African-American drag queens are forced to walk a fine line or get labeled 'angry and confrontational'

For the drag community, you would have had to be living under a rock to not be up-to-date on the extremely controversial topic spreading across the nation about the drama that has been unfolding as a result of a heated conversation on a recent episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race".
If you aren't aware of this particular conversation, it centered around two African-American competitors, Monet X Change and The Vixen, and one of their Caucasian counterparts, Aquaria. On the episode of "Untucked", a discussion centered around the way African-American drag queens are viewed if they express their opinions in a boisterous manner to a drag queen who is not a minority.
Aquaria made a statement that was a bit shady to The Vixen, and when The Vixen responded and defended herself, Aquaria began to cry. This particular exchange, and the subsequent tearshed, sparked much debate. The Vixen, after Aquaria began to cry, made a statement that many African-American queens quietly (and some not-so-quietly) have voiced over the years.
The Vixen shared that although a non-minority person (in this case a drag queen) may begin an altercation with an African-American drag queen, and then when the African-American person responds in kind, and if the non-minority breaks down as a result, no one will remember that the non-minority started the altercation; all anyone will focus on will be how the African-American individual verbally attacked the other person.
On "Untucked", The Vixen accused Aquaria of setting up a scenario where no matter what the outcome, and no matter how their altercation began, The Vixen (the African-American drag queen) will be vilified by the viewers and seen as an "angry black drag queen".
(If you are unfamiliar with the episode, here is a breakdown.)
This particular issue has caused a tidal wave of heated arguments and discussions within not only the drag community, but in all communities across the board. It resonates on so many levels, and as an Old School glamour drag queen diva, I wanted to take a few steps back from the issue and look at it from all sides before offering up my two cents.
Never one to back down from any heated discussion, I will serve it up true to form ...
I must agree wholeheartedly with The Vixen's assessment of the situation, and not totally for the reasons you might assume. I do see The Vixen as a sort of a rebel who likes to bring uncomfortable issues to light, and at times she does go slightly overboard.
In my opinion and putting this in terms of the drag community ...
Being a vocal African-American drag queen, our race has endured this reputation for longer than I've been on this Earth. We must always try to walk a tightrope when we need to respond to any issue that we are targeted with in the scene. As President Theodore Roosevelt said, and the words hold true for the African-American community ... "We must speak softly and carry a big stick!"
Not sure if you know it or not, it was actually originated from a West African proverb. And the African-American community, and in this particular case the drag community, have to do just that so our voices will be heard. If we scream it at the top of our lungs, we are viewed as angry and confrontational.
I'm sorry, but I'm done with the shackles being placed on me.
I'm going to share with you exactly why this is all so restraining for me, and perhaps you will understand why The Vixen's words resonate so deeply with me.
When I'm onstage performing my drag, especially when I'm being judged in a competition, I found myself morphing into someone deemed "cute and sweet". One recent competition in Philly, Cycle 9 of Philly Drag Wars, I felt like I had no choice but to go overboard and be so far removed from any semblance of being angry or confrontational that I started to see myself as a shell of my former self.
I just needed to be liked and seen as a sweet, non-confrontational ingenue during the judging process - or I'd be discounted. And during the judging process, I know that if I'm viewed as an angry black queen, I might never get booked or find work in the drag arena. All of that thinking pushed me into a downward spiral, one that I was afraid would be detrimental to my drag career.
One of the judges during the competition said something so very disrespectful to me and treated me with such disregard that I was so very close to the brink of showing my Bernadine. For those who truly know me, they understand that there have been times in my past that I came across like I was a reincarnation of Angela Bassett's character Bernadine from the hit movie "Waiting to Exhale". So ever since then, some affectionately refer to me with the nickname Bernadine.
So when I felt like this particular judge was going to fall victim to the Bernadine treatment, I made the difficult decision to back away from the competition.
Was it a difficult decision? Yes.
Do I regret my choice? No.
See, I made a promise to myself that I would never allow anyone to see Bernadine again. And it was a promise I kept. So when this judge was so vicious to Miss Savannah Georgia, I didn't want me to be labeled "The Vixen" to the judge's "Aquaria".
We as African-American drag queens are forced to walk a fine line. And before you read me the riot act, I know that all races in the drag community can be labeled as "angry and confrontational". That's the way of the world we live in. But I wholeheartedly agree that African-American drag queens of all ages face this burden on a much higher level, and until we continue this dialogue that The Vixen has shoved to the forefront of the discussion, we will never rise above the chaos and begin to make serious changes.
So I want others to reach out to me, and further the discussion. I seek out your input and opinions, whether you agree with me or not. Because until we feel comfortable discussing uncomfortable topics, there will never be progress.
Hugs and kisses,
Miss Savannah Georgia