I really wanted to bring that to Maestro.
Itâs also refreshing to see a show letting a drag performer have a well-written, interesting role, rather than throwing together a collection of stereotypes to make a character.
Yeah, I was extremely honored to be a part of that. There was some anxiety, though, because I thought, âIf I donât deliver, does that mean thereâs not going to be future opportunities?â Luckily, I got welcomed into a beloved, professional, incredible production. Iâve said the words trust and respect over and over, but thatâs what it was â they trusted me to play this character, and they respected me enough not to tone me down. They werenât interested in diluting my performance, all of the direction was to help me refine but not de-queerify things. That was incredible, because trans performers and drag performers before me have made things possible, so that I could take another step forward for the next generation of trans and drag performers to come in behind me. And it feels really exciting to get to pay that forward.
All of this comes amid a string of huge career moments for you â between Doctor Who, Little Shop, your return to Chicago and your upcoming debut solo show at Carnegie Hall. Especially as a drag artist, what does it mean for you to finally be acknowledged and welcomed in these spaces?
There were definitely points in my life where I did not believe in my lifetime that weâd see such progress and representation. And now that we have, Iâll fight tooth and nail to keep it there â I will not let our community be pushed back, because this is beyond my wildest dreams. I was very realistic in my early 20s, and I set attainable goals for myself. Now, I gotta set some new goals.
But I also feel like itâs about goddân time, because queer people have been the backbone of entertainment this whole time. But for so long, we had to hide that part of us to be in front of the camera, because we were not invited. When we started getting invited, it was very homogenized and was very much for straight audiences. And now, we have reached a point where queer people are writing stories with a queer lens and casting queer performers to tell these stories authentically and genuinely. And that is incredible, but I also know the work that weâve all put in.
Yes, I won season five a decade ago, and I experienced so many wonderful things because of that. But it was a completely different game back then, and I just grew to accept that we were considered a subsect of the entertainment industry. But then I got fed up with that. And then thatâs when Ben and I created the Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show, and that went to places we never imagined. I started to believe that we all do what we do, we just do it in drag. Weâre showing the world that just because we do it in drag doesnât mean we do it less than anyone else.
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And thatâs happening despite what certain right-wing lawmakers have to say on the subject.
Theyâre a dying breed, I gotta say. They might be loud, but popular opinion is not on their side. I honestly think with every swing they take at the queer community, itâs another nail in their coffin. And I didnât always feel that way. But I do feel that way now. Our consciousness, our perspective shifting, and these people are getting desperate. When you try to you try to gather everyone against a marginalized group of people hoping that their shared bigotry will rally them behind you, thatâs despicable. I canât think of a lower way of trying to lead your people. I canât think of a bigger bastardization of the job they were hired to do than trying ostracizing and attacking constituents that they swore to protect. It just sickens me, so I will do everything in my power to fight that.
You mentioned needing to set some new goals â with this windfall of success, what have you not yet accomplished that you want to get to in the near future?
You know, I donât even know how to answer that these days. Because, honestly, like â I am so happy with the things Iâve gotten to do recently that I just want to do a lot more of it. Iâm hoping to do a lot more work on stage, Iâm hoping to do more work in front of the camera. I just love when I get to do this, and I want to do a lot more of it. So on my bucket list at the moment is a lot more of the same. I donât feel like Iâve peaked or plateaued, but Iâm not in a rush.
For all the steps forward the music industry has taken when it comes to LGBTQ inclusion, Drag Race stars Trixie Mattel and MonĂŠt X Change say thereâs still a ways to go when it comes to drag musicians.
During the latest episode of Mattelâs podcast The Bald and the Beautiful With Trixie and Katya, Mattel and X Change compared notes about life as a drag musician. When Mattel complimented her guest on her musical talents, X Change asked the host whether or not she felt there would ever be recognition for drag artists at the Grammys.
âI recently have been taking a break from music because I feel the glass ceiling so fiercely,â Mattel said in response. âI think Iâve just gotten to do everything that Iâm going to get to do, because weâre only ever taken seriously about one month a year. And it kind of takes the wind out of your sails. I want to make music, but if I donât have this wig on, no one will pay attention. But because I have this wig on, no one will take it seriously. So then what?â
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X Change agreed, saying that she often asks herself why she continues to make music when the industry doesnât invest in drag artistry. âI often feel like, âWhy am I even doing this,’â she said. ââWhy am I even putting all of this time, effort, money, everyoneâs fâking patience into this thing?’â
Mattel then spoke about the cost of trying to sustain a career in music as an independent artist. âA cheap music video is, like, $30,000. And thatâs when the directors are like, âWell, weâre not going to have food on set, and you wonât have a ride, and thereâs no air conditioning,’â she explained.
X Change jumped in and added that music videos are also billed as being exceedingly necessary in order to maintain a steady following. âThereâs such a machine where itâs like, âWell, you have to do the music video so it gets more press, you can talk about this thing âŚâ and itâs like, one thing does lead to another, but weâre independent artists. I have to self-fund all of this. Thereâs no label behind me pumping all this money into a single and into a project.â
Even with backing from a major label, Mattel pointed out that the industry is still brutal for up-and-coming artists. âI know artists who are signed, and I know about their deals. The record label can collect 80% of what they make, including touring and merch,â she said. âThey could be like, âHereâs $2-3 million ⌠but itâs an advance, which means that it goes against five album sales. So either you make us that much money or, at a certain point, you owe us an extra album because you didnât make good on that amount.â
Each of Mattelâs two studio albums and two EPs â 2017âs Two Birds, 2018âs One Stone, 2020âs Barbara and 2022âs The Blonde and Pink Albums â have charted on Billboardâs Top Album Sales chart, with The Blonde and Pink Albums serving as her highest debut (No. 48). X Change, meanwhile, released her debut EP Unapologetically in 2019, and is currently promoting her forthcoming two-part album Grey Rainbow, with the first volume set to release Friday, May 16, via PEG Records.
Check out the full conversation between Trixie Mattel and MonĂŠt X Change below:
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After making waves in 2022 with a cameo-filled album and award-winning staging, DRAG: The Musical is ready to run full steam ahead â wearing a pair of stilettos, mind you â into 2024. On Wednesday (Dec. 13), it was revealed that the show â which was co-written by RuPaulâs Drag Race alumna Alaska â would […]
A federal judge in Texas ruled Thursday that the stateâs new law restricting drag performances was likely unconstitutional, issuing a temporary restraining order blocking the statute from going into effect on Friday.
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Following similar rulings by federal courts on such laws in Tennessee and Florida, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that Texasâ statute, called Senate Bill 12, likely violated the First Amendment by restricting free speech.
âThe Court finds there is a substantial likelihood that S.B. 12 as drafted violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution under one or more of the legal theories put forward by the plaintiffs,â the judge wrote.
The ruling went in favor of a group of drag performers, drag production companies and non-profits that challenged the law. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, they argued that that S.B. 12 âcriminalizes and restricts an enormous swath of constitutionally protected activity.â
Thursdayâs order came as a temporary restraining order, which will only be in effect until the judge can issue a full written ruling. But the wording of the order indicates that he will likely strike down the law whenever he issues the more detailed decision.
Such a TRO, which can only be issued if a plaintiff proves they will suffer âirreparable harmâ without one, was necessary because the law was set to go into effect on Friday.
âThe court considers the impending infringement on the plaintiffsâ constitutional rights sufficient irreparable harm to warrant enjoining S.B. 12 while a final judgment is drafted,â Judge Hittner wrote.
Following the ruling, Paige Willey, spokeswoman for the Attorney General of Texas, told Billboard: âThe people of Texas were appalled to learn of an increasing trend of obscene, sexually explicit so-called âdragâ performances being marketed to families with children. The Office of the Attorney General will pursue all legal remedies possible to aggressively defend SB 12, the state law that regulates such performances to protect children and uphold public decency.â
A spokesperson for the ACLU did not immediately return a request for comment.
Passed by Texas lawmakers in May and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, S.B. 12 expands criminal restrictions on public performance of sexual conduct. The original bill included explicit references to drag shows, but they were removed in response to criticism. Instead, the final version bans sexual gestures that use âaccessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics.â Violators can face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting events can be fined $10,000 for each violation.
Critics say such statutes, proposed or passed in states across the country over the past two years, are a thinly-veiled attack on the LGBTQ community. The new laws have been closely-watched by the music industry, over concerns that aspects of concerts could run afoul of broad new restrictions.
The ACLU filed its lawsuit earlier this month, arguing that â despite the changes to the wording â the new statute âunconstitutionally singles out drag.â They said it was also âsweepingly overbroad and vague and fails to give adequate notice of what it proscribes.â
âIn its zeal to target drag, the Legislature also passed a bill so yawning in scope that it criminalizes and restricts an enormous swath of constitutionally protected activity, including theater, ballet, comedy, and even cheerleading,â the group wrote.
The suit was filed on behalf of nonprofit LGBTQIA+ organizations The Woodlands Pride and Abilene Pride Alliance; drag entertainment companies Extragrams, LLC and 360 Queen Entertainment LLC; and drag performer Brigitte Bandit.
Earlier this week, Judge Hittner held a two-day trial-like hearing on the arguments from both sides. A final ruling is expected early next week.
At 11:30 p.m. on Friday, June 2, attorney Brice Timmons was at an event in Memphis aptly named Big Gay Dance Party. He was de-stressing and commiserating with his co-counsel about the lack of action from a federal judge on their lawsuit against the state of Tennessee for its âdrag ban.â They had hoped for a ruling before the weekend, but it hadnât arrived yet â so, they resolved instead to celebrate the start of Pride Month.
Then, they checked their phones; the ruling had just dropped. âIt was a ruling that that called the state on the carpet for every every aspect of the lawâs unconstitutionality,â he tells Billboard over the phone. âThe DJ just stopped the music, the announcer came up onto the stage and just yelled, âWe won!â Yeah, that was a high point of my career.â
Throughout his 70-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker found in favor of Timmonsâ clients Friends of Georgeâs, a Memphis-based LGBTQ theater company and drag troupe. The judge determined the Tennesseeâs Adult Entertainment Act (or âAEAâ) was an âunconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech,â and permanently prevented District Attorney General Steven Mulroy of Shelby County, Tenn. â the defendant in the case â from enforcing the law.
While Timmons says that he is âvery proud to have done this work,â heâs not all that surprised by the outcome. âThis has not been very challenging legal analysis â itâs just a new generation of bigots trying the same old tricks,â he says.
Those âtricksâ Timmons refers to had the state appealing to the interest of protecting children from explicit sexual content, claiming that the law was intended to be narrowly applied to only certain kinds of drag performances in public spaces.
But LGBTQ advocates and community members like Friends of Georgeâs pointed out that the lawâs intentional vagueness left the door open for the state to apply the law in a wide variety of ways â a fact that Judge Parker agreed with, saying in his ruling the AEA was âboth unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroadâ in its scope.
When looking at the defense mounted by Tennessee, Timmons recognizes the tactics used. âGoing into court and lying is a long standing legal strategy for governments that want to abuse their power,â he says. âItâs not that their legal theory is simply incorrect; itâs false. So they had to walk into court, to lie about why the law was passed, to lie about what the law says, and to lie about what the effects of the law will be.â
Timmonsâ case, meanwhile, revolved largely around a number of First Amendment legal precedents set by the Supreme Court. In one case â Ashcroft v. ACLU â the Court upheld that a censorship law passed by Congress aimed at preventing children from accessing pornographic material on the internet was a violation of the First Amendment.
âThose laws were much more carefully drafted, and they did not have an a fundamentally inappropriate purpose. They werenât targeting certain types of performers or certain types of websites,â he explains. âAnd still the Supreme Court said, âThe state doesnât get to insert itself into communicative decision making, unless it does so in just the most carefully, narrowly crafted way.’â
Since the ruling was officially released, the state has not officially announced an appeal â it has 30 days from the date of the ruling to file and appeal on the decision. But Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti told The New York Times in a statement not only that the state planned to appeal the decision, but that he feels the law âremains in effect outside of Shelby County.â
Timmons doesnât mince his words when it comes to Skrmettiâs claim: âI think itâs the dumbest thing Iâve ever heard a lawyer say.â He points out that while Judge Parker offered a permanent enjoinment to the district attorney general of Shelby County and not the entirety of the state, he still ruled that the law itself was unconstitutional.
âThat means there is no constitutional application for that law,â Timmons says. âIf Jonathan Skrmetti wants to tell law enforcement officers in the state of Tennessee to go in and force an unconstitutional law, then I guess Iâll just have a cottage industry suing those law enforcement officers.â
As for other states where restrictions or bans on public drag performances have been passed, Timmons says that the Tennessee ruling is going to play a major factor. He knows this from experience â when he answers his phone for this interview, heâs just leaving court in Florida, where he argued as lead council against the stateâs restrictive drag law on behalf of Hamburger Maryâs.
â[The Tennessee ruling] was the first thing that the judge here in Florida asked about during the hearing today,â he says. âIt seems like judge Parkerâs ruling is going to be, you know, a guide for how other courts will address this.â
Timmons says heâs already working with lawyers in Montana and Texas preparing to mount their own suits against their statesâ respective drag bans, and that he and his team will âdo everything we can to help them.â As for the impending threat of an appeal from Tennessee? âWeâve got a good team of lawyers, and nothing succeeds like success.â
After seeing Maren Morris offer her own interpretation of his iconic style, Willie Nelson has some thoughts. On Wednesday (June 7), Morris graced the cover of Billboard alongside drag stars Eureka OâHara, Landon Cider, Sasha Colby and Symone. Surrounded by all kinds of different drag, Morris decided to dress in full Willie Nelson drag, complete […]
Maren Morris downs a shot of tequila with a wince. âI love that weâre taking shots and then saying, âOK, so letâs talk about Ron DeSantis,â â Morris says with a chuckle.
The four drag luminaries sheâs toasting with today â Eureka OâHara, Landon Cider, Sasha Colby and Symone â grimace through their own post-shot puckers at the mention of the Florida governorâs (and now, presidential hopefulâs) name. Itâs an otherwise cheerful weekday in Los Angeles: Pop jams ranging from ABBA to Doja Cat play in the background as the quintet gabs gleefully about everything from Threeâs Company to OâHaraâs adorable dachshund puppy, Princess Pink, who makes occasional appearances nearby.
But the shadow of the world outside canât stay beyond this room for long. The mention of DeSantis â who recently signed a batch of anti-LGBTQ+ bills into law that collectively amount to a full attack on the civil rights of queer and trans people in Florida â is just one reminder that in 2023 alone, over 450 bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights have been introduced by right-wing politicians into state legislatures across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Thatâs more than double the amount of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in the same legislative session in 2022.
The five assembled today frequently, and fervently, use their respective individual platforms to speak against such attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. OâHara, Cider, Colby and Symone are alums (and, in a few cases, winners) of some of TVâs most beloved drag reality shows, like RuPaulâs Drag Race and The Boulet Brothersâ Dragula. Morris, whoâs moderating todayâs discussion, has made a name for herself not only as one of country musicâs brightest stars, but as an outspoken advocate â both onstage and off â for queer and trans people, calling out their mistreatment in the music industry and beyond.
The legislation leveled against those communities spans a wide range of issues â censoring discussions of gender and sexuality in public schools, banning best-practice medical care for transgender youth (and in some instances for adults, too), eliminating nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQ+ community. And another type of legislation has quickly captured national attention: so-called âdrag bans.â In March, Tennessee became the first state to pass a bill into law prohibiting âadult cabaretâ performances (the definition of which includes âmale or female impersonatorsâ) in public or in the presence of minors.
âItâs just now becoming public knowledge how horrible it is there,â says OâHara, who grew up in Tennessee, her voice quivering. âItâs scary to be trans today and to be a drag queen.â Colby puts it simply: âItâs about controlling queer kids.â
After the stateâs ban sparked a legal battle with Memphis-based theater company Friends of Georgeâs, a federal judge temporarily blocked the law. Then, on June 2, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker ruled that the law violates performersâ First Amendment rights and deemed it unconstitutional. The ruling prevents the law from taking effect in Tennesseeâs Shelby County and creates potential for further legal challenges elsewhere in the state. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has already said that he plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
âThis ruling is a turning point, and we will not go back,â said GLAAD president/CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement. âEvery anti-LGBTQ elected official is on notice that these baseless laws will not stand and that our constitutional freedom of speech and expression protects everyone and propels our culture forward.â
But LGBTQ+ advocates in Tennessee point out that, overturned or not, the lawâs initial passage still accomplished one goal: creating a culture of confusion and fear surrounding self-expression in the state. Due to the intentional vagueness of the law, its enforcement would come down to individual interpretation, sparking hypothetical questions like, âIf Harry Styles comes and does a concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and has on a frilly shirt or a skirt or a dressâŚâ posits Morris. âWhat do we do then? In a place like Tennessee, itâs obviously really meant to fearmonger.â
Maren Morris in drag as Willie Nelson photographed on May 9, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hair by Laura Polko at PRTNRS. Makeup by Diane Buzzetta at Blended Strategy. Drag Makeup Consulting by Landon Cider. Manicure by Queenie Nguyen at Nailing Hollywood. Styling by Dani Michelle at The Only Agency. Vintage shirt and bolo tie, Our Legacy jeans, Nick Fouquet hat.
Munachi Osegbu
At least 15 other states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina and Texas, are either considering or have already passed legislation similar to Tennesseeâs drag ban â and thatâs creating an impending sense of dread that keeps the drag stars and Morris fired up. âIf you donât want to go to a drag show, donât go to a drag show. If you donât want to have your kids at a drag show, donât take your kids to a drag show. But donât put that on us!â Symone exclaims. Cider nods in agreement. âThe only part of âgroomingâ that Iâm doing,â he says, âis grooming kids to find joy in their authentic selves.â
Maren Morris: How have you been coming to terms with the number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills passing through the state legislatures around the country? I live in Tennessee, and I feel like thatâs unfortunately at the forefront for a lot of them.
Symone: I donât think Iâve come to terms with it; I think Iâve just realized that I am in a rage about it. Growing up, it wasnât like it is now, and itâs frustrating to see all this hate, this vitriol for people who just spread love and only want to be seen and accepted. I cannot believe in 2023 weâre here. Especially after doing the respective [TV] shows that weâve done and being embraced over all these years, for it to feel like such a backlash is insane to me. I wonât come to terms with it because we deserve everything that you think that we donât deserve.
Morris: Have you seen it affect your own bookings or your friendsâ bookings?
Sasha Colby: Right now, being in gigs with the other season 15 [Drag Race] girls, I feel like in our group chats weâre all very much on high alert and asking our friends, like Aura [Mayari] whoâs in Tennessee, âHow is it?â I think everyoneâs just being very cautious.
Drag is so popular right now [because] itâs hitting a nerve with people, both good and bad. The bad is that they see how good weâre doing and how happy weâre making people and how out of the matrix we are. Kids are coming! Itâs not grooming, itâs just making space for them to be themselves.
Landon Cider: When we were hiding and forced to create secret spaces, we found community. We were bonding and forging these relationships in this underground culture. Now that itâs celebrated in the mainstream, it backfired. Itâs thrown in our face. We didnât force it to be mainstream! They did!
Colby: We werenât allowed in cis spaces. We werenât allowed to be anything but outcasts. And then we share it with the world, and they just want to colonize our thoughts as well as everything else.
Symone: I think it does scare them because of the kids. The kids are seeing us, and they grow up saying, âWell, why would I need to be anything other than this?â That is scary for people who are not of this generation and who grew up a different way.
Sasha Colby photographed on May 9, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hair by Jazlyn Simons. Makeup by James Michael Perez. Michael Ngo custom bodysuit, gloves, and boots.
Munachi Osegbu
Morris: There is not a âone size fits allâ conveyor belt of parenting; everyone has a different thing. Saying that this is all âadultâ â some drag is, absolutely! But Iâve seen the Mrs. Doubtfire reference made a lot, where itâs hilarious if itâs a cis [straight] male in drag. Then itâs OK for the kids to see, but God forbid you see someone truly expressing themselves, entertaining and just being free.
Eureka OâHara: Itâs OK if itâs a joke. But we take this seriously â this gives us inspiration and life. I come from East Tennessee, and I went through all of this times 10 living there. It makes me so mad â I have a trans Black sister who just moved in with me a few months ago, and sheâs finally doing OK after 19 years of being abused. And thatâs what this is.
You all know itâs not about drag. Letâs be real. These [are] scare tactics, and it just gets me so emotional. Itâs about how we express ourselves, and itâs about the youth â because we have the queerest youth weâve ever had right now. And thatâs what theyâre mad about. These kids are learning about who they are before theyâre 18, 25, 30 years old and still have to deal with abuse like this.
Colby: The whole thing with being trans is they sexualize us. Itâs funny when itâs a joke, but as soon as they sexualize us, then theyâre going to want to control, like how they do with cisgender women, how they do with kids.
Cider: Theyâre projecting their own hatred and fear of their own community and their own small âsafeâ spaces.
Morris: Whatâs that saying? âEvery threat from them is an actual admission.â
Colby: Exactly. Itâs always them showing their cards.
Symone: I also just want to put out there that people may think now that itâs just the drag queens, itâs just trans people. But if they can do it to them, then they can do it to anybody else. Donât think that just because theyâre attacking us right now that yâall are going to be somehow exempt from it. Weâre just the easiest targets. Just look at history.
Thatâs another thing that I cannot stand â the misinformation. Know what youâre speaking about, know what youâre saying before you speak. You donât have to like a trans person. But donât say things that you donât know anything about. Educate yourself. Donât put your stuff on somebody else. What did Madonna say? âDonât hang your sh-t on me.â
Cider: Donât push your legislature to take control and tell other people what they can or cannot do [with their bodies]. Usually, it is religious reasons why theyâre doing all of this because their beliefs are binary. When we have this particular religious control, they want to put fearmongering into what has been celebrated because they donât understand it.
Eureka OâHara photographed on May 9, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hair by Jaymes Mansfield. Makeup by Loris Volkle. Marco Marco custom dress.
Munachi Osegbu
Morris: The fact is, they donât have solutions for actual problems â this is their niche thing that they get to go off on. Iâm from Texas, I live in Tennessee, and I do love the community I have there, but these bills almost incentivize us to turn on one another. Theyâre rewarding us to turn each other in, which feels kind of like a Nazi Germany thing where we turn on our own communities.
Colby: And they call it âpatriotism.â
Morris: With drag being more popular than ever right now, how do you think it ultimately influences pop culture?
Colby: We used to be a mirror â like in the â70s, â80s and â90s, we would mirror pop culture. Now we get to be pop culture. We are who celebrities, designers, artists want to work with or are inspired by.
OâHara: Obviously, thereâs so much bad that comes from the hatred and the discrimination. But to have it be publicly talked about and having these discussions â like, how many celebrities have stood up for drag lately?
Cider: Itâs interesting because itâs kind of the flip for me. As a drag king, I donât see myself and my version of my art form celebrated the way that the art of drag queens is. So itâs bittersweet because I see my sisters being catapulted into this stardom, and Iâm so excited and happy for all of them. But when are we going to understand that kings have been around for just as long, if not longer, in some cultures? Sexism and misogyny take over a lot, and thatâs why trans women have been hidden in secret, too; itâs that same misogyny, the same sexism.
I am not trans, but when I see my trans siblings getting attacked⌠If you attack one of us, you attack all of us. And itâs the same when I see my siblings being celebrated â you celebrate one of us, you celebrate all of us. So Iâm celebrating them, but Iâm still waiting for us to be recognized and fully embraced. We see masculinity celebrated on the runway on RuPaulâs Drag Race all the time â in the Snatch Game or Victoria [Scone] and Mo Heart doing these very masculine looks â but we still donât see kings.
OâHara: You talked about the sexism and misogyny â itâs also the heteronormative culture of âMen are men, women are women,â and seeing a drag king is probably even harder for them to see.
Colby: Because they donât know how to sexualize and objectify you.
OâHara: Tea!
Morris: Piggybacking on that, these bills are so vague in their language that itâs intentionally hard to know where the line is between what is drag and what is not, and itâs obviously really meant to eradicate the existence of trans people. I mean, even a lot of these [male] country artists wear tighter jeans than I do.
Colby: And have bigger highlights! But thatâs the thing: All the beauty in country music is always so good.
Landon Cider photographed on May 9, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hair by Wigs By Vanity. Makeup by Landon Cider. Fontasia LâAmour suit, ORTTU shirt.
Munachi Osegbu
Morris: Itâs elevated, right? Dolly Parton famously said that if she wasnât Dolly, she would be a drag queen. Especially when Iâm going into glam for an event, Iâm looking at a lot of yâallâs photos. Like, talk about culture and impact â it affects me, too! I want to sit and be beat for the gods! Even that language â I just said something that was totally born out of this community. I exist in this space of country music, where you donât have to do much to be seen as a brave voice, unfortunately.
Symone: And thatâs why itâs so important for you to be here, because country music â and Iâll also add in rap and hip-hop here â those genres need people to come out and say something more than any other [genre] because those are the ones that are the most heteronormative.
Colby: And they have a lot of peopleâs ears in America. They are two of the most listened-to genres in the country.
Symone: For you to be here and say those things is so important â we need all our divas. We need you to love us now.
Morris: Are there any specific examples of good, helpful allyship that youâve seen from artists in the last few years?
Cider: Aside from you, I look at somebody like Lizzo and the show she did in Nashville recently [with drag performers].
Symone: Yes, completely. If youâre going to Tennessee this summer for touring, get the girls up there. Get some kings up there, too!
Colby: The local girls, too, because the local performers are the ones in danger here, especially in these small towns with a lot of drag. Iâve noticed that a lot of small Southern towns have these safe spaces for queer people, and they are the ones who are going to feel the impact of all this legislation first. We get to be the face and the voice and try to do our best, but itâs these small towns that we really have to be concerned about.
Symone photographed on May 9, 2023 in Los Angeles. Hair by Gigi Goode. Makeup by RYLIE. Marko Monroe custom dress.
Munachi Osegbu
Morris: For anyone who may be reading this, what can people do to help?
Symone: Vote. Thatâs first and foremost.
OâHara: Go to these organizations that work with lobbyists to watch out for the progression of these bills. Because itâs not just at a state and national level that weâre being harmed. Itâs the small community governments, itâs the city governments, itâs these local places. We have organizations like ACLU and places of that nature, every state has those lobbyists â the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition would be a great one for anyone to donate to. Of course you have to vote, but we scream that all day every day. Itâs not just about voting for the president.
A lot of times, I think the most important thing is to take care of the people around you who arenât being looked after. Talk to the quiet queer kids that look scared, that arenât being social. Go befriend the people that donât look happy. Stop being mean girls, and that goes for gay people, too. Step up and be there for each other, for someone other than yourself and the people who make you feel cool.
Cider: Be an active ally when it matters. If youâve shared a smile, a laugh, a memory with a queer person, donât let that memory hide in the closet. Take that memory where it counts â to your pulpits, to your family reunions, to the locker rooms, to the places where you know youâre going to get sh-t on for speaking out for us. Thatâs where it matters the most because maybe itâll open some eyes.
Colby: I always tell my cis-het friends who have children, âYou donât have to go to every protest and stand on your soapbox. What you do have control over is the kids you created. All you can do is leave this world a little better than you left it. Make those kids allies.â
Morris: Is there anything yâall want to ask me?
Cider: Youâre using your platform beautifully already, and we appreciate you, we thank you for everything. But itâs also not a hard thing to do, to be an ally and to use your platform in the way that you do. How would you encourage your peers to do the same?
Morris: I have heard the term âShut up and singâ more times than I can count â thatâs always the cutesy little threat that they like to make. So I would say to my peers who are artists and to record-label heads, publishers, songwriters: I donât think any of us got into this art form to be an activist, but thatâs ultimately thrust upon you to exist in this space and to feel like you can sleep at night. Youâre going to lose fans along the way â that is just part and parcel of being public-facing. But there is a lane that youâre widening; I see it year over year at my shows, the crowd feels so diverse and so safe. I know everyone likes money, but is it worth your biography saying that you never picked a side because both sides pay money to buy a T-shirt?
This story will appear in the June 10, 2023, issue of Billboard.
Despite appearances, Tool singer Maynard James Keenan was not trying to stir the pot when he took the stage in a blonde wig, smeared lipstick and a body-hugging top that accentuated his prosthetic breasts during a headlining set at Daytona Beachâs Welcome to Rockville Festival on Sunday.
While the outfit appeared to be a reaction to the series of controversial bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis recently that ban minors from attending drag shows, Keenan told The Messenger his choice was personal, not political. âIâve been cross-dressing since long before these clickbait-junkie dupes were out of diapers,â said the singer who has been wearing shock makeup and costumes for years, including falsies he first wore in the late 1990s; Keenan noted that heâs been shopping online recently for a new set of stage breasts.
âItâs pretty crazy the technology and the prosthetics nowadays, how theyâve come along, and I just was considering bringing the look back,â added the prog rock vocalist who has long favored outrageous looks, from fetish cop getups to Mexican wrestling masks, pilot uniforms, blue full body paint and superhero costumes. âAnd thatâs really all there is to it. Iâm not a political fella â had nothing to do with Florida.â
While Keenan swears he wasnât trying to poke the eye of culture warrior DeSantis â who is slated to announce his long-expected White House run on Wednesday (May 24) on Twitter â because Welcome to Rockville was an all-ages fest, technically, the singer was in violation of the new law. If anything, Keenan said he was a bit annoyed by the false dots-connecting spurred by his stage attire.
âItâs amazing to me how every single thing you say or do is twisted and conformed into some fundamentalist far-right or far-left agenda,â said Keenan, who will be back on stage this weekend in Columbus, OH at the Sonic Temple Festival.
Now, that said, father of two Keenan, 59, told the outlet that he thinks legal restrictions on drag show attendance is kind of dumb. âI think limiting peopleâs access to anything is absurd,â he said. âGood parenting allows you to teach your kids how to be reasonable and reason and puzzle things out and decide for themselves what the fâk they wanna see or not wanna see.â
Keenan also noted that he does consider himself to be part of the drag community, saying, âI guess so, yeah⌠On occasion, I am a drag queen; Iâve been a drag queen. Iâm casual, so the hardcore people are going to dismiss me as being a tourist.â He added that he feels some affinity for people who use drag as a form of self-expression. âSolidarity with people who are not afraid to express themselves? Absolutely. People that want to express themselves in whatever fâking way they want to express themselves, as long as theyâre not physically directly hurting someone? Yeah, go for it. Iâm all for ya.â
Despite what some lawmakers around the country are trying, the art of drag is not going anywhere. Case in point, RuPaulâs Drag Race continues its supreme reign as the pinnacle of modern reality television.
With its latest season, Drag Race managed to up the stakes not only financially (with a newly-boosted $200,000 cash prize) or in terms of network (the show made the jump from VH1 to MTV this year), but through its execution as well â with its largest-ever cast of 16 talented queens, each episode of the hit showâs 15th season saw every contestant working hard to earn their keep.
While the queens gave their all in each of the maxi challenges â including Drag Race staples like Snatch Game and the Rusical â it was season 15âs lip syncs where the queens really brought their A-game. Whether it was a Lip Sync For Your Life to survive another week on the show, or a Lip Sync Lalaparuza performance in the showâs battle royale format, every queen who appeared on season 15 had to rely on their lip sync abilities in order to impress throughout a season where everyone seemed impressive.
But which of this seasonâs many lip syncs stood out amongst the rest ⌠and which ones failed to impress? Ahead of the finale airing this Friday (April 14), Billboard is taking a look back at all 20 of the lip syncs performed thus far on RuPaulâs Drag Race season 15, and ranking them from worst to best. Check out where your favorite landed below:
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx vs. Spice: Camila Cabello, “Don’t Go Yet”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Rule number one of every lip sync, on or off RuPaulâs Drag Race: you must know the words to the song. Yet in this Lalaparuza lip sync, neither queen could manage to remember the songâs lyrics â with one even choosing the song as a means of sabotaging the other. Both Malaysia and Spice ended up bopping around the stage while trying to hide the fact that they simply had no idea what Camila Cabello was singing on the songâs chorus.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx vs. Salina EsTitties: BeyoncĂŠ, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
The moment that âSingle Ladiesâ began playing in this mid-season Lip Sync For Your Life, members of the BeyHive everywhere got excited â at long last, one of BeyoncĂŠâs most iconic hits would be making its Drag Race debut. But by the time it had ended, even lip sync winner Salina EsTitties was offering up an apology to Queen Bey. Neither queen managed to match the songâs hype or energy in this largely lackluster lip sync, though Salinaâs commitment to recreating the video choreography beat-by-beat was at least admirable.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Loosey LaDuca vs. Spice: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, âDo You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)â
For a song as gritty as âDo You Wanna Touch Me,â we expected these queens to get much more into it than they ultimately did. Both Loosey and Spice seemed to lack the raw, punk spirit of the song, instead aiming for safe performances that would remove them from the Lalaparuza tournament. In the end, Loosey did manage to put some funny moments into the song, earning her early exit from the contest. But, in the words of Marcia Marcia Marcia watching from a couch: âPick it up girls, câmon.â
Watch the full lip sync here.
Amethyst vs. Princess Poppy: Diana Ross, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
Along with knowing your words, reading the room is the key to a good lip sync. Thatâs clearly what Amethyst did when giving her performance to Diana Rossâ rendition of âAinât No Mountain High Enough.â Matching the groove of the song with the vibe of her performance, Amethyst delivered a perfectly serviceable, if not somewhat boring, lip-sync to an iconic song. Princess Poppy, on the other hand, decided to show as much of her âbetween-me-down-thereâ (as RuPaul would call it) as possible, making for a very strange and one-sided lip sync.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Salina EsTitties vs. Spice: Lil Nas X, “That’s What I Want”
The real criminal in this lip sync was the choice of song. Both Salina and Spice did fine given the assignment, but weâre stuck wondering why âThatâs What I Wantâ was the song picked out of all Lil Nas Xâs discography for a Lip Sync For Your Life. âCall Me By Your Name (Montero),â âIndustry Baby,â and even âOld Town Roadâ would have all been much better choices with clearer paths to success for either of these two queens, while âThatâs What I Wantâ offered very little for our performers to act on.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Loosey LaDuca vs. Salina EsTitties: Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Hear us out on this one. Yes, objectively speaking, this was a very bad lip sync â Loosey and Salina tried âRunning Up That Hillâ and instead came tumbling down it. But sometimes, a performance can be so bad that it transcends objectivity and becomes compelling again, and thatâs what ended up happening here. A lip sync is meant to entertain, and watching a very sad sea monster and a hot-dog-fingered abstract painting try to convey the complicated emotions of Kate Bushâs classic single turned out to be very entertaining, indeed.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Sugar vs. Spice: Pat Benatar, “You Better Run”
Much like the âRunning Up That Hillâ lip sync, the inevitable showdown between Sugar and Spice entered into âso bad itâs goodâ territory pretty early on. Watching these twinning queens work together with matching choreography in a competitive lip sync, only to have one of them actually face-plant twice on national television is the kind of high-camp comedy weâve come to expect from Drag Race. Itâs giving pure chaos, which we simply love to see.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Anetra vs. Luxx Noir London vs. Jax: Vanessa Williams, âThe Right Stuffâ
There is no denying after watching season 15 that Anetra, Luxx and Jax are all incredibly gifted lip sync performers in their own right. But when tasked with performing at the same time to Vanessa Williamsâ iconic âThe Right Stuff,â it suddenly became very hard to follow who was doing what. Had this been a classic head to head showdown between two of these three, we imagine this lip sync could have been one for the books. But by introducing a third queen, the stage suddenly became too jumbled with kicks and splits and drops to fairly discern which queen was winning.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Anetra vs. Mistress Isabelle Brooks: David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland, “When Love Takes Over”
The final showdown ahead of the season 15 finale was another bit of proof that dancing and stunts are not what makes a good lip sync performance. For the majority of this head-to-head, both Anetra and Mistress Isabelle Brooks remained in their respective spots on the stage, choosing to let their faces do the performing. Sure, we still got some duck-walking from Anetra and some speedbag punches from Mistress, but this lip-sync was sold by the passion in both queensâ faces throughout.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Amethyst vs. Irene Dubois: Ariana Grande, “7 Rings”
If you listen to the beat and tempo of Ariana Grandeâs â7 Rings,â youâll realize that the starâs casual-flex anthem is not that easy to dance to â and yet both Amethyst and Irene Dubois still managed to bop and shake their way into a memorable premiere lip sync. While Ireneâs laid-back, sexed-up performance certainly managed to pull our attention, Amethystâs spot-on embodiment of the trackâs energy won her the day, with Ariana herself smiling in approval.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Jax vs. Robin Fierce: The Bangles, “In Your Room”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
The Bangles may not be an obvious pick for a RuPaulâs Drag Race lip sync smackdown, but you wouldnât be able to tell by the way that Jax and Robin Fierce performed to their single âIn My Room.â Offering up two completely different performances, Robin showed off her flowing dance chops, while Jax proved to be a lightning-fast, endlessly agile performer, each stunning the judges in their own ways. Even with her A-tier stunts and choreo, Jax still got a run for her money from Robin, making their face-off all the more entertaining to watch.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Luxx Noir London vs. Salina EsTitties: Celine Dion, âItâs All Coming Back To Me Nowâ
Lip-synch smarter, not harder. That may as well have been Salina EsTittiesâ motto when she faced off with Luxx Noir London to Celine Dionâs iconic âItâs All Coming Back To Me Nowâ for the Lalaparuza. Picking and choosing when in the song she would serve emotion, camp or sexuality, Salina proved to be a master of timing with this performance. For every beat of the song, she kept viewers on their toes, wondering where she would take them next â which helps, since it left few eyeballs on Luxxâs lip sync.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Loosey LaDuca vs. Luxx Noir London: Hayley Kiyoko, “For the Girls”
There is nothing better in a Lip Sync For Your Life than seeing a queen who will do whatever she has to in order to stay, which is exactly what we got with Luxx and Looseyâs Hayley Kiyoko showdown. Where Loosey tried to show some restraint, Luxx let herself go wild in this performance. Utilizing dips, drops and more hair flips than we can could, Luxx proved that sometimes, the key to winning is being nothing but utterly confident.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Anetra vs. Jax: CeCe Peniston, “Finally”
At the end of a lip-sync marathon and performing their third number in a matter of minutes, Anetra and Jax were both understandably tired by the time they arrived at CeCe Penistonâs âFinally.â But even when they were both worn down, this pair of lip sync superstars managed to turn out one of the highest-energy lip syncs of the season. Pulling out every dance move in their repertoire to this certified bop, the queens gave viewers whiplash with how quickly we felt ourselves bouncing back and forth between their gag-worthy moves, resulting in a photo-finish decision from the judgesâ panel.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx vs. Marcia Marcia Marcia: Anitta, âBoys Donât Cryâ
Everyone loves an underdog. When Marcia Marcia Marcia was seemingly singled-out for this Lalaparuza lip-sync as a queen who could be beat, she had a tall task when it came to proving herself. Yet prove herself she did, showing everyone that she wasnât joking when she said she was a classically-trained dancer. Every move in this performance was purposeful and clean, as Marcia whipped around the stage like a hurricane made of pure drag, leaving Malaysia deep in her wake.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Amethyst vs. Salina EsTitties: Janelle MonĂĄe, “Q.U.E.E.N.”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Guest judge Janelle MonĂĄe said all that needed to be said when she started screaming mid-lip sync. When the original artist cannot help but yelp at your performance, you know youâve done something right. Amethyst and Salina both knew their assignment from the songâs first note âthe lyrics literally instruct you to be âa freak for getting down.â But it was Salina who embodied every ounce of swagger found in âQ.U.E.E.N,â while also adding her perfectly-executed bits (like losing her skirt for the âskirt on the groundâ lyric) to make this lip sync one for the history books.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks vs. Jax: Taylor Dayne, âTell It To My Heartâ
Going up against a noted lip-sync assassin like Jax would be nerve-wracking for any queen ⌠unless, of course, youâre Mistress Isabelle Brooks. The self-proclaimed âheavyweight champâ earned her title with this stunning lip sync to âTell it to My Heartâ. Instead of falling into the trap of attempting to outdance a trained dancer, Mistress instead focused on the drama of the song, utilizing her already-commanding stage presence for a phenomenal embodiment of this late â80s dance-pop classic.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Aura Mayari vs. Jax: Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa, “Sweetest Pie”
There was no âPieâ leftover after this lip sync ended, because Jax ate and left no crumbs. While Aura struggled to remember all the words to Megan Thee Stallionâs rapid-fire rap, Jax remained cool, calm and collected while hitting every word and every movement of this song with perfect precision. Every flip and roll she did throughout the number landed with grace, fluidly transitioning each time into her next âoh my god how did she do thatâ trick. Weâd say that Aura did a good job, too, but if weâre being honest, we kind of forgot that she was there about halfway through this incredible routine.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Anetra vs. Sasha Colby: Fifth Harmony, “I’m In Love With A Monster”
There is a reason that this lip sync was the showdown fans had been waiting for until it finally happened in episode 8. Anetra and Sasha are two of the best lip sync artists in the showâs history, and having them battle it out to Fifth Harmony halfway through the season felt like a gift for fans whoâd been dedicated to keeping up with the season. Both queens had their words, their stunts, their acting and their presence down to a science throughout this high-octane number, never letting up on the gas. How the judges decided which of these two won or lost is simply beyond us.
Watch the full lip sync here.
Anetra vs. Marcia Marcia Marcia: Doja Cat, “Boss Bitch”
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
By every possible metric you can judge a lip sync from RuPaulâs Drag Race, Anetra and Marcia Marcia Marciaâs âBoss Bitchâ performance gets a perfect score. Words? Dance moves? Face-serving? Storyline? Moments that make you say out loud âwait did she actually just leap over her body?â 10âs, 10âs, 10âs across the board.
Anetra and Marcia definitively showed what makes the Lip Sync For Your Life format â and for that matter, the art of lip-synching itself â so compelling; from the moment Doja Cat groaned âMmm, I ainât tryna,â both queens kept their audience rapt while they masterfully executed perfectly plotted-out presentations. While there were plenty of excellent lip-syncs throughout season 15, none of them came close to the masterclass displayed here.
Watch the full lip sync here.
A federal judge on Friday (March 31) temporarily blocked Tennesseeâs first-in-the-nation law placing strict limits on drag shows just hours before it was set to go into effect, siding with a group that filed a lawsuit claiming the statute violates the First Amendment.
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The decision comes after Memphis-based Friends of Georgeâs, an LGBTQ+ theater company, filed the federal lawsuit Monday against Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and the state.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker issued the temporary injunction after hearing arguments on both sides Thursday.
Parker wrote that the state has failed to make a compelling argument as to why Tennessee needed the new law, adding that the court also agrees the statute is likely vague and overly broad.
The word âdragâ doesnât appear in the new law, which instead changed the definition of adult cabaret in Tennessee to mean âadult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors.â Furthermore, âmale or female impersonatorsâ are now classified as a form of adult cabaret, akin to strippers and topless, go-go and exotic dancers.
The law banned adult cabaret performances from public property or anywhere minors might be present. Performers who break the law risk being charged with a misdemeanor or a felony for a repeat offense.
âThe law prohibits a drag performer wearing a crop top and mini skirt from dancing where minors might see it, but does not prohibit a Tennessee Titans cheerleader wearing an identical outfit from performing the exact same dance in front of children,â the initial complaint contends.
Parker also listed concerns aligning with the groupâs argument that the law was overly broad, questioning the location specifications of a cabaret entertainment venue that might be viewed by a minor.
âDoes a citizenâs private residence count? How about a camping ground at a national park?â Parker wrote. âUltimately, the Statuteâs broad language clashes with the First Amendmentâs tight constraints.â
The complaint also details the efforts last year to block a drag show at a park in Jackson, west of Nashville, as part of a Pride festival. A legal complaint spearheaded by Republican state Rep. Chris Todd and Republican state Sen. Ed Jackson sought to prevent the show, forcing organizers to reach a settlement to hold the event indoors with an age restriction.
âAfter abusing the state courts to violate the First Amendment rights of Jackson Pride, Rep. Todd âwas asked to come up with legislation that would make this much more clearâ â that drag performances in front of children are a violation of Tennessee law,â the complaint argues.
Parker referenced Toddâs actions in his Friday decision, saying the state attorney generalâs office failed to give a clear answer on the purpose of the new law given Tennesseeâs current obscenity laws.
During Thursdayâs hearing, Mulroy told the judge that he didnât object to a temporary restraining order.
âThere has been much concern and confusion about the law from the community,â Mulroy said in a statement to The Associated Press. âThis will allow the court to clarify the scope, application, and constitutionality of the statute. Itâs important to understand the scope of this law so that it doesnât have a harmful effect on constitutionally protected expression.â
A spokesperson for the attorney generalâs office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Friday.
The Tennessee drag law marks the second major proposal targeting LGBTQ+ people passed by state lawmakers this year. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law GOP-backed legislation banning most gender-affirming care.
Lee has faced criticism for approving the anti-drag show law, particularly since a photo surfaced of him as a high school senior dressed in womenâs clothing in 1977.
Lee called comparing the two issues âridiculous.â When asked for specific examples of inappropriate drag shows taking place in front of children, Lee did not cite any, but said he was concerned about protecting children.