Now is not the time to be afraid.
LGBTQ+ rights are under attack in the United States, but the queens of RuPaul's Drag Race are standing up at a time it's needed most.
While celebrating the 1000th show of RuPaul's Drag Race Live, the top six competitors from Drag Race season 17 including Suzie Toot, Lana Ja'Rae, Lexi Love, Onya Nurve, Jewels Sparkles, and Sam Star took some pictures at a popular Las Vegas attraction and ran into a heckler.
"We did get hate crimed! Suzie Toot can't catch a break. We were taking photos in front of the Las Vegas sign and we had to cut everybody because we're famous and we have things to do. As we were taking pictures, someone went, 'Boo! Not in front of the children,'" Toot tells PRIDE.
In typical and brave drag fashion, the queens didn't just listen to the hatred and move along. Nurve and Ja'Rae stood up for themselves and their Drag Race sisters against the attack.
"Onya and Lana went right up to them and said, 'What did you say?' It was really good. Speak up when something f***ed up is going on!"
Although it's very unfortunate that hateful rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community is still in full effect, Toot is reminding everyone to stay strong and keep fighting despite all of the negativity.
"During political unrest, arts and culture thrive because it is more necessary than ever. People need not only an escape, but also a mirror and reflection of what is happening. What we can do besides calling our lawmakers and voting — if you're not voting, you're not a Tooter — is make art and support art. It's going to keep us sane and focused on the mission."
RuPaul's Drag Race airs Friday nights on MTV. To see the full interview with Suzie Toot, check out the video at the top of the page.
