Jinkx Monsoon Drops 'The Lavender Song' To Fight Anti-Drag Bills

“What makes them think they have the right / To say what God considers vice? / What makes them think they have the right / To keep us out of paradise?”

Jinkx Monsoon, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season five and All Stars 7, has released a new version of “The Lavender Song.” Originally, this was a German cabaret song written in the 1920s, and it was widely considered one of the world’s first queer anthems.

“When ‘The Lavender Song’ was written, it was a moment in history when queer people were gaining steam, resilience, and power… and then they were squashed out,” Monsoon said in a statement. “We’re in another similar moment in history, and that’s why I wanted to bring this song back. To honor our queer ancestors, and send an urgent reminder that we won’t back down.”

The original “The Lavender Song” was written by Kurt Schwabach and Mischa Spoliansky, with Monsoon’s new version being produced by her longtime collaborator Major Scales.

“The Lavender Song” was written during a queer renaissance period in the 1920s, right before Nazi Germany rose to power in the 1930s and turned the LGBTQ+ community – among other minorities – into direct targets.

Thus, releasing a new version of “The Lavender Song” at this time is Monsoon’s way to fight back against the current anti-drag and anti-trans bills being pushed by conservatives in the US. In fact, a portion of the “proceeds from streams and sales of ‘The Lavender Song’ will support gun violence prevention initiatives across the US” – which, unlike drag performers, is a real threat to children right now.

Monsoon started out 2023 with a history-making run in Chicago on Broadway, where she played the character of Matron “Mama” Morton. After finishing up her recent Broadway stint, the Queen of All Queens was cast on Doctor Who – though details about her role are still being kept a mystery. Over the summer, Monsoon will embark on her largest-ever tour, Everything At Stake, across North America.

The two-time Drag Race winner is having a landmark 2023, and it feels like Monsoon season is unstoppable at this point. Needless to say, we couldn’t be more excited for the Queen of All Queens to keep taking over the world!

More information and tickets for Jinkx Monsoon: Everything At Stake can be found on the tour’s official website.