DragCon NYC 2018: Will's Takeaways
DragCon NYC 2018: Will's Takeaways
The OUT Foundation had the pleasure of exhibiting and advocating at RuPaul's DragCon NYC 2018, with all its glitz and glamour.
To say that I was over-stimulated would be the understatement of the century. The queens, the vendors, the fans, the energy - it was all just so electric!
One thing I keep coming back to while reminiscing on our weekend there was the air of acceptance - of love, of inclusion - that feeling was everywhere. Each morning as I walked through the doors of the Javits Center, it was like a big HUGE hug of "baby, you're welcome here and this is your home."
I was so touched by the people who stopped by our booth and by the hundreds of queens who entertained us all by doing pull-ups with us (by the way, over 1,000 pull-ups were done at DragCon...bet ya didn't see that coming, Ru!) .
But what stuck with me the most were the kids.
We had so many young kids come by with their parents...I'm talking 6 and 7 year olds, hand-in-hand with their parents, decked out in tutus and wigs and tights and FULL of love. I met a mom from Pennsylvania who got up at 5am to drive her children, Simon and Leah (sp), to come meet Ongina. Simon wore a rainbow wig and tutu and the joy I saw on his face was something I won’t soon forget.
This is why RuPaul's DragCon exists - for Simon and Leah - for all of us to feel accepted, loved and safe in each others presence.
Like Mama Ru says, "We're all born naked and the rest is drag."
This post was shared by Will Lanier, Executive Director of The OUT Foundation and RuPaul’s Drag Race stan. Follow Will @truebluewill on Instagram.
