A lesson in change, community, artistry, and inclusion from Sasha Velour and the world of Drag
What the next Drag Superstars can teach us all and why we should pay attention.
A few months ago I caught the end of the finale of this year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race whilst visiting a friend. I’d been meaning to watch this TV show for a REALLY long time (to be honest, I’m a bit embarrassed that it has taken me this long!). Anyway, I was immediately hooked — the sheer commitment by each Queen to their lip sync performances and overall artistry blew me away. Not to mention RuPaul’s undeniable authenticity, intellect, warm-heartedness and creativity.
I felt as if I could literally feel each Queen’s energy, passion, (and of course Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent) and I knew that ‘the time has come’ to catch up on the years of this amazing world I have missed.
I’m always inspired by people who are constantly striving to be true to themselves and in doing so serve as excellent role models for others, celebrating our differences and empowering people to live according to their own values.
RuPaul’s Drag Race is not just a wonderful example of this, it goes even further — incredible entertainment that highlights the immense success of people who are often discriminated against, in this case LGBTQ people, and who share their vulnerability, struggles, and life lessons with us through artistry, glamour and creativity. It also raises an important awareness of how this involves all of us — we’re not free unless we’re all free.
One of my core values is inclusivity and I’ve always sought ways to not only feel included myself but find ways to enable others to feel part of the bigger picture, and free to be who they are.
Personally, I’ve always felt safer, calmer, and happier amongst people who are open to each other’s differences, work creatively, and have a social conscience. In my experience, many of these people are from the LGBTQ community, and whilst I’m straight and my gender identity is the same as the sex I was assigned at birth, I often feel more at home and my true self when I’m around these friends.
So, it’s not surprising that RuPaul’s Drag Race had such an immediate positive effect on me.
But then came the icing on the top — Sasha Velour.
After we’d finished watching the season 11 finale my friend, Emily, showed me a YouTube video of Sasha’s lip sync to So Emotional by Whitney Houston for the season 9 finale. This is arguably one of the most famous moments in the ‘herstory’ of the show and was named one of ‘TV’s Best Musical Moments’ by Entertainment Weekly.
It’s safe to say I WAS IN COMPLETE AWE — this is an understatement.
It’s hard to put into words what I felt watching it but her raw emotion, incredible interpretation (oh those rose petals!), and sheer commitment to who she is as a Drag Queen (and artist) was just so inspiring to me.
At that time I was almost at the end of a big work project, which had involved some very unexpected low points, and there were things happening in my personal life that I was processing and trying to work out how to move through. So this introduction to Drag Race and Sasha came along at the perfect time — witnessing such creative, talented people, who have been through considerable challenges and struggles in life, achieve so much gave me such hope and motivation.
It also reminded me that there are lots of people in the world who want to live in a more inclusive, happier, and safer place for us all too, and who are willing to do something about it — a reminder that I think many of us need at the moment.
Sasha Velour’s authentic approach, commitment to who she is as an artist, focus on moving forwards in new ways (as well as celebrating the history of Drag), and true passion for making real positive change, is like music to my ears.
Until this point, I hadn’t realised how much I had needed to see someone like her achieve her dreams in order to realise I could achieve mine too.
So long story long…my obsession with Drag Race continues, and I’ve since watched nearly all of the seasons (just 5, 6 and 7 to go!).
But the main focus of this post is what happened last weekend — I went along to Smoke and Mirrors — Sasha’s first one-queen show!
She visited London for two nights at the beautiful Shepherd’s Bush Empire — an intimate, ornate music venue that is brimming with history and character.
Smoke and Mirrors isn’t just entertainment, it’s an incredible experience with a real message that aims to drive forwards positive change through clever artistry where we can all thoroughly enjoy some totally FABULOUS costume, design, music, projection, makeup, and more!
Witnessing such talent and artistry from someone who remains open, honest, and relatable was joyful for me. Although I didn’t meet Sasha (I wish!), I felt that if I had, or whenever anyone does, she would treat them as equals and would be genuinely interested to spend time with them.
On Drag Race, Sasha was known as the ‘deep’ queen — philosophical and intellectual — quite different to how a lot of the other Queens approached their work (although all just as amazing). She also talks openly about her views on politics, and strives to make change, as seen here in The Guardian’s ‘Sasha Velour: ‘Drag is Darkness Turned Into Power’’ in 2017:
“we need actual change, such as more legal structural protection for queer people — especially people of colour and trans people.”
However, Sasha is also funny, and I mean really funny! In the show she told some hilarious true stories of her time as an art student, and she describes the show with humour and humility, warning us all that it’s going to be imperfect and she’s tried her best but can’t guarantee things will work as they are supposed to — there was so much laughter and love in the room.
This wasn’t only about politics, social change, inclusion or ‘seriousness’, it was about inspiration, joy, compassion, and belonging through a completely brilliant over-the-top and fabulous night of entertainment.
Sasha was able to make us think, consider our own values, be more open, and cultivate compassion in a little under two hours.
Some of my favourite moments of the show (apart from when she did So Emotional — oh yes!!) were when she stopped to talk with us openly about her stories, experiences, and passions. She never put on a ‘front’ or pretended to be anyone but herself — Drag can be perceived as the creation of ‘personas’ or ‘characters’ separate to the person behind them but actually it’s a way for people to truly express and find out who they are, and by doing so they help others too.
She also got out her script at one point (so refreshing to see a professional show without it having to be ‘polished’) as she wanted to include something new — she spoke openly about a recent operation she’d had and how she’d only been walking properly again for just over a week. She didn’t share this for sympathy, she shared this because she was being open, honest, and highlighting the fact that life isn’t perfect and this show is not about perfection. We all have struggles and sharing them with others gives us context, deepens our understanding and helps us move through them.
Hence, my reason for this post — even if Drag isn’t your thing, the stories and issues Sasha discusses, and Drag Queens around the world represent, are relevant to all of us.
Here’s a summary of what I took from her incredibly eloquent and thoughtful discussions with us (the audience), and ultimately what we can all learn from her to help us live more meaningful, happy lives, and make real change in the process:
Commit to Your Passions
‘If you aren’t fully exploring, risking, trying new things or being as ‘extra’ as you can possibly be with your passions… then you need new passions.’
Nowhere near as eloquent as what Sasha actually said but the core of the message is there — passions deserve to be fully realised. There’s a difference between saying you’re passionate about something and actually doing the most you can with it.
If you’re truly passionate about something (no matter what it is) then why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to explore and use this? For me, my passions come from who I am, so if I’m not truly exploring them, then I’m not being true to myself.
Let’s celebrate people who go above and beyond to make positive change. Even if they are different to us or we don’t fully understand them.
Let’s stop stereotyping glamour, extravagance, or entertainment — they are actually incredibly powerful ways to bring people together when approached with creativity and authenticity, and in Sasha’s own words:
‘The first step in accomplishing anything is organisation; and drag does bring people together in a really powerful way.’
Passions motivate us to take risks and be courageous — essential elements of making positive change for ourselves and others.
What are your passions? What will you do with them?
Change is Circular
One of the most enlightening things Sasha said in her show was that she doesn’t view the development of herself as a person, or life in general, as linear — you don’t start off badly and then follow an continual upward journey of things ‘getting better’. In fact, this view can be stifling and result in serious harm for all of us.
Instead, she embraces all of the different parts of herself and recognises that things in life are circular and fluid — sometimes her anxiety will be in full force, or she won’t achieve what she set out to, or she’ll get stuck ‘in her head’ too much — but this is ok. On other days things will be more positive, but by accepting all of the different parts of herself rather than focusing on one rigid expectation of what life should be, she is ultimately able to live in a way that is true to her values, and therefore makes real positive change for others too.
I almost felt relieved when I heard this. It was like a reminder to myself for permission to be less on top of things sometimes, to not hide the fact that some days I’m really anxious, and to recognise that the ‘ups and downs’ of life are completely natural and normal.
Life is not one linear journey of progression — things shift, change, and transform in all directions and if we can all be more accepting of this we’ll be able to help ourselves, and each other, to live more meaningful lives and ultimately make the world a happier, more inclusive, and connected place to live in.
The meaning of ‘Community’
As part of the audience that evening, myself and my husband (who is almost as obsessed with Drag as I am), automatically became part of a community of people supporting queer people and those who don’t fit in ‘the box’. For me, this was inspiring — to be in a room filled with people who support others to be themselves and who openly celebrate this together — something I often find hard to come across in my everyday life.
Sasha recognised this and explained how she thinks about community. Again, this won’t be anywhere near as eloquent as what she said but this is what I took from it:
- Community offers the space to be creative, innovative, and free
- Community is a shared respect for difference and diversity
- Community is a true place of support, kindness, and honesty
- Community is celebration, joy, compassion, and belonging
I use the word ‘community’ a lot — I run a ‘Community Interest Company’, which is essentially a social enterprise that operates with ‘community’ at its heart.
In organisational terms, the perception of ‘Community’, is the body of people we work with who share something in common. In our case, they are in different geographical places but they are all often considered at risk — due to social isolation, ill health, an impairment, or because of their age.
However, all of the people we work with also share great strength, knowledge and contribute in so many ways and we strive to provide inclusive, creative, relevant and meaningful experiences with every single one of them.
Lets not forget that ‘community’ is so much more than just living in the same place or sharing things in common. It’s actually an essential part of being a human being — feeling that you belong, feeling that you can be yourself, feeling that you can get the support you need when you need it — and paying these things forwards to others too.
It takes actual commitment and action to create a community, not just coincidence or passivity.
This doesn't mean that a specific person who supported you needs you to do the same for them, we all have different experiences and needs, but I always think that to be true to the sense of community we must be willing to pay forwards the kindness and support we have received from others to those who need it from us too.
That way we can cultivate important parts of being human that help us all to live happier, safer lives — happiness, belonging, diversity, creativity, acceptance, respect, honesty.
When the show ended I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion — elation from having experienced it and seen Sasha live, sadness that it was over, and such energy inside of me to do something with what I had just witnessed.
I felt a sense of this from the people around me too — this was a shared moment of not only inspiration and incredible entertainment, but a strong reminder of the underlying reason why we were all there:
