Being a RuPaul's Drag Race Fan: THE STRUGGLE

#1: MEETING YOUR FAVOURITES = IMPOSSIBLE

I mean - yes of course that’s an exaggeration, but if you haven’t already gathered - I enjoy being dramatic.

But really, meeting your favourite queens can be a real pain in the arse. Not only do they rarely venture outside of their home country, but when they do is it ever in your town? My guess is rarely. See the thing is - if you're in the UK and if you don’t live in or near London, Manchester, Newcastle or Glasgow then it can be very difficult for you to get to the gigs. The fact is that the bigger the town, the more likely they are to have ‘gay areas’ for night life. Canal Street in Manchester is a prime example - packed full of gay bars, clubs and venues perfect for drag shows. Although this isn’t stopping you from asking your local bars to book your favourite queen. Its has been done before and is especially successful with gay bars in smaller towns or anywhere with an LGBTQA+ crowd.

#2: MONEY MONEY MONEY

A venue relatively close to you has one of your favourite drag queens coming to town, the tickets are expensive and you’ve got to pay for travel and accommodation as well. It soon adds up, and you begin to start questioning why you love drag queens so much anyway. Most of our favourite queens residing and working in America coming to the UK only once or twice a year makes for expensive shows. Don’t worry USA fans, I feel your pain too. You live in the USA but your ticket prices are still through the roof, what gives? They’re not travelling to another country, why so expensive? 

#3: PAYING THEM BITCHES NO MIND

"blah blah is lazy, she just wears t shirts and combat boots"

 NO! I love all types of drag from campy to comedy and it can be incredibly frustrating when people disregard your favourite queen's talents just because they're not a fan of their style. People are entitled to their opinions and preferences, but drag is drag. 

Don't hate; appreciate. 

 #4: MERCHLESS AND AFRAID      

One of the biggest banes of any fan’s life. It’s always so beautiful, such good quality, so well thought out, so… expensive.  Although thankfully merch is always cheaper at a drag gig, but those queues can be the quickest way to broken heels and bruises if you’re not careful.

Shipping fees especially for those outside of the US (where most of the queens live, we’ve discussed this) are always blindingly high - which is nothing to do with them, it’s nearly always to do with the postal service (those bastards). Do they not know how much I need Willam’s new DVD? Do the postal service not care that I am YET to see Willam fist someone on stage without a damn blur bar in front of it?! 

#5: MEET AND GREAT SWEATS

This, my friends, is something I know far too much about. If you’re not familiar, I envy you enormously. Let me break it down for you: You get to the gig, you’re having the time of your life, when you feel something on your cheek. It’s a little itchy - oh what’s that! That’s my eyelash falling down my face because this club is as hot as Satan's sofa!

So you're hot, you're sweating, you're probably a little drunk, probably a lot drunk and the meet and greet is, of course, after you've been squished for two hours. Add waiting in line outside in the cold/rain/snow for what seems like hours and you're ready. The room the meet & greet is hosted in is probably roasting hot, and not only do you have to greet one of your favourite queens looking like this but you've got to pose for an ill-timed picture, mid-sentence while a bead of sweat rolls down your smudgy contoured face.

After many bad experiences I come prepared now - deodorant, hairspray and eyelash glue are my go-to things to bring to a drag show. But even with those things, it’s hard out here… 

#6: AT FIRST I WAS AFRAID, I WAS PETRIFIED

Standing in a queue waiting for the line to ever so slowly ebb its way into the room where your fave is can be an awfully nerve racking experience.  If you’ve managed to beat the meet and greet sweats and you’re still looking fab I applaud you because for me, if the meet and greet sweats don’t get me the nerves will. It’s easy to let nerves get the best of you, but you have to remember that however much you love them, they’re used to people being nervous to see them. However weird that must be for them, they won’t judge you for it. Sharon Needles; for instance, made spooky noises at me when she heard that I was nervous, completely calming me down with a laugh. I know how it is, you’re finally meeting someone you really care about, you want them to like you and you really don’t want to come across annoying. All whilst trying to look good for the photo whilst concentrating on talking with them as much as possible before somebody shouts at you to move on.  Its terrifying. 

Nerves are completely normal when it comes to meeting an idol, whether it’s a fave celebrity or drag queen. Here are some of my top tips to tackle them:

1.    Take a deep breath. Everything is clearer when you just breathe.

2.   Remember, no matter what they’re still people who poop and pee like you & me. You shouldn’t have to be scared.

3.    JUST BE YOU! They’ll love you regardless and if by some unfortunate reason they don’t, then that’s their loss.

4.    Even if you’re with friends, try and sit down/meet the person on your own. Not only will you get more time with them, but I find it’s a more personal experience. If you wanna meet them with a friend for moral support then that’s up to you but I always like to go it alone.

#7: MY ADDRESS IS NOT HOLLYWOOD

Having a favourite queen who is the other side of the world to you is always frustrating, from touring to sending fan mail. It’s always so much more of a struggle when your favourite just so happens to have been born in the wrong place. Aside from Drag Race Queens, there are a ton of queens who have a large social media following and are incredibly celebrated for their drag, dotted all over the world. Some of the AILUROPHELLE team's favourites include, Discord Addams, Crystal Lubrikunt, Rubber Child, Lisa Limbaugh and Meth to name a few. But seeing as struggles are a theme here, we can’t miss the fact that being a fan of Non Rugirls from other countries can be the worst too. Unless I travel far and wide, or they get the recognition they deserve and are able to travel themselves; it’s unlikely I will get to see them perform anywhere other than my laptop screen in my bedroom - that sucks. Especially when you really admire their drag and love their performances, because nothing beats being able to experience that in real life.

#8: GORGEOUS GIFTS AND FAB FAN ART

Since being in the Drag Race fandom I have been exposed to some of the best art you could imagine. I have seen beautiful portraits, intricate graphics, amazing pieces of clothing, transformative makeup, keepsakes lovingly made by hand and so, so much more.

I, on the other hand, am extremely un-arty. I enjoy drawing, sure but I am far from good at it. Crafty creations make my head hurt and sewing makes me sweat.

So when you want to give your queen a gift or make them something instead it can be incredibly hard to decide on what when your skills like mine, are limited. This is frustrating, as you want to give something back - especially at meet and greets. Gift giving can show them how much you care and is a way of saying thank you as well as a way to stand out and be memorable. It’s definitely not a necessity, and you shouldn’t feel bad if you can’t or don’t want to give a queen a gift. It’s your choice, and is no way expected of you! But as a fan, I certainly feel the pressure when I am unable to do what a lot of other fans can. 

#9: THIS FACE IS MY ID, MOTHERFUCKER!

So a queen is coming to your town? You have just the money for a ticket? But it’s an 18+ Event and you’re not 18 or plus?

One of the biggest frustrations for many in the Drag Race fandom is being underage. Drag Race over the years has gained an entirely new audience, and while it slowly seeps into the mainstream it is gaining more and more fans below a certain age (see the wonderful Eve’s post here). Drag being accessible on TV and underage gigs (the few there are) is a very new thing. If we went back 20 years ago to the days of Lilly Savage and Damn Edna Everage, it would have been unheard of for under 18's waiting outside a club to catch a glimpse of a drag queen on their cigarette break. With new fans comes new expectations. Especially Ru girls are asked all the time if they’ll meet fans outside, which for some queens causes concern for their fans. Most club gigs that queens attend run into the wee hours of the morning, and it is not always safe to hang around that area. Being underage when it comes to going to gigs can be awful, hence the rise in some events being available for people 14+. 

#10: DRAMA

With every fandom comes some kind of Drama. Some of the most notorious I’ve noticed since being in the Drag Race fandom was the reaction to Brian McCook A.K.A Katya Zamolodchikova. He expressed concern about his fans calling him ‘Mom’ and being sexually explicit towards him on Periscope (a live streaming app), and regardless of the image he had already created for Katya, it grossed him out - which is fair, respecting boundaries is cool, kids. But this created a lot of backlash within the fandom - there were many arguments about what was okay and what wasn’t. More recently however the season 8 Ruveal has caused problems for some. Every year we all have our opinions on the Queens before the show is aired and we are nearly always wrong. People will talk, people will be wrong, some will be right. Some however get incredibly frustrated with prejudgments on the queens. This along with many other things sometimes creates tension. But what’s a fandom without drama?

SO... that was a lot of talking about some of the sucky struggles that come with being a part of the Drag Race fandom. Some are just funny, some are genuinely annoying. But with all that being said, fandoms are usually a safe, understanding environment to express your love for a specific genre/TV show/ artist etc. I love being in one and I love the sense of community that comes with being in one.

So enjoy it while it lasts, don’t worry too much about meeting your fave it’ll happen and lastly, most importantly, be nice to each other!

Shaina xo

Did I miss anything? Tweet me your #dragracestruggles @shaina_louise