LITTLE ROCK DRAG CLUB IS RACIST
im a local queer and trans black youth of color from Little Rock, Arkansas. Living in the deep south is hard enough as it is, and now we are struggling more due to racism being endorsed By Club SWAY within one of our few local drag clubs.
Queen Anthony Gerard Wade Jr, who is employed as a Drag performer at Sway sparked a conflict when he (a cis white gay man) posted a photo of herself wearing box braids, calling herself an ebony enchantress, and claiming she was born in the wrong body (insinuating that he should have been born a black woman). This is the same statement Rachel Dolezal made when called out on her racism.
In response to being called out, Queen repeatedly asked the person (who identifies as non-binary) was asked if they were born a man or woman, and was referred to as “it” when corrected on misgendering the person.
In retaliation to being called out, the club Anthony works for posted a video of him impersonating a black woman (wearing box braids and performing to a black womans music) while smashing watermelon and eating off of the floor.
Many queer people of color found this video to be insulting, and felt as if Sway was just mocking the anger and struggles of poc. A protest was planned but later had to be cancelled due to safety issues after members of Sway and patrons threatened the organizer and members of the protest.
Soon after Sway posted an article featuring RuPaul titled “Straight people steal from gay culture and why educating youth is a waste of time” while Queen Anthony maintained the statement that he “doesn’t argue with children”
The Drag community is not what it once was. It was queer and trans people standing together in solidarity with people of color and those who meet at that intersection of identities against police brutality, racism, homophobia and transphobia. Never forget that the first person to throw a brick in the Stonewall Riots was a trans woman of color. The drag community in Arkansas is here for the sole purpose to appropriate mock black culture while making a profit off of it and ignoring the struggles that we face.
this photo features another drag queen from little rock arkansas wearing crochet braids. The comment highlighted in red says “drag lives matter” to add insult to injury.
Never once has this club spoken out about the dozens, probably hundreds, of Black Trans Women who have been murdered this year. Nor have they spoken out against police brutality for killing more than ten queer and trans people of color this past year, the Flint Water Crisis, or about any other issues surrounding the Black Community.
As a queer person, a person of color, and a trans person never have I been more disappointed in the Queer community. Allowing these oppressive behaviors to be fueled and endorsed by “safe spaces” is not and will never be acceptable.
Share this post, Signal boost it, Write bad reviews on yelp and google about sway, don’t give them your money, message them and tell them how you feel! They cannot silence all of us. I am asking for you to show your support to the queer and trans poc community of Arkansas, and take a stand against racism within the queer community.
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