Drag racg is all about good timg, and for Travis Shumake, the cisn to fally fully m to followg the footsteps of his late father, natnal event-wng Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake, and to do as an openly gay driver, jt felt right.
Contents:
- 'IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE': OPENLY GAY NHRA DRIVER PREPAR TO MAKE HISTORY
- THIS OPENLY GAY NHRA RACER BUTS FRIDAY TOPEKA. HERE'S WHY GROUPS ARE LG UP TO ENDORSE HIM
- GRDR ANNOUNC SPONSORSHIP OF GAY NHRA DRAG RACER
- TRAVIS SHUMAKE STRIV TO BEE FIRST OPENLY GAY NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER
- THERE ARE MORE 'OUT' GAY RACG DRIVERS THAN YOU THK
- SASHAY AWAY: OUT GAY DRAG RACER MAK HIS BUT AT NHRL
- A GAY DRIVER A RABOW R WILL MAKE HISTORY AT A KANSAS HOT ROD RACE THIS WEEKEND
- THIS GAY RACE R DRIVER IS OUT AND PROUD, AND CHASG HIS MOTORSPORTS DREAM
- THIS GAY MAN IS TRYG TO BREAK TO A DIFFERENT KD OF DRAG RACG
- PHOENIX MAN WORKG TO BEE 1ST OPENLY GAY DRAG RACER NATNAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATN
- RECLAIMG THE F-WORD: ‘DRAG RACE’ CAST BREAKS DOWN USG QUEER SLURSHAVING A KIKIIT’S THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE ON THIS WEEK’S “RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS,” WH THE QUEENS PUTTG LBIANS DRAG WHILE BATG THE RECLAIMG OF TRIGGERG QUEER SLURS.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2023 4:05AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 07, 2023 1:34PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O’FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/PARAMOUNT+THGS ARE G DOWN TO THE WIRE ON RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS 8, WHICH MEANS THAT THE WORKROOM IS BEG MORE SPAC, AND THE PRODUCERS ARE LOOKG FOR WAYS TO FILL AN ENTIRE HOUR OF TELEVISN. ON DRAG RACE, THAT TYPILLY MEANS A DREAD MAKEOVER CHALLENGE, WHERE THE REMAG ST OF QUEENS WILL HAVE TO DRAG UP A SET OF RANDOM PEOPLE WH A FG SHARED TRA, ROPED OM SOME BAR SOMEWHERE THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. NOT LERALLY, OF URSE, BUT JUDGG BY HOW HAPHAZARDLY THE GROUPS OF MAKEOVER PARTICIPANTS ARE PICKED, DO FEEL AS THOUGH A PRODUCER STUMBLED TO SOME WATERG HOLE AND ASKED, “WHO WANTS $1,000 AND A EE LUNCH?”THIS SEASON’S MAKEOVER SUBJECTS ARE—DMROLL PLEASE—LBIANS. TO WHICH YOU MIGHT ASK, “…LBIANS?” Y, JT GOOD OLD-FASHNED LBIANS. HELL, THEY’VE DONE ARMY VETS; THEY’VE DRAGGED UP UNRAPPRECIATED SCHOOL TEACHERS; THEY’VE EVEN TOUCHED UP THE ST OF LTLE WOMEN LA. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS LBIANS!EXPLAG THEIR CHOICE, HOST RUPL SAID, “FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT, TO THE AIDS CRISIS, TO TODAY, OUR QUEER SISTERS HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN UP WHEN THE LGBTQ MUNY NEED THEM THE MOST.” THAT’S VERY TE, BUT WAS A STATEMENT THAT LEFT ME SCRATCHG MY HEAD. RU MAK SOUND AS IF THE LBIANS WERE SHOWG UP AT THE MOMENTS QUEER HISTORY JT TO SUPPORT THE GS, BUT THE LS LGBTQ WERE JT AS IMPACTED AT THOSE TIM, TOO. RU DID, HOWEVER, MENTN THAT LBIANS OFTEN REMA THE SILENT HERO SUPPORTG THEIR ENTIRE MUNY, SO THIS WEEK WAS THE SHOW’S TRIBUTE TO THOSE CHAMPNS.MAKEOVER EPISOS ED TO PRENT A MORE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE. CONTTANTS HAD TO DOLL UP A PARTICIPANT WHO WAS PLETELY UNFAIAR WH THE ART OF DRAG, AND DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO BEG HELPG THE QUEENS THEY WERE PAIRED WH. NOW, EVERYONE WHO WALKS ONTO THE SET OF DRAG RACE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE GETTG TO, WHICH IS BOTH AN ADVANTAGE TO THE QUEENS, AND A SLIGHT DISADVANTAGE TO THE SHOW. THE MAKEOVERS ARE LS OF A CHALLENGE OF FDG THE RIGHT FORT LEVEL, AND MORE ABOUT PERFECTG A DRAG FAY REMBLANCE WHEN ALL IS SAID, DONE, PADD, AND BEATEN WH A MAKP BSH. THAT SAID, THE MAKEOVERS FUNCTN BETTER WHEN THE NTTANTS PERFORMG THEM FEEL SAFER. IN DRAG RACE SEASON 6, THE QUEENS HAD TO MAKEOVER STRAIGHT MEN WHO WERE ON THE SHOW AT THE BEHT OF THEIR SPO AND GIRLIENDS, LEAVG BOTH THE QUEENS AND THE STRAIGHT MEN UNFORTABLE. WH THE LBIANS PRENT, NONE OF THE REMAG QUEENS HAVE TO SPEND THEIR TIME GGG THEIR LEVEL OF SAFETY, WHICH IS A NICE FUNCTN OF THE LATER-SEASON MAKEOVER CHALLENG. YET, THEY STILL ONLY PRENT A FEW KERNELS OF TERTG NVERSATN.THIS WEEK, THAT ME OM THE QUEENS—ALL GAY MEN—CHATTG WH THEIR LBIAN FAY ABOUT THE PLITED SUBJECT OF RECLAIMG CERTA SLURS. ONE OF THE LBIANS, AMANDA, TOLD NTTANT JIMBO THAT SHE REFERS TO HERSELF AS A “SISSY DYKE,” PROMPTG FELLOW NTTANT JSI WILD TO ASK ABOUT THEIR RELATNSHIPS TO THE WORD.“FOR ME, ‘DYKE’ IS A RECLAMATN OF A WORD THAT WAS ED TO HURT , BUT REALLY MEANS BEG POWERFUL YOUR QUEER, WOMAN-LOVG SELF,” ANOTHER ONE OF THE LBIANS BEG MA OVER, ANGIE, SAID.“THERE’S AN ADD POLIL NNOTATN,” AMANDA CHIMED . “‘DYKE’ IS JT AN ENPSULATN OF MY POLICS, JT LIKE ‘QUEER.’” THE THIRD LBIAN THE ROOM, LISA, MENTNED THAT TOOK MUCH LONGER FOR HER TO BEE OKAY WH G THE WORD. “IT WAS A TERM THAT WAS ED AGAST ME WHEN I WAS BULLIED. BUT RECENTLY, ME AND MY MOTORCYCLE IENDS, WE DID THE QUEERS ON GEARS/DYK ON BIK, SO WAS REALLY NICE TO RECLAIM THE WORD WH A BUNCH OF OTHER QUEER WOMEN.” THEN, AMANDA POSED AN TERTG QUTN, WHICH REMAS A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE WH QUEER CIRCL (AND THE DRAG RACE FANDOM SELF): “DO YOU GUYS THK THAT LBIANS N SAY ‘FAG’ AND THAT GAY GUYS N SAY ‘DYKE,’ OR THAT SHOULD ONLY BE KEPT WH THOSE GROUPS TO SAY?” KANDY ME MENTNED THAT HER OWN MOTHER IS A BUTCH LBIAN, WHOM SHE REFERS TO AS A DYKE, BUT ALSO PLETELY UNRSTANDS WHY LBIANS WOULD NOT WANT A GAY MAN TO SAY . THE GAY EXPERIENCE AND THE LBIAN EXPERIENCE—THOUGH TRSILLY LKED BY QUEERNS—ARE HERENTLY DIFFERENT. JIMBO AGREED WH KANDY, ADDG, “I THK ’S ABOUT TENTN, DO TEND TO HURT ME, DO TEND TO BE FUNNY?”THERE’S ONE THG THAT’S FOR SURE: IF YOU’RE READG THIS, AND YOU’RE NOT A PART OF EHER OF THE MUNI, YOU SHOULDN’T BE SAYG ALL! BUT EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY , YOU N STILL LEARN SOMETHG OM . THAT’S THE BETY OF DRAG RACE AMASSG SUCH A LARGE STRAIGHT DIENCE.THE TYP OF NVERSATNS ARE MUCH MORE TERTG THAN THE ON THAT WERE AFFORD TO ON PREV MAKEOVER CHALLENG. WE ED TO HAVE TO WATCH QUEENS BEAT THE FACE OF A STRANGER WHILE ANSWERG THE SAME OLD QUTNS ABOUT THEIR HISTORY WH DRAG AND HOW MUCH THEIR FAI DO OR DO NOT ACCEPT THEM. IT GOT TIRG! LIKE SO MANY ASPECTS OF DRAG RACE OVER THE YEARS, THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE NEED A MAKEOVER SELF. THE MAKEOVERS MIGHT BE ON THEIR LAST LEGS, BUT THERE IS STILL SOME VALUE LEFT THE DISCSNS THAT THEY GENERATE—EVEN IF RUPL PROBABLY DID JT SP A BIG WHEEL THAT LAND ON “LBIANS.”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. COLEMAN SPIL
'IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE': OPENLY GAY NHRA DRIVER PREPAR TO MAKE HISTORY
Travis Shumake is lookg to bee the first openly gay drag racer at the NRHA Campg World Seri this weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park. * gay drag racing *
Nearly two years ago, Shumake had planned his but to the eic, high-octane world of Natnal Hot Rod Associatn drag racg as the erng body's first openly gay the son of NHRA Funny Car drag-racg legend Tripp Shumake, the younger Shumake had grown up that world, havg attend drag rac each summer at the Kansas Speedway and racg shifter karts wh his father the late the s sce his father died a 1999 motorcycle accint, though, somethg kept llg Shumake back to the sport — back to followg his father's he started drivg.
At a separate race Las Vegas, Shumake failed to qualify, markg the first time the Myer's dragster that he was drivg failed to qualify over eight all that, Shumake has learned to manage his expectatns, even as he prepar to qualify as the first openly gay drag racer at the NHRA Campg World Seri at Heartland Motorsports Park on Friday. We’ll see where go, " Shumake as he gets ready to race qualifiers Friday, Shumake is exced at the prospect of makg through to the elimatn rounds on Saturday and Topeka, Pri Kansas play role Travis Shumake's but as gay racerAs Shumake set out to make his but, one of his early challeng was fdg a sponsor. "One of my hunch was that I would fd somebody willg to sign me who was makg cisns wh the pk dollar md — maybe a gay marketg officer or someone wh a marketg foc on the LGBT piece, " he he reached out to Sean Dixon, print of Vis Topeka, Shumake found someone who was not only willg to sponsor him, but also someone who was willg to vt a racer who uld crease visibily for a cy and sport that historilly have been characterized as nservative and unwelg to LGBTQ people.
THIS OPENLY GAY NHRA RACER BUTS FRIDAY TOPEKA. HERE'S WHY GROUPS ARE LG UP TO ENDORSE HIM
The gays are drag racg – but we’re not talkg about Ru! * gay drag racing *
"His journey and beg the first openly gay sanctned driver really ronated wh , " Dixon said. "But the race r don’t know if I'm a boy or girl, or gay or straight, or Christian or Jewish. Although they never talked about before his father died when Shumake was 15, his father knew he was gay.
GRDR ANNOUNC SPONSORSHIP OF GAY NHRA DRAG RACER
The sport's first openly gay petor jt land a big sponsor. * gay drag racing *
There’s 40 ln fans who self-intify as drag racg fans, and there jt should be a gay driver. Travis Shumake pulls the vyl l to reveal the letterg for the anizatn Pri Kansas as he works to plete the full rabow ls on his drag race r Tuday eveng Sprg number of thgs should have stopped Travis two years ago, Shumake had planned his but to the eic, high-octane world of Natnal Hot Rod Associatn drag racg as the erng body's first openly gay the son of NHRA Funny Car drag-racg legend Tripp Shumake, the younger Shumake had grown up that world, havg attend drag rac each summer at the Kansas Speedway and racg shifter karts wh his father the late the s sce his father passed away a 1999 motorcycle accint, though, somethg kept llg Shumake back to the sport — back to followg his father's he started drivg.
At a separate race Las Vegas, Shumake failed to qualify, markg the first time the Randy Meyer's dragster that he was drivg failed to qualify over eight all that, Shumake has learned to manage his expectatns, even as he prepar to qualify as the first openly gay drag racer at the NHRA Campg World Seri at Heartland Motorsports Park on Here's how to get tickets for the 2022 Menard's NHRA Natnals TopekaHe'll do so a rabow-lored dragster — plete wh rabow parachut — thanks to a first-of-s-kd sponsorship al wh Vis Topeka, the cy's statn marketg anizatn, and Pri Kansas as the anizatns look to promote the cy as an clive wayTravis Shumake shows off his drag racer at Evergy Plaza Wednday morng tailg the number of world champnships has won. Shumake was recently sponsored by Vis Topeka and Pri Kansas as the first openly gay NHRA racer history and will be petg this weekend at Heartland Park Speedway. We’ll see where go, " Shumake as he gets ready to race qualifiers Friday, Shumake is exced at the prospect of makg through to the elimatn rounds on Saturday and This Kansas State rearch program is helpg HBCU stunts bee agricultural scholarsVis Topeka, Pri Kansas play role Travis Shumake's but as gay racerDrag racer Travis Shumake, left, works wh team manager and fellow driver Megan Meyer to create a ctom geometric rabow-lored wrap around a race r Tuday their Sprg Hill shop.
TRAVIS SHUMAKE STRIV TO BEE FIRST OPENLY GAY NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER
On Tuday, Raphael Orlove and Bill Caswell posed the qutn on Jalopnik, “Why Aren’t There More ‘Out’ Gay Race Car Drivers?” Actually, there are more than you thk. * gay drag racing *
Shumake is beg sponsored by the Greater Topeka Partnership as the first openly gay drag racer. "One of my hunch was that I would fd somebody willg to sign me who was makg cisns wh the pk dollar md — maybe a gay marketg officer or someone wh a marketg foc on the LGBT piece, " he Dixon, print of Vis Topeka, tak a selfie wh Travis Shumake's drag r durg a media event at Evergy Plaza he reached out to Sean Dixon, print of Vis Topeka, Shumake found someone who was not only willg to sponsor him, but also someone who was willg to vt a racer who uld crease visibily for a cy and sport that historilly have been characterized as nservative and unwelg to LGBTQ people. Follow him on Twter at article origally appeared on Topeka Capal-Journal: Travis Shumake looks to make history as NHRA's first openly gay racer.
The gays are drag racg – but not jt for Ru! This month, Travis Shumake ma history as the first out gay driver to pete a natnal event on the Natnal Hot Rod Associatn (NHRA) racg circu. Now, his son Travis is makg history on his own terms as an out gay man a straight-centric sport such as racg.
Travis has also been outspoken about his g-out story and how he's planng to reprent the LGBTQ+ muny this the historic nature of Travis' reer as an NHRA driver, he has now land a rporate sponsorship om none other than Grdr, the lotn-based datg app for gay through to check out pictur of Travis Shumake, and follow him on Instagram - @travihu - to see even more! As the sport's first openly gay driver, he also ma history a sport not typilly known for diversy.
THERE ARE MORE 'OUT' GAY RACG DRIVERS THAN YOU THK
Gay drag racer Travis Shumake broke new ground the racg world when he peted the Natnal Hot Rod Associatn Natnals. * gay drag racing *
A sponsorship om a big name the gay muny like Grdr is sure to brg a wir dience to the fold. “As a gay man Ameri’s olst nservative Motorsport, thentic reprentatn matters, " Shumake said a statement om Grdr. “As a gay man Ameri’s olst nservative Motorsport, thentic reprentatn matters.
At 280 MPH, I’m proud to be turng heads and raisg eyebrows wh Grdr as a partner”@ShumakeTravis is queerg the racetrack as the first openly gay profsnal drag racer ? — Grdr (@Grdr) Augt 17, 2022Reviews Edor. He found the tomotive reviews sectn of CNBC durg his sophomore year of llege and has been wrg about rs ever sce.
SASHAY AWAY: OUT GAY DRAG RACER MAK HIS BUT AT NHRL
Travis Shumake is the son of former NHRA Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake, who was killed a motorcycle accint 36, Travis Shumake hop to bee the first openly gay driver the NHRA Funny Car class. Shumake plans to h the racetrack by season’s end, memoratg his father’s last NHRA Funny Car victory 40 years ago at the Fals—and beg the Campg World Drag Racg Seri’ first openly gay June 15, Shumake earned his Nostalgia Funny Car license at the Frank Hawley Drag Racg School Florida. But they're not givg me a mulligan for beg gay bee my dad was great or whatever.
”Curly, he has gotten oppose advice om mentors about whether to tra on the fact he’s gay. You don't want to be the guy who was gay and terrible. Shumake said, “So I'm back and forth on playg up the gay rd, but I thk 's a good bs mol.
”Tripp Shumake didn’t live to see his son bee a foster parent and an advote for homels gay teens through his work Arizona wh one•n•ten, a non-prof anizatn dited to helpg LGBTQ youth ag 14-24.
A GAY DRIVER A RABOW R WILL MAKE HISTORY AT A KANSAS HOT ROD RACE THIS WEEKEND
Now is the time to show the world there is a place for gay petors and fans motorsports. I affectnately ll the Gay Mafia. There's about 10 people I know the sport that are gay that haven't taken the steps like I am takg, jt bee of that fear, ” Shumake said.
“There have been so many more gay people, but we don't talk. “Maybe if, for some reason, someone is able to e out of the closet or enter the sport—gay, lbian, transgenr—bee of my attempts at this, that would certaly be rewardg enough to me.
“I'm like, how do people not know you're gay? ’”Devon Roe, 22, a dirt-track sprt-r veteran om Wt Burlgton, Iowa, is a iend of Shumake, and they enurage one another as Roe embarks on his NASCAR journey as the first openly gay Campg World Tck Seri driver. On Tuday, Raphael Orlove and Bill Caswell posed the qutn on Jalopnik, “Why Aren’t There More ‘Out’ Gay Race Car Drivers?
THIS GAY RACE R DRIVER IS OUT AND PROUD, AND CHASG HIS MOTORSPORTS DREAM
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe | First LookOffEnglishEvan Darlg is an openly gay driver known bt for his efforts road racg. In an exclive terview wh Queers4Gears, the current NASCAR Sprt Cup Champn, Brad Kelowski said, “I don’t thk anyone r (if a driver is gay.
”That statement is accurate, as the reprentatn of openly gay people the sport is not limed to recently profiled Matthew Pattison, an openly gay official who’s worked the sport for 15 years and is one of the ma officials the Timg and Srg Tower.
THIS GAY MAN IS TRYG TO BREAK TO A DIFFERENT KD OF DRAG RACG
Queers4Gears profiled an openly gay employee at Michael Waltrip Racg — who works the anizatn wh his partner.
PHOENIX MAN WORKG TO BEE 1ST OPENLY GAY DRAG RACER NATNAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATN
”But what about the sponsors you ask — would an openly gay driver be able to attract a sponsor? Will there be fans that refe to accept an openly gay driver? Openly gay drivers.
RECLAIMG THE F-WORD: ‘DRAG RACE’ CAST BREAKS DOWN USG QUEER SLURSHAVING A KIKIIT’S THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE ON THIS WEEK’S “RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS,” WH THE QUEENS PUTTG LBIANS DRAG WHILE BATG THE RECLAIMG OF TRIGGERG QUEER SLURS.COLEMAN SPILENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED JUL. 08, 2023 4:05AM EDT / PUBLISHED JUL. 07, 2023 1:34PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O’FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/PARAMOUNT+THGS ARE G DOWN TO THE WIRE ON RUPL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS 8, WHICH MEANS THAT THE WORKROOM IS BEG MORE SPAC, AND THE PRODUCERS ARE LOOKG FOR WAYS TO FILL AN ENTIRE HOUR OF TELEVISN. ON DRAG RACE, THAT TYPILLY MEANS A DREAD MAKEOVER CHALLENGE, WHERE THE REMAG ST OF QUEENS WILL HAVE TO DRAG UP A SET OF RANDOM PEOPLE WH A FG SHARED TRA, ROPED OM SOME BAR SOMEWHERE THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. NOT LERALLY, OF URSE, BUT JUDGG BY HOW HAPHAZARDLY THE GROUPS OF MAKEOVER PARTICIPANTS ARE PICKED, DO FEEL AS THOUGH A PRODUCER STUMBLED TO SOME WATERG HOLE AND ASKED, “WHO WANTS $1,000 AND A EE LUNCH?”THIS SEASON’S MAKEOVER SUBJECTS ARE—DMROLL PLEASE—LBIANS. TO WHICH YOU MIGHT ASK, “…LBIANS?” Y, JT GOOD OLD-FASHNED LBIANS. HELL, THEY’VE DONE ARMY VETS; THEY’VE DRAGGED UP UNRAPPRECIATED SCHOOL TEACHERS; THEY’VE EVEN TOUCHED UP THE ST OF LTLE WOMEN LA. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS LBIANS!EXPLAG THEIR CHOICE, HOST RUPL SAID, “FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE GAY LIBERATN MOVEMENT, TO THE AIDS CRISIS, TO TODAY, OUR QUEER SISTERS HAVE ALWAYS SHOWN UP WHEN THE LGBTQ MUNY NEED THEM THE MOST.” THAT’S VERY TE, BUT WAS A STATEMENT THAT LEFT ME SCRATCHG MY HEAD. RU MAK SOUND AS IF THE LBIANS WERE SHOWG UP AT THE MOMENTS QUEER HISTORY JT TO SUPPORT THE GS, BUT THE LS LGBTQ WERE JT AS IMPACTED AT THOSE TIM, TOO. RU DID, HOWEVER, MENTN THAT LBIANS OFTEN REMA THE SILENT HERO SUPPORTG THEIR ENTIRE MUNY, SO THIS WEEK WAS THE SHOW’S TRIBUTE TO THOSE CHAMPNS.MAKEOVER EPISOS ED TO PRENT A MORE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE. CONTTANTS HAD TO DOLL UP A PARTICIPANT WHO WAS PLETELY UNFAIAR WH THE ART OF DRAG, AND DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO BEG HELPG THE QUEENS THEY WERE PAIRED WH. NOW, EVERYONE WHO WALKS ONTO THE SET OF DRAG RACE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE GETTG TO, WHICH IS BOTH AN ADVANTAGE TO THE QUEENS, AND A SLIGHT DISADVANTAGE TO THE SHOW. THE MAKEOVERS ARE LS OF A CHALLENGE OF FDG THE RIGHT FORT LEVEL, AND MORE ABOUT PERFECTG A DRAG FAY REMBLANCE WHEN ALL IS SAID, DONE, PADD, AND BEATEN WH A MAKP BSH. THAT SAID, THE MAKEOVERS FUNCTN BETTER WHEN THE NTTANTS PERFORMG THEM FEEL SAFER. IN DRAG RACE SEASON 6, THE QUEENS HAD TO MAKEOVER STRAIGHT MEN WHO WERE ON THE SHOW AT THE BEHT OF THEIR SPO AND GIRLIENDS, LEAVG BOTH THE QUEENS AND THE STRAIGHT MEN UNFORTABLE. WH THE LBIANS PRENT, NONE OF THE REMAG QUEENS HAVE TO SPEND THEIR TIME GGG THEIR LEVEL OF SAFETY, WHICH IS A NICE FUNCTN OF THE LATER-SEASON MAKEOVER CHALLENG. YET, THEY STILL ONLY PRENT A FEW KERNELS OF TERTG NVERSATN.THIS WEEK, THAT ME OM THE QUEENS—ALL GAY MEN—CHATTG WH THEIR LBIAN FAY ABOUT THE PLITED SUBJECT OF RECLAIMG CERTA SLURS. ONE OF THE LBIANS, AMANDA, TOLD NTTANT JIMBO THAT SHE REFERS TO HERSELF AS A “SISSY DYKE,” PROMPTG FELLOW NTTANT JSI WILD TO ASK ABOUT THEIR RELATNSHIPS TO THE WORD.“FOR ME, ‘DYKE’ IS A RECLAMATN OF A WORD THAT WAS ED TO HURT , BUT REALLY MEANS BEG POWERFUL YOUR QUEER, WOMAN-LOVG SELF,” ANOTHER ONE OF THE LBIANS BEG MA OVER, ANGIE, SAID.“THERE’S AN ADD POLIL NNOTATN,” AMANDA CHIMED . “‘DYKE’ IS JT AN ENPSULATN OF MY POLICS, JT LIKE ‘QUEER.’” THE THIRD LBIAN THE ROOM, LISA, MENTNED THAT TOOK MUCH LONGER FOR HER TO BEE OKAY WH G THE WORD. “IT WAS A TERM THAT WAS ED AGAST ME WHEN I WAS BULLIED. BUT RECENTLY, ME AND MY MOTORCYCLE IENDS, WE DID THE QUEERS ON GEARS/DYK ON BIK, SO WAS REALLY NICE TO RECLAIM THE WORD WH A BUNCH OF OTHER QUEER WOMEN.” THEN, AMANDA POSED AN TERTG QUTN, WHICH REMAS A HOT-BUTTON ISSUE WH QUEER CIRCL (AND THE DRAG RACE FANDOM SELF): “DO YOU GUYS THK THAT LBIANS N SAY ‘FAG’ AND THAT GAY GUYS N SAY ‘DYKE,’ OR THAT SHOULD ONLY BE KEPT WH THOSE GROUPS TO SAY?” KANDY ME MENTNED THAT HER OWN MOTHER IS A BUTCH LBIAN, WHOM SHE REFERS TO AS A DYKE, BUT ALSO PLETELY UNRSTANDS WHY LBIANS WOULD NOT WANT A GAY MAN TO SAY . THE GAY EXPERIENCE AND THE LBIAN EXPERIENCE—THOUGH TRSILLY LKED BY QUEERNS—ARE HERENTLY DIFFERENT. JIMBO AGREED WH KANDY, ADDG, “I THK ’S ABOUT TENTN, DO TEND TO HURT ME, DO TEND TO BE FUNNY?”THERE’S ONE THG THAT’S FOR SURE: IF YOU’RE READG THIS, AND YOU’RE NOT A PART OF EHER OF THE MUNI, YOU SHOULDN’T BE SAYG ALL! BUT EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY , YOU N STILL LEARN SOMETHG OM . THAT’S THE BETY OF DRAG RACE AMASSG SUCH A LARGE STRAIGHT DIENCE.THE TYP OF NVERSATNS ARE MUCH MORE TERTG THAN THE ON THAT WERE AFFORD TO ON PREV MAKEOVER CHALLENG. WE ED TO HAVE TO WATCH QUEENS BEAT THE FACE OF A STRANGER WHILE ANSWERG THE SAME OLD QUTNS ABOUT THEIR HISTORY WH DRAG AND HOW MUCH THEIR FAI DO OR DO NOT ACCEPT THEM. IT GOT TIRG! LIKE SO MANY ASPECTS OF DRAG RACE OVER THE YEARS, THE MAKEOVER CHALLENGE NEED A MAKEOVER SELF. THE MAKEOVERS MIGHT BE ON THEIR LAST LEGS, BUT THERE IS STILL SOME VALUE LEFT THE DISCSNS THAT THEY GENERATE—EVEN IF RUPL PROBABLY DID JT SP A BIG WHEEL THAT LAND ON “LBIANS.”KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK. COLEMAN SPIL
Nothg chang a person’s views more than them knowg and rg about a gay person their life. But Cheney’s view on LGBT rights is squarely the progrsive mp — bee he has a gay child. Attus about gay people are changg Ameri and the grandstands at the race track will not be immune to this shift.
Travis Shumake is mak wav as an out gay drag racer (Photo: Twter/Grdr). Driver Travis Shumake offered up a different drag race altogether when he beme the first openly gay man to take part the Natnal Hot Rod Associatn (NHRA) Natnals Topeka, Kansas.