On Friday night’s episode, rupaul’s drag race In season 18, the competing queens were assigned the show’s signature “makeover challenge,” in which they were tasked with creating a family likeness by putting a random person in drag. This season, the participant being dragged was a hyper-masculine gay cowboy.
Spectators watching the competing queens were shocked to hear a cowboy reminisce about how he brutally murdered his friend while serving in the U.S. Army. But perhaps the person most surprised by the mention of this crime was Calpurnia Addams, who had gathered with friends to watch the episode.
Ms Adams, an actress, former showgirl and trans activist, said she felt blindsided when the groom told her about her ex-girlfriend Barry Winchell, who was murdered by fellow soldiers in a horrific hate crime in 1999. In addition to the story coming up, photos of both Adams and Winchell were shown on screen.
Defense attorneys were closely following Winchell’s murder at the time.Advocate Archives
In response, Adams sent a voice message. race chaser, popular drag race A recap podcast hosted by former contestants Alaska Thunderfuck and Willam Berry.
“Last Friday, I was kind of taken aback because one of the transformation subjects in the Family Resemblance Challenge said he was…a veteran who served with Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, Kentucky,” Adams recalled. “For those of you who don’t know, in the ’90s when I was a showgirl in Nashville, an Army soldier came to see a show I was hosting and we started dating and fell in love. Then on July 4, 1999, the same night I was competing in the Miss Tennessee Entertainer of the Year contest, he was brutally beaten to death and that night I won.
Calpurnia Addams, writer, activist, and actressJohn Sciulli/Getty Images, Los Angeles LGBT Center
“It still breaks my heart because he was a kind-hearted young man. And that night, Justin Fisher and Calvin Glover conspired to murder Barry because they were furious with Barry because he was ‘dating a transsexual.'” And that night, they bludgeoned him to death. And the trials continued for many years. The boys who killed him were sent to prison. And now they’re both out. They are free people and it’s very scary for me to think about that.
“It was really shocking to see Barry’s murder on TV.” drag race Watch the episode and see his picture appear and my picture appear. …I didn’t know this young man who was participating in the makeover challenge. But I think there were a lot of people around Barry that I never met. I’m glad people are still honoring his memory.
“And I think there’s still value in letting everyone know that that kind of bigotry and hatred existed within the military. You know, I’m a veteran myself, I’m a combat medic, so that’s why I’m grateful for this story to be told. With my friends. It was so giddy to sit in the living room, sipping cocktails, laughing at the Queen and her antics. But you know, it’s almost 27 years old, and you can’t expect trigger warnings to pop up every time the story comes up.”
Co-hosts Willum and Alaska expressed sympathy after hearing Adams’ message, especially since they had worked together before, and wondered why the show’s producers made no effort to contact her about this episode. drag raceproduction company World of Wonder.
“They know very well about the trauma she went through,” Willum said, questioning WOW’s ethical decision to use her story and photos “without paying attention to her.”
Willum and Alaska discuss Drag Race Season 18 Episode 12 on the Race Chaser PodcastYouTube/media mogul
“That’s so scary, [Calpurnia] “I’m playing with my friends and we’re having a good time playing together,” he said. And then, on the screen, probably the worst thing that ever happened to you in your life appears on the screen without warning,” Alaska added.
You can listen to the full story of race chaser Listen to the latest episode of on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and most other major podcast platforms (Adams’ statement starts around the 28-minute mark). rupaul’s drag race On MTV.
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
