“I don’t think gender is a part of it, so I don’t want to necessarily represent people with big tits and big hips because that will start to define me. I don’t think people should be defined by how they look, and what their body is. It’s just who they are on the inside”.
– Ginny Lemon
Ginny Lemon, a drag queen from the West Midlands, recently caused a stir as they quit season two of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. During a touching moment between fellow drag queen Bimini-Bon-Boulash, viewers were able to watch an open discussion of the two queen’s experience with non-binarism and drag. This moment has opened discussions surrounding gender and drag, and arguably Ginny Lemon has become an icon in the hall of fame for ex-drag race queens as they change aesthetic expectations in drag, straying away from gender conformity and the common usage of the female aesthetic.
Styling themselves against feminine ‘norms’ of drag, Ginny entered the show to mix things up. In an interview with Gay Times, Ginny expresses how they “went onto that show to fuck it up, break the binary and to be punk”. They certainly did that. To try and describe their style would be impossible. Even by taking a glance at their Instagram you can see how they differ from the style of drag people have previously experienced when watching other seasons of Drag Race.
In 2018 there was the first wave of discussion surrounding gender and drag performance. In an interview with journalist Aitkenhead from The Guardian, RuPaul (arguably the most famous drag queen in the world and host of his namesake television show RuPaul’s Drag Race) caused a stir when claiming that male to female transitioning drag queens, having already started medical procedures, should not be allowed on the show. RuPaul claims it “changes the whole concept of what we’re [the drag community] are doing”. The comments he made caused a stir, with angry fans being disappointed that in a community that fights for inclusivity there exists a leader who holds prejudiced views.
Describing themselves as a “gobby bitch” you can see the punk attitude in their actions. To take a stand and leave such an iconic show when you realise that your art isn’t being appreciated is admirable and Ginny’s actions have caused a lot of fans to have discussions about their own gender identities with their parents. Ginny has vowed after all the love they have received to carry on being a queer voice on television and continue sparking coverage on LGBTQ+ issues.