It might have reached its finale last week, but I still can’t stop thinking about the last episode of series six of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
It’s because I resonated with runner-up Eureka!’s final speech so much, in which they so beautifully but emotionally poured out the importance of their drag journey.
“The world looks at people like me and they see laziness, undisciplined, insecurity, a morbidly obese loser…” they said before reminding the audience to not count people like them out, and that were a winner, regardless of the series outcome.
Whatever you want to call it, plus size, big, thick-set… I too am fat, and have had the feelings of being unaccepted by society all my life as a result.
The media both online and irl would have us believe that we now live in a world where plus size people are given more space to thrive. Thanks to stars such as Lizzo, inclusivity in brands such as Savage x Fenty and social influencers across Instagram and TikTok, fat acceptance looks like it’s on the rise. But in reality, for your everyday fat person, it’s not.
I’m fat. I have been all of my life. I’ve never let my size stop me from doing what I want to do, but I have often faced physical and emotional barriers because of my body type.
The recent season of Drag Race All Stars welcomed back a bevy of drag queens for its sixth season, four of whom were plus size. The stand-out star from the series, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, who graced our screens for an entire episode, showcased that it wasn’t just skinny, pristine and long-legged queens who could shablam and death drop their way to a shantay, as they countlessly shocked and surprised us surviving lip sync after lip synch during episode ten of the series. Ginger Minj brought comedy and heart to the series and whilst Jiggly Calente had another chance at the crown, it was Eureka!, during their final speech which really left a mark on me, and still does almost a week later.
A few months ago, I sought weekly therapy sessions as I felt I was in the midst of an identity crisis. I was really struggling trying to grasp where I fitted in and where I belonged, as the person I was on the inside, didn’t really reflect what I represented on the outside. For years, I too, have never felt a sense of belonging anywhere. Watching Eureka! touch so emotionally on this exact feeling during their speech made me realise the importance of inclusive spaces for all, including myself, and how finding a space which lets you call the shots and lets you be you, unapologetically, is really what most of us are searching for.
It was an emotional reminder that I too need to find my version of drag, and that it’s okay to not have to be switched on all the time, sometimes forcing fake smiles and comedy to present to others that I’m not what they perceive me as. Not being your true authentic self is exhausting, and I’m knackered. I hope I find my own version of drag someday, but seeing the Eurekas, the Silkys, the Lizzos and all the other fat babes thrive as beautiful, plus size entertainers in spaces they’ve created for themselves – gives me nothing but joy, and a whole lot of hope.
putasinghonit 