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Telling our own stories is a powerful way to fight prejudice, and this week鈥檚 guest joined Corey Andrew Powell to share her story as an openly trans actress and activist. A longtime star in queer nightlife, Peppermint has broken barriers throughout her career, including her appearance as the first out trans contestant on "RuPaul鈥檚 Drag Race" (Season 9) and her more recent success as the first trans woman to originate a principal musical role on Broadway in 鈥淗ead Over Heels.鈥�
With book bans, drag show bans, and many other instances of LGBTQ+ discrimination remaining in our society, it鈥檚 vital for us as future leaders to hear stories like Peppermint鈥檚 and to learn how we can be stronger allies for LGBTQ+ rights to build a better future for all. Check out this week鈥檚 Motivational Mondays podcast to learn from Peppermint鈥檚 experience.
From her early years as a drag performer, Peppermint has been a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community, becoming a popular performer and the first drag entertainer to have a music video on the Logo channel. Before moving to New York, Peppermint reflects, 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 even occur to me that a person could work and hold a job as a drag entertainer and make ends meet, or do what they needed to do, or be successful.鈥� Listen to learn more about Peppermint鈥檚 journey to becoming a regular performer in the drag community.
Soon she began to see a future in the community through her own successes and the model of other trailblazers like RuPaul. When RuPaul鈥檚 鈥淪upermodel鈥� came out and was played on MTV alongside mainstream artists, Peppermint says she felt that 鈥渙ne of us had sort of arrived.鈥�
Despite these successes, Peppermint remained wary of mainstream media鈥檚 representation of drag performers, where daytime TV would often create segments that demeaned the drag performers brought on as guest stars. 鈥淩uPaul鈥檚 Drag Race,鈥� however, began to change that narrative, bringing drag entertainment more into the mainstream and stepping away from the older, transphobic mainstream representation.
鈥nd in some cases, intensifies. Despite increasing acceptance and celebration of the drag community, in parts of the country drag shows are banned and, as Powell points out, sometimes defined as felonies. As Peppermint so succinctly puts it, 鈥淚t鈥檚 upsetting.鈥� Many of us want to fight harmful rhetoric and oppression, but how can we do so?
Peppermint points out that we need to speak out and 鈥渟how people the truth鈥� and 鈥�tell our own stories.鈥� She points out that those who are against drag often portray themselves as a larger, more widespread group than they really are; most of the country are not as prejudiced, and we need to promote the truth of just how widespread transphobic beliefs are鈥攐r aren鈥檛. In the full podcast, she explains what she has learned about the narrative of transphobia, as perpetuated by social media, versus the reality among the wider population.
At the end of the day, Peppermint reminds herself that she comes from a long line of people who have experienced oppression, and that 鈥淵ou鈥檙e gonna have to do a lot more than what you think you鈥檙e already doing to really keep me down.鈥�
Peppermint discovered during her early years in New York that Broadway wasn鈥檛 ready for her at the time. As she puts it, 鈥渢here was no room for any of the queerness,鈥� especially not in a leading role. Now, at long last, Broadway is opening up more, and Peppermint has continued to blaze trails for the LGBTQ+ community by becoming the first out trans woman to originate a principal role in a Broadway musical.
Such progress in the mainstream art world is vital, in Peppermint鈥檚 view. Although she strongly advocates voting and being politically active to create change, 鈥渓aws get written and they get written right back out.鈥� Art, however, 鈥渉as a more lasting effect on people through their experiences.鈥� Broadway and our society still have a ways to go, though, and Peppermint explains why it鈥檚 vital to keep the LGBTQ+ community visible through entertainment.
Peppermint discusses all this and more on this week鈥檚 podcast. Watch or listen to learn from her experience and wisdom!
[1:15] Peppermint鈥檚 early years as a drag performer
[6:30] RuPaul鈥檚 trailblazing and taboo-breaking inspiration for drag performers
[11:01] Peppermint鈥檚 view on the current social climate and bans on drag shows
[14:29] Social media鈥檚 transformation of our culture into a headline-dominated atmosphere
[17:50] Peppermint鈥檚 history-making role as the first out trans actress to originate a role on Broadway
[23:59] How exclusion is unsustainable
Listen to the bonus episode to learn where you can catch Peppermint鈥檚 next projects.
91桃色:
Listen to her music on .
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