2012-06-13

Sharon Needles and (Racist) White Gay Hegemony


So, it came to my attention in this week's Willamette Weekly that Sharon Needles (a.k.a. Aaron Coady) of RuPaul's Drag Race is going to be in Portland.

Fun Facts About Sharon Needles:  
Sharon Needles has worn a swastika t-shirt.

Sharon Needles has worn a Confederate flag one-piece swimsuit.

Sharon Needles has used the N-WORD onstage. (Courtesy of Queerty)

Oh and did I mention the bitch be Aryan as hell?

Not only that but WW's interview spot called the Hotseat in the "Culture" section interviewed Sharon. What I found rather hilarious is that despite this column's name, Aaron Spencer (the interviewer) did not ask any difficult questions of Sharon. In fact he didn't touch any of the controversy surrounding Needles, who has been accused of being not only racist but also transphobic and classist. I noticed also during RuPaul's Drag Race (shut up!) that Needles wore many controversial tee-shirts, two supporting Republican politicians and one even being a confederate flag, which the producers apparently made her cover up later in the episode. In a video after the series finished, Needles is quoted as saying: 

The other night me and a couple of my friends went out to have a good time, and there's this young thing. I call her a "thing" because, you know, I don't know how to tip-toe around gender rules or queer politics. I'm 30 years old, rich, and famous; I don't have to deal with that shit anymore, you know what I mean? So we'll just call them "him"/"her"/"thing," whatever. And you know she really finds my shows offensive. ... So anyway she got upset that I paint myself brown, that I would use language that she found offensive. ... She made me an unnecessary poster child for post-racial change."

SIDE EYE FOREVER! As if we're post-racial...ha!

Also Needles posted this on her Facebook:

i fucked a black last week…call me a cheater, not a racists..i don’t say n-word..i say n****r..thats the word..i’m not afraid of language..and i’m not afraid to say red lipstick is not your color..and i’m not afraid to say that i hate when people post pictures of them self eating..beans for that matter!! but the baby picture is super cute!!" (Full story here)

Yeah, so there was that.
To me, Sharon Needles reflects a huge disconnect of the gay White (male) mainstream and queer people of color, poor queer people, lesbians, disabled queers, fat people and transfolk. We are constantly barraged with images of skinny White "twink" men and Needles does a huge disservice to the community as a whole when she uses her privilege for evil. Sorry guys, racism and transphobia is evil. No other word for it. I don't want this bitch coming to my city, but I gotta remember she's playing to the White Gay Hegemony and that's just the way it is. Then again, I also remember reading somewhere that Lady Gaga is a fan. So fuck you, Sharon Needles.

No love.



6 comentarios:

  1. http://s1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh605/pittsburgh-anti-racist/

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  2. Hey - so I'm Aaron Spencer. I just found this by Googling my name. Sorry you didn't like the interview. I didn't ask those questions on purpose because at the time Sharon had addressed those issues in other media. I decided to ask Sharon more about drag culture and how it was evolving rather than play gotcha journalism and ask her questions she had already answered. I could have asked her, "Sharon would you agree that you are 'Aryan as hell,' as some people have called you?" But I'm pretty sure that would have resulted in a "no," and a pretty worthless interview from that point forward.

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  3. Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.

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  4. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." -- George Orwell

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  5. Lauren, I'm going out on a limb here and assumed you're not Black, so don't use the n-word. IT IS NOT YOURS TO USE.

    Your "argument" as to why those of us that take issues with Aaron Coady's art isn't a new one, you're not bringing anything relevant to the table. We've already been told not to be offended. It's not about personal offense, it is about perpetuating racism. Words will always have power when the oppressors are using them. Thanks for your collusion.

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