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‘Manufacturing Hysteria’: Activist Who Weaponized CRT Tells Conservatives to Make Drag Queens ‘More Lurid’

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Christopher Rufo, the far right activist who intentionally turned a college-level school of thought to examine social structures for systemic racism into a fear-mongering right-wing nationwide panic, is now focusing his attacks on LGBTQ people, by effectively weaponizing transgender identity.

Rufo, a senior fellow at the right-wing Manhattan Institute, is the man behind the right’s false panic and fury over CRT, Critical Race Theory. He’s bragged he wants to “have the public read something crazy in the newspaper and immediately think ‘critical race theory,’” and “put all of the various cultural insanities under that brand category.”

Now he’s applying that model to attack the LGBTQ community – especially transgender people and drag queens.

Rufo wants the right to turn a commonly used phrase, “drag queen,” one that many people both gay and straight use to refer to themselves, into something “more lurid” and sexual.

“Conservatives should start using the phrase ‘trans stripper’ in lieu of ‘drag queen,’” Rufo said openly Friday on Twitter, despite drag queens not generally being transgender. “It has a more lurid set of connotations and shifts the debate to sexualization.”

He thinks the 1.6 million people across America who identify as transgender should be victims of his weaponization of their very being.

Rufo knows what he’s doing is twisting language into an attack, and admits that when he uses the word “trans” people think “transgender,” but he outright states: “we can say that ‘trans’ is a stand-in for ‘transvestite,’” which is a word not commonly used in decades.

And then he dares the majority of Americans who do not have an issue with transgender people to “engage in language games,” which is exactly what he is doing.

He even gives away his secret formula, while claiming the left is “very good” at this:

“The trick is to shift the language in a way that is factually accurate and has a plausible claim to neutrality, but attaches a new set of connotations to the concept that shifts the debate in your favor.”

Yale professor Jason Stanley, author of the books “How Propaganda Works” and “How Fascism Works”:

Pushback has been quick. Some are mocking Rufo and others making stronger criticisms, with a frequent theme that seems to be accusing him of telling people to lie.

Written by David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement. Image via NCRM.

Lectures And Lashes: The Life Of A Collegiate Drag Queen

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For VCU student Francisco Ramirez, aka Ivanna Vakavich, performing in drag helps him stay confident and express Pride in bold, fearless fashion.

“Drag makes me feel like a superhero.” In front of piles of makeup laid across a bathroom counter, Francisco Ramirez begins to tell me about his own journey. 

“I could care less what anyone tells me. If my own family doesn’t support it, I don’t care,” he said. “I want to follow my dreams, and yes I’m a student, and yes I get stressed, but I love it so much.”

Ramirez is a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is majoring in Spanish by day, but by night, he’s a drag queen who goes by the name Ivanna Vakavich. Ramirez describes his drag persona as “stunning and punk at the same time. She proves anyone can be confident in any size.”

Ramirez is a larger than life personality. He can be seen walking around the VCU campus frequently speaking to people, a huge smile always across his face. Unlike his makeup, though, his reasons for starting to do drag aren’t a pretty story.

“I started doing drag because of a major depression,” he said.  “A falling out with my mother had caused me to feel lost, afraid, and alone. A trip to a beauty supply store and buying a wig changed my life forever; I felt like a brand new person.” 

He now performs in different competitions and shows around Richmond, and describes the Richmond drag scene as a “sisterhood.”

“Even though Richmond isn’t as big a city, such as New York City or Los Angeles, we’re a tight-knit unit. We aren’t afraid to help each other and give each other the critiques we need to be better,” he said. “Some people are really good at makeup, some people are good at dancing — it’s all how you work together that matters.”

He also appreciates his double life as a student and a drag queen. “I’m able to grow in more ways than one,” he said. “I have a bunch of different interests, and I’m able to do them and grow holistically. It’s important to get your education. If anything, it might help your drag career!”

According to the National LGBTQ Task Force, “20% of college students fear for their physical safety due to their gender identity or their perceived sexual orientation.” Ramirez understands, but his advice to these students is to “live in your truth.”

“Don’t hold back from who you are, and don’t let people talk you down,” he said. “Hang around people who are supportive and can give you real genuine advice. Help each other out.”

However, Ramirez also feels that VCU offers a more accepting community than students at other colleges might find. “I could go to class in full drag and be like, ‘Yep! I’m here!’ and nobody would say a thing,” he said. “You can’t do that everywhere.”

“For many students, college may be the first opportunity they have to meet other LGBTQ+ people or live authentically,” said Dae Newman, a VCU professor who is one of the co-chairs of Equality VCU. Newman agrees that VCU presents a positive community for LGBTQ students, and emphasizes how important that truly is.

“The presence of inclusive policies, resources, and strong campus communities can also be a consideration for people when selecting a school,” they said. “The success and popularity of events such as Lavender Graduation is a testament to how strong VCU’s LGBTQ+ community is.”

Newman is also very proud of the footsteps VCU is taking to becoming more inclusive going forward. “Equality VCU is particularly excited about the development of the Queer Research and Advocacy Center, known as the Q Collective,” they said. “We think that having a dedicated LGBTQ+ center on campus is a great step in the right direction.”

As the LGBTQ community gains in acceptance every day, LGBTQ culture also becomes more mainstream. Television shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, Queer Eye, and Pose put the LGBTQ community in the forefront of the nation’s television screens. Now more than ever, Pride festivals, parades, and events are more common across the globe; drag and voguing have become celebrated art forms. More people are coming in contact with the LGBTQ community in their day to day life. However, as Pride season becomes more commercialized, LGBTQ community history is increasingly pushed aside and forgotten.

Ramirez believes it is the community’s responsibility to keep this history alive — and he sees that as especially true of drag queens. “We are literally the representation of Pride,” he said. “We are what comes to people’s mind when they think of pride. Pride is being yourself. Pride is about being proud of who you are.”

Ramirez particularly enjoys when people outside the community comes to performances and Pride events. “People come up to me all the time and say ‘I didn’t know you did drag!’ It’s all about representation. That what changes the game and makes it better and safer for all.”

One of Ramirez’s classmates and coworkers is a testament to this. Josh Robinson, a Junior at VCU studying Mass Communications became friends with Ramirez through working together. “Francisco is an accepting person,” said Robinson. “I grew up in a very limited, closed-minded community. The LGBT+ community was frowned upon, and people were not very accepting.”

However, seeing Ramirez perform in drag opened him up to a whole new world. “Experiencing drag and watching my friend perform gave me a better insight into the culture,” he said. “Seeing Francisco perform only made our friendship stronger, and helped me learn more.”

For anyone trying to juggle their dreams and their day-to-day responsibilities, Ramirez stands an example and inspiration. Ivanna Vakavich can be found performing in different bars in the Richmond area; keep up with her on Facebook.

Photos by Malik Welton

Queens Of Color Take Center Stage

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With Black Girl Magic, Melanin Monroe has created a series of drag shows exclusively featuring queens of color. The next edition, featuring The Vixen from RuPaul’s Drag Race, comes to Fallout on Sunday.

Richmond drag queen Melanin Monroe is preparing for the second show in her Black Girl Magic series, Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers, at Fallout RVA on Sunday, February 16. The show’s cast features only queens of color, including a special guest, The Vixen from season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Along with The Vixen and host Melanin Monroe, Richmond-based drag queens Niche Brand, Jasleane Jade, and Harlot Schmarlot, along with cast members Amber St. Lexington and Javon Love Lopez, are set to perform to a lively playlist celebrating the iconic women of rap and hip hop. 

“I wanted to see a show that exclusively was hosted by, and only booked black queens. While there’s a lot of diversity in the Richmond drag scene right now, I feel like there’s something very special about an all-black show,” Monroe said. “I want the takeaway from the show to be that there are so many different kinds of black entertainers that are out here killing it.” 

Monroe’s Black Girl Magic series began in December 2019 with a show dedicated to Beyoncé, also at Fallout RVA. Featured performers included Monroe, cast members Amber St. Lexington and Javon Love Lopez, and Alexis Breeden Kelly performing to and dressing as the iconic performer. The show took place on World AIDS Day and a portion of the proceeds was donated to Nationz Foundation, a charity Monroe works with often. The event was an immediate success, and Monroe got right to work planning and promoting her next show. Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers was announced only a few weeks later. 

“The planning process was fairly simple in my head, but putting those ideas into action was a little more difficult,” Monroe said. “My mind was darting between so many different things, especially with this being the second edition of the show. I really wanted to take it over the top.”

The Vixen (via Facebook)

And Monroe is doing just that. This show promises to be even bigger and beater with more performers, more female illusions, and of course, with a very special guest. The Vixen placed 7th on season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2018 and immediately became a standout due to her unapologetic activism. During her time in the competition, she worked towards creating a conversation about racism within the structure of the show and its many fans. In 2016, The Vixen began her successful Black Girl Magic series in her hometown of Chicago. Eager to encourage other Black Girl Magic drag shows, The Vixen is currently hard at work traveling across the country to support local black drag queens starting their own Black Girl Magic series. 

 “The booking process was very exciting! The Vixen has been nothing but kind and professional. The Vixen runs her own Black Girl Magic shows across the country as well,” said Monroe. “Fun fact: Chicki Parm actually told me several times to reach out to The Vixen. Chicki mentioned how she saw an interview about how The Vixen stated she’s always open to showing support to local Black Girl Magic shows. I had some friends tag me in a tweet of hers about where she could bring Black Girl Magic to next. I responded to it and the next thing I know, she was booked for my show.”

Monroe’s Black Girl Magic series aims to create space and opportunities for black drag queens, and in doing so fosters an environment of inclusivity, support, and joy. Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers not only celebrates local black drag queens, but the trailblazing divas who inspire them. The outpouring of positivity from the performers, the audience, and the venue make Black Girl Magic: Female Rappers a show you don’t want to miss. 

The pre-show meet and greet will begin at 8 pm with the show starting at 9. A membership to Fallout RVA is not required, though the venue is 18+. Admission starts at $15, with a meet-and-greet available for an additional cost. Tickets are available at Eventbrite. For more info, click here.

Top Photo courtesy Melanin Monroe

The Freedom of Drag: Ongina’s Charismatic Evolution

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Our 2019 Fall Pride Guide, in collaboration with VA Pride, comes out at PrideFest Saturday! In this article from the magazine, we talk to RuPaul’s Drag Race star Ongina, who will appear onstage at VA PrideFest this weekend!

Small in stature and bursting with star power, RuPaul’s Drag Race standout Ongina will take the stage with pride at the 2019 VA PrideFest.

Ongina, the stage name of Ryan Ong Palao, appeared on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009, skyrocketing her career and solidifying her status as a bona fide drag legend. She instantly set herself apart with her inventive, avant-garde fashion and the resilient positivity that she has come to symbolize.

“Ongina is very inspired by fashion and art,” said Ongina. “I normally use my bald head as a canvas for headpieces. Sometimes I’ll wear wigs, but no hair at all is kind of my trademark as a drag queen.”

Ongina’s resistance towards boxing herself into a specific style of drag is what keeps her moving forward, unbeholden to branding or expectation. Every look she turns out aims to surprise and inspire, and even after decades in the drag spotlight, she never fails to impress.

Ongina began experimenting with drag in 2001 by creating genderbending club-kid looks inspired by her immersion in raver culture while growing up in Seattle. It wasn’t until 2005, after she had moved to New York City and was working at the drag queen cabaret restaurant Lucky Cheng’s that she began doing female illusion.

“Now I’ve evolved to more of a full-fledged drag queen,” Ongina said. “But I’m always trying not to lose too much of my originality; where I’ve come from, how I’ve grown, and what my life has seen, traveled through, and become.”

The evolution of Ongina is evident; she is constantly moving forward, managing a drag career for over a decade without ever stagnating or losing the excitement that originally drew her to drag.

“I always try to challenge myself to elevate my drag and my persona by constantly trying different things and not being afraid of the risks I want to take,” she said. “I always want to do something different, to think outside the box.”

Ongina radiates charisma and stage presence, but making a career out of performing was never something she aspired to until she was launched into the public eye after her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

“I had a really successful career as a visual merchandiser, creating visual aesthetics in retail spaces. Then, I wanted to be an interior designer,” she said. “Drag was something I always did alongside those other things and now, it has evolved into something bigger and more of a business.”

While it has become her career in recent years, Ongina has never lost sight of the joy that brought her to drag in the first place.

“It’s something that I do truly enjoy doing, so it hasn’t felt like a responsibility to stay alive and pay my bills. I find it to still be artistic and fun,” she said. “Drag, for me, is an evolution of inspirations in my head that come from fashion, art, and pop culture. I’m able to translate that into my drag persona in a visual way, and that’s what’s so exciting to me. Drag can be anything; it changes and challenges. I love every aspect of that because I get to create, and creating is what I love to do.”

Each look Ongina crafts is bursting with innovation and artistry. Pulling from haute couture, visual art, and even interior design, the blending of inspiration and reference points ensure that Ongina’s drag is always new and individual.

“Being such a visual person and loving fashion was my first inspiration, it’s what drew me to drag. And second was the freedom I feel when I’m in drag and performing,” she said. “It’s an incredible feeling. It’s such an outlet.”

Her performance style, like her personality, is equal parts bubbly and edgy, effortlessly dancing through energetic choreography and flirtatiously sauntering across the stage, smiling at the cheering crowd.

“I get nervous. I get excited. I get a rush. I get exhausted. I get fulfilled,” she said. “Performing is one of the best feelings, when you are on stage and the audience loves you back. If I love my fans and if they love me back, that means I’m doing something right for them.”

Now, she is bringing drag into the forefront of her life, choosing to focus on drag as a full-time job. Turning a passion into a business can be tricky; it leaves space for stagnation and detachment. But Ongina takes these challenges on, headpieces first, by always keeping her eye on what’s next. She cites her love of performing to the newest radio hits as one of the ways she focuses on staying on trend… but with a twist that keeps true to her individualism.

“I try to stay relevant by reimagining some of the visual aspects of what I present on social media and in my life,” Ongina said. “Top 40’s gives me so much inspiration for my drag, to keep it new, fresh, and culturally relevant. I love Top 40’s, anything super fun and high energy. I like to believe I can dance, that I have rhythm. I know I’ll never be a pop princess, so that’s what I emulate on stage.”

Given the breakneck speed of the social media world, relevance is everything. Drag is quickly moving from the underground into the mainstream, and with Drag Race’s ever-growing audience, queens have more opportunities and bigger fan bases than ever before.

“Drag used to be taboo, and it used to be something people didn’t fully understand or accept,” Ongina said. “Now that it’s at the forefront of pop culture and social media, the audience is so much bigger, and they’re starting to understand more of what drag is.”

As drag, and Drag Race, grows in popularity, she works in equal measure to grow her audience and appeal to those new to the world of drag, while still keeping true to herself and the aesthetic that propelled her career when she first appeared on the show.

RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered on February 2, 2009, marking Ongina’s television debut. Though only appearing in five competitive episodes of the season, she quickly became a fan favorite for her avant-garde runway looks and strong performances in weekly challenges.

“Competing in season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race definitely opened my eyes to what my drag career could become,” said Ongina. “Coming into the competition and seeing the likes of Shannel, Nina Flowers, Tammy Brown — it gave the perspective for me that drag is truly so multidimensional. It’s not one thing or the other.”

“That really helped in creating Ongina now,” she continued. “I’m able to adopt that mentality and show people my versatility and the dimensions of drag that I can offer.”

It’s that adaptability and welcoming of change that has made Ongina so exciting to watch. On Drag Race, she demonstrated that she was ready to rise to any occasion and exceed all expectations while doing it. Experimental and endlessly watchable, her time on the show was enough to cement her drag legacy forever.

A defining moment from season one was Ongina speaking out about being HIV positive. In episode four, the queens filmed commercials for Mac Viva Glam, a makeup line that collaborated with RuPaul to create a campaign giving all of the lipstick’s proceeds to funds helping those living with HIV and AIDS. After winning the episode with a whimsical and uplifting commercial, Ongina tearfully revealed her HIV positive status, making for one of the most memorable and emotional points in the history of the show.

Her message of celebrating life spoke to viewers around the world and launched her into a role of advocacy for HIV awareness.

“Coming out as being HIV positive has given me an amazing platform to be somewhat of an accidental activist for HIV and AIDS,” said Ongina. “It’s something I took on and am proud of doing.”

Taking on a more active role in HIV/AIDS awareness and advocacy was something she found much easier once she had come out about her own status.

“Because of what happened on my season and coming out, it has helped me to be more open and talk more about the virus,” she said. “At that time in my life, in 2008, there wasn’t a lot of exposure and conversation surrounding HIV and AIDS. Being that I was given this platform, I’m happy to speak on it so I can continue to inspire people. Life truly is a celebration, no matter what unfortunate circumstances come into your life. I think that’s the message I convey in my drag… immersing yourself in what is good in your life, and really celebrating that.”

The joy that Ongina emanates and encourages is palpable. That joy is in her outfits, where artistry and boundlessness create looks full of excitement and love of the craft. That joy is in her smile mid-performance as she shares herself on stage. That joy is in each audience member, new or years-long, invited to join in on the celebration of life that Ongina embodies.

Future-focused as ever, Ongina has no plans of slowing down. She has so much more to give, to design, to say, and to explore.

“Now that I am somewhat of a TV personality and working as a drag queen, I aspire to continue working until someone tells me it’s over,” Ongina said. “I’m going to continue working, continue evolving and learning, and challenge myself, so I can showcase the best of me and what I want to give. That’s the goal — to continue to do what I love. And hopefully the audience loves it as much as I do.”

The Technicolor Troll Drag of Richmond’s Own Sweet Pickles

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Richmond drag performer Sweet Pickles describes herself as a “dancing troll with an AC Moore rewards card.”

Claire Gates has a busy theater career. But whenever she finds time, she paints her face, dons a wig made from yarn, and becomes Sweet Pickles, a rising star in Richmond’s ever-growing drag scene.

“The way I like to describe myself is like I fell into the discount bin at AC Moore. I look like a dancing troll with an AC Moore rewards card,” Gates said. “I still look feminine and girly, but with a crafty and creative twist, which I think has become my niche.”

Gates’s love of craft stores comes through in her signature handmade wigs which she creates from unconventional materials like yarn, ribbon, and tinsel.

“I’ll walk through AC Moore looking around, and think, ‘I can glue that to my head’ and make a wig out of it,” Gates said. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s always fun to look at.”

Gates’s drag name, Sweet Pickles, comes from a childhood nickname given to her younger sister by their father.

“I thought the right drag name would just come to me,” Gates said. “I was lying on bed trying to go to sleep and then it popped into my head. I texted my sister in the morning just like, ‘I’m gonna use your name as my drag name’.”

Gates began performing 11 months ago, getting her start at Wicked Wednesday, a variety show and talent competition at the Shockoe Bottom fetish club Fallout. With her first number set to “Crayons” by CupcakKe, Gates used actual 64-packs of crayons to create jewelry, a headpiece, and even an elaborate wire cage skirt covered with glued-on crayons, which she made in collaboration with her partner.

“I spent the whole month of June piecing together my outfit, getting everything, making all the details perfect,” Gates said. “I competed with two other people, and I came in dead last.”

This almost ended Sweet Pickles’ budding drag career as soon as it began. “I cried, I was heartbroken, I was devastated. When I got in the car after, I told my partner, ‘I think I made a mistake, I don’t think this is for me,'” Gates said. “But people were supportive — people who saw me that night liked it.”

After her first performance, friend and fellow Richmond drag queen Shanita Quit asked Gates to be her drag mother and welcomed her into Shanita’s drag family, the House of Quit.

“I took that as a really big compliment. A couple days after that I competed in Godfrey’s Idol and made top three, which was a big ego boost for me,” said Gates. “I came in next month for Wicked Wednesday, and I won.”

Competing in drag at places like Fallout or Babe’s Of Carytown pushed Gates to experiment with new and creative ideas, further developing the drag character of Sweet Pickles. Watching her fellow Richmond drag queens perform has been her greatest source of inspiration, according to Gates.

“Every queen that I meet inspires a different avenue of drag,” Gates said, running down a list of her Richmond favorites. “Chicki Parm inspires me to try things that are comedic and to try to be funny. Jasmen Clitopatra inspires me to dance harder, do showstopping moves and bring out my inner diva. Shanita Quit inspires me to get creative and try a wide variety of things and the pride in making your own things. Michelle Livigne inspires me to do such a wide variety of music.”

The fact that Gates has so many local inspirations makes it clear that being part of the drag community provides a great deal of her creative fuel.

“Watching the shows here really is my biggest inspiration. It’s what makes me want to go out and work on my craft, be better, be more creative,” she said. “I love what they do, and I want a piece of that. I want to be able to bring to the stage what they bring to the stage.”

As a cis woman, Gates says the Richmond drag community couldn’t have been more welcoming to her, but she wasn’t sure that would be the case when she first began performing.

“Traditionally, [drag] is dominated by queer men — or at least queer people, which I am, but it’s usually not a space for cisgender women,” said Gates. “I was afraid they would think I put less work into what I do because I choose not to modify my body for my drag character. I was afraid I’d be judged for not meeting the hyper-feminized beauty standards that drag is based upon.”

However, she’s been glad to see that none of these fears have materialized. “Everyone’s been really receptive to what I do, even if it’s not their thing,” she said. “People make me feel like I belong.”

Gates came to Richmond in 2014 to study English at the University of Richmond and stayed in the area after her graduation in spring 2018. She lived on campus, which she describes as “a bubble,” for all four years of her time at college, and only now feels as though she truly lives in the city.

Part of what makes her feel connected to the community is her involvement in local theatre. Pursuing a career in stage acting, Gates is often hard at work with auditions and rehearsals. In fact, she will be touring with the Virginia Repertory Theatre from September through December, which will cause a hiatus in her drag performances.

“It’s hard to balance the two,” Gates said. “I devote my time and energy towards theatre, which I want as a have as a career. But when I’m not putting everything towards that, I have drag as a more personal and individualistic kind of medium, where I can do what I want, and not what a director or playwright wants.”

Drag provides Gates an outlet of pure self-expression. It’s a venue in which she calls all the shots, becoming a heightened version of herself rather than a character.

“I’m used to having to audition and read for a character I haven’t created. I have to force myself into that mold and make people see me as that,” said Gates. “But with drag, whoever you want to be, whatever you want to do, however creative you want to be, whatever inspires you… you can put that on stage. You’re not a character someone else wrote, you’re not doing moves someone else gave you. You are fully you.”

While Sweet Pickles is a drag persona, she is not a character. Gates is not becoming another person when she gets on stage as Sweet Pickles. She is becoming herself, just stripped of the daily anxieties and inhibitions everyone experiences.

“Sweet Pickles is way more extroverted and outgoing, way more bubbly than I am,” said Gates. “But I’m a performer at heart. I love to put on a show, even if it’s just me and my dog. Day to day I try to tone it down, but on stage, I’m fully like, ‘If you are not looking at me, bitch, I will make you look at me.’”

“Sweet Pickles is the real me, the purest form [of] me, but amplified to a hundred,” said Gates. “Me, but in technicolor and HD.”

Photos courtesy Claire Gates