Sasha Velour has another first under her belt; creating a self-portrait for the once staid New Yorker‘s latest issue…
According to the magazine,
The artist behind the cover for the June 12, 2023, issue, Sasha Velour, is a gender-fluid drag queen, author, television and theatre performer, and visual artist. In 2017, she was named the winner of the ninth season of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ Velour, who has an M.F.A. from the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, is a virtuoso of pageantry on the stage and on the page…
What do you say to those who think that children should be protected from seeing drag performers?
Drag is an antidote to shame.
It is pure entertainment, freedom, joy—it should be for everyone! I think children should be introduced to drag, not shielded from it. When I was a kid, I loved dressing up with my grandmothers, putting on makeup, staging shows.
I didn’t even know it was ‘drag’ but it just made sense to me. I’m so grateful that I saw movies like ‘Some Like It Hot’ or ‘To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar’ when I was that age. They helped me feel normal. Later, learning more about drag and understanding the existence of queer and trans people around the world quite literally saved my life.
Queer expression, including drag, is the ultimate proof that a person can decide for themselves how to dress, dance, act, and live . . . and still find success, or a life worth living.
Drag shows us that we don’t need to be afraid of who we are . . . and, if anything, we should exaggerate our quirks!
Tell it, sis! You can read the whole interview here.
And if you love the cover, you can get your very own pillow, t-shirt or beach towel with Sasha’s artwork here. Perfect for a Pride march or a quick CVS run.
