Invasion of the Straight People
Cisgender heterosexual male Maddy Morphosis’s presence on RuPaul’s Drag Race is an example of how straight allies, though often well-meaning, have continued to invade LGBTQ-only spaces. Photo: Instagram
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By KRISTYN MOORE
RuPaul’s Drag Race is far from straight, but one thing that is, is the cisgender heterosexual male Maddy Morphosis, who has been cast on Season 14 of the series. It’s a decision that stirred controversy with fans and those in the LGBTQ+ community, including me.
RuPaul’s Drag Race is widely viewed as a safe space for those in the community who perform drag, so the decision to cast Morphosis was unexpected. But it wasn’t the show’s first controversy.
In 2018, RuPaul said that drag is for men only, which excludes trans women who have finished transitioning. “You can identify as a woman and say you’re transitioning, but it changes once you start changing your body,” he said. “It takes on a different thing; it changes the whole concept of what we’re doing.”
Although Season 13 included the series first transgender drag queen Gottmik, those comments, and now the inclusion of Morphosis, diminish how much of a safe space Drag Race is.
Of course allies are important in every marginalized community. Without them, there would be less widespread acceptance of the group, and I probably wouldn’t be able to create this article. And straight people are usually accepted in LGBTQ spaces. Some have partners who are a part of the community. But to those who this does not apply to, I think it’s time to politely say, sashay away. As Drag Race shows, it’s getting so that members of the community can’t find a place just for themselves.
A study performed by Pew Research revealed that 56% of LGBTQ respondents believe LGBTQ-only places are important to maintain, compared to 41% who believe these places are not important anymore because the community is more accepted now in society.
“I would say there is room and need for both [mixed and LGBTQ-only spaces],” said Ms. Jessica Higgins, an English teacher. “You need spaces where the LGBTQ+ community can feel completely safe and understood to be themselves, which for some people might mean not having any straight people in the room. But I also think that growth and conversation in society comes from having inclusive spaces for everyone.”
As a whole, LGBTQ spaces have benefitted many. They can provide a voice for those in the community when they feel isolated. They allow them to talk to others they can relate to. Allies could be more mindful of this.
“There have been times where I have felt that there were straight cis people who wanted to join a queer space where it was just uncomfortable,” said Ms. Higgins. “It didn’t necessarily make me feel unsafe, but it made me feel a little disrespected because it felt like they were there to observe and not to engage.”
“It’s definitely important to have safe spaces, especially for LGBTQ+ youth who are learning to accept their identity,” said Sterling Weber ’24. “However, straight allies should definitely be included because there’s transgender people who identify as straight.”
That’s true. And some straight women use LGBTQ bars as a way to avoid straight men who may make them feel uncomfortable, which is understandable as well. But I think it’s safe to say straight people have a space almost everywhere where they can feel safe. Additionally, there is the potential risk that people could be outed in LGBTQ spaces by visiting straight people. Even in 2022, not everyone is accepting.
Ideally, we would have the best of both worlds. Allies could help by creating Gofundmes to support LGBTQ spaces threatened by the pandemic or to support building new ones. But some places need to be kept as ours and ours only. Let’s start with RuPaul’s Drag Race.