WATCH: Queens take over MSNBC & have the perfect response for Republicans trying to ban drag

For good and for bad, drag really is having its moment in the national spotlight.

In part spurred on by the mainstream success of RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag as art art form feels more popular than ever, which has also made it an even easier target for anti-LGBTQ+ politicians who are using it to stoke fear and hate—and even attempting to ban it all-together in some states.

But, as we know, drag is nothing new; it’s been part of a fabric of our culture—of many cultures—for centuries.

So, where is all of this hate coming from? Why now? And how does it effect the lives of the artists and trans individuals who have made drag their careers?

All of these questions are at the heart of a frank and eye-opening panel discussion airing this week on MSNBC, of all places, furthering solidifying drag’s ascent from the fringe to the heart of the current cultural conversation.

The 11th Hour host and vocal LGBTQ+ ally Stephanie Ruhle has spent a lot of time shining a light on the dangerous anti-drag and anti-trans laws sweeping the country, and now she’s inviting a group of accomplished queens onto her network to speak truth to power and share their experiences.

Joining Ruhle for the panel are Drag Race and Titanique alum—and Queerty Pride50 honoree!—Rosé, legendary queen and activist and Stand Up NYC creator Julie J, the Glam Awards’ Nightlife Producer Of The Year Nicky O, and the inspirational trans activist Mariyea.

The group’s conversation will air tonight, Thursday, June 15, on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour at 11pm ET, but Queerty has a special preview of the full panel, which you can watch below.

Early in the discussion, Julie J offers that drag is something that comes purely from a place of love and joy—making it all the more ironic and sad that there are folks who want to paint it as a “malicious entity” that’s looking to “dominate culture in some way or another.”

What becomes immediately clear is that, outside of our queer bubbles, there are still a lot of people who don’t really know what drag is all about, what its aims are—hence much of the confusion and wrong-headed assumptions we see in the media and online.

To try to clear up any misconceptions for any of those not in the know (what rock have those people been living under?) Ruhle asks directly, “What is drag?” Rosé responds, “[it’s] a costume,” one that we all put on, in some ways, when we go out into the world each day, do our jobs, etc…

Pointing to Ruhle, Rosé continues, “You are wearing this to your job. You wouldn’t wear that at home. You wouldn’t wake up and have that on,” to which the host cracks, “And I assure you, my face does not look like this in the morning—not even close!”

With the definition of drag out of the way, the enlightening chats digs a bit deeper. Here a just a few choice quotes:

Mariyea on the ongoing fight for respect:

“The times that we’re in, they’re not unprecedented times. Our queer elders and forefounders have been struggling with the same things they’re struggling with today. When you think about the people like Marsha P. Johnson, what she was fighting for is the very thing we’re asking for right now, basic respect… For me to be sitting at this table today, I’m counting what a privilege it means for me to be in front of millions of people, being able to shed light on what it means for trans people to have the right to exist in this world. So I think the first thing to understand is we’re here.”

Nicky O on how the wider queer community is responding to this moment:

“I think the silver lining is that it is galvanized us as a community, not only drag performers and fans of drag performs but just this whole—our whole queer family worldwide and you know domestically alike, we are just saying, no, you can’t tell us that this is nefarious… It’s not, OK? We don’t want to—we’re not coming for your children, OK? We’re not pedophiles, we’re not monsters, we’re not criminals, we’re expressing ourselves with this art form that has helped us find who we are outside of when we’re performing and has brought in all of these myriad talents that all of us possess to do this particular form of art. “

Mariyea on what it means to feel “safe” in this world as a trans woman:

“I think something that we take for granted as human beings is how terrifying it is to try to be yourself in this world. I think a lot of the fear around what it means for us to exist is that we are beaconed and examples of being yourself at the center of who you are. And that scares a lot of people who don’t have that access, that scares a lot of people who decided to follow patterns and ideals that may be not have been built for them, but they didn’t have the strength within themselves to define it for themselves. So, for me, am I afraid? No, because my life daily is resistance. Every day that I wake up I am in someone’s face proving them wrong. I am here. I am trans. And that’s going to make some people upset, but I can’t help that.”  

Watch the full panel discussion here:

The package, “Drag Queens Describe A Pride Like No Other,” airs tonight on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour at 11pm ET.