Eight legendary queens—Angeria Paris VanMicheals, Gottmik, Jorgeous, Nina West, Plastique Tiara, Roxxxy Andrews, Shannel, and Vanessa Vanjie—make their return to RuPaul’s Drag Race in All Stars 9. They are back…to save the world. This season of All Stars sees each queen compete to raise funds for their chosen charity, with $10,000 up for grabs with each week’s maxi challenge win and a $200,000 donation on offer for the season’s overall winner. The debut episode sees the queens join forces to perform the new song “Drag Queens Save the World”.
Season 14’s Angeria Paris VanMicheals is playing for the National Black Justice Collective, Season 13’s Gottmik is back to compete for Trans Lifeline, Season 14’s Jorgeous has selected the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Season 11’s Nina West’s chosen charity is The Trevor Project, Season 11’s Plastique Tiara is competing for The Asian American Foundation, Season 5 and All Stars 2’s Roxxxy Andrews has chosen Florida charity Miracle of Love, Drag Race’s OG, Season 1 and All Stars 1’s Shannel is raising funds for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and Season 10 and 11’s Vanessa Vanjie is hoping to take home the big cash prize for ASPCA.
At last week’s New York premiere, The Queer Review asked each queen how drag can save the world. Read their answers below and watch the full red carpet video interviews.
Gottmik:
“Drag saves the world every single day. Drag queens and trans people have been at the forefront of every LGBTQIA+ moment in history and it’s not stopping now. I know there are so many insane attacks against the queer community as a whole and I think we’re lucky to live in a time where our gay elders have really gone through it so they’re leading us and teaching us.”
“We have to be open, listen to our trans elders, learn from what they did and keep fighting and showing everywhere, no matter what law you try to pass you cannot ban drag, you cannot ban trans people, you cannot ban gay people. we will alwyas be here and supporting each other. Drag is saving the world by truly being the loudest, proudest and craziest version of the queer communuty you could ever think up in your mind.”
Nina West:
“Drag can save the world by drag artists showing up and being their authentic selves and walking into the room loudly and proudly and absolutely taking no prisoners and just celebrating their selves and their authenticity.”
Roxxxy Andrews:
“Drag is going to save the world through love, inspiration, and going out there and spreading our messages. We’re good people, we’re not here to hurt anybody, we’re here to make you smile.”
Shannel:
“Drag saves the world all the time. Drag saves lives. It’s crazy, the amount of emails and messages that I will get on social media from people saying to me, ‘Seeing you on TV saved my life’. When you really delve into it and you think deeply about it you’re like, ‘wow, who I am and what I do, or what’ve I said, really did help someone. It’s something you can’t put a price on and that’s an honour and a beautiful thing.”
Jorgeous:
“Look at us, we’re competing for charity, we’re competing for causes so much bigger than we are. Drag queens are superheros at the end of the day. We put on our costumes and we make people happy and that’s so important nowadays.”
Vanessa Vanjie:
“We’re saving the world right now as we speak. We’re making people feel liberated, we’re giving people an escape from whatever is going on in the world, which is a lot. We’re showing that we’re no different than everybody else. We just want to live our lives happily. We’re expanding our family, bringing everyone in all facets of however they chose to identify themselves. We’re the most inclusive family that there is. That’s what’s changing the world.”
Plastique Tiara:
“We’re out here being ourselves, living our lives, and inspiring others and looking fabulous in the process. How can that not save the world?!”
Angeria Paris VanMicheals:
“Drag can and is already saving the world because it lets people know that at the end of the day love is all that matters. We fight through so much with the drag bans and everything, but one thing they cannot stop is what we stand for, which is love and inclusivity. That’s just who we are.”
“We’ve never wanted to exclude anybody but the one thing about us is that we don’t want to be excluded either. We want to be included in the party. That’s all we’re trying to do. We just want to be accepted for who we are.”
“If we are nothing more in this community, we are human. You hear me? H-U-M-AN. We are human, OK? We have rights just like everybody else and we deserve to be happy and to thrive and live in this world and be out here and successful and being on red carpets and such!”
The first two episodes of All Stars 9 are now streaming on Paramount+. Outside the US (excluding Canada and Australia) stream on WOWPresents+ .
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