Andrew Christian: A Hypocrite & Disgrace ???

One of our readers recently shared his thoughts on a little “Snapchat snafu” that happened this weekend in New Orleans and on the web.

Hello, I wanted to share an article that is circulating in New Orleans where Andrew Christian publicly shamed a local drag queen who was just honored with the grand marshal title for the 2017 Southern Decadence. Princess Stephanie is a long standing leader in the New Orleans LGBT community who has spent countless hours helping our community. Personally, I feel Mr Christian, as a world renown leader in the LGBT community, should know better, we have enough people in the world tearing down our community and body shaming, without doing it within our own community.

Both of our readers shared Squirrelnews.net‘s coverage of the incident. Before we go any further, let’s mention two things.  Andrew Christian: A Hypocrite & Disgrace is the title of the Squirrelnews.net post.  We threw in the question marks.  And we should also define what BUSTED means.

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A drag queen who looks “busted” or a “hot mess.” The term refers to a queen who cannot properly apply or wear makeup, style their hair, sew properly, or who wears unfashionable or ill-fitting clothing.

Here’s an excerpt of the Squirrelnews.net story.

It amazes me when people in the LGBT community talk about unity, standing together, bullying, etc…. Then someone sends me an image of someone within our community that has done so much and asks nothing in return. As a general rule, I don’t post personal feeling, but when that insult hits really close to home. I have an obligation to defend someone I consider a friend.
 

Last night the 2016 Southern Decadence Grand Marshal’s hosted the annual naming of the 2017 Grand Marshals. While to some this may not seem unimportant, too many in our community it is. Princess Stephaney named as one of three Grand Marshals last night, and I couldn’t have been more surprised, it is well-deserved. So you can image my shock when I received an image that showed the words “busted” on it.

 

 

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The image(s) were posted to the snapshot account of Andrew Christian. As someone that is supposed to set an example, Mr. Christian fell short. I imagine that being rich and popular gives him the right to disrespect anyone he wants. Mr. Christian, I find this image repulsive and show’s you’re just another stuck-up, fake, shallow, vain gay man. This behavior is a  complete disgrace to the very community that you peddle your products to.
 

Isn’t here enough hate and shaming in our community; you have just confirmed what so many already think? Remember one thing, it is because of people like Princess Stephaney that have afforded you the privileges you so enjoy.  – squirrelnews.net

Hmmmm.  So is ” Andrew Christian A Hypocrite & Disgrace?” 

There’s a couple of routes that people could take this “busted” comment.

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1) Gurl … she busted!  Watch any season of Ru Paul’s Drag Race and you will know that “Reading Is Fundamental.” When drag queens go after each other about their make-up, weigh, padding, teeth, and well, anything and everything, they’re reading each other. It’s a staple and happens throughout the show, not just when Mama Ru says to do it.  But on this season of RPDR, one of the queens, Alexis Michelle had a little issue with a read. She was not happy that fellow queens came after her because of her non-thinness. Are we going to have to not read as harsh now?

2) Andrew Christian is not a drag queen so he can’t participate in “reading.” It’s like rappers can use “nigger” and gay men can use “faggot” but both words are off limits to everyone else. I’ll wait for the letters and comments about my personal choice to spell both of those words out, but I also believe if you shun words and make them volatile and hurtful, you are only creating weapons for ignorant people to use against you.  When I was a high school teacher, my students and I attended a conference for the Civil Rights Teams from across the state. One of the breakout sessions was about “those words.” The moderator stated, “we need to work on getting these words out of our schools.  How do yo feel when someone uses the n-word or someone says faggot?” I let the kids and other advisors talk for a little bit and then added my two cents. “Why are we saying the n-word and faggot? If faggot is a negative word, why aren’t we saying ‘the f-word.’  What if you had started this discussion by saying we need to get rid of the f-word and nigger from our schools? I am not saying one is worse than the other and I don’t think that’s a conversation that needs to or should happen, but if they are both bad, we either should be saying n-word and f-word or we should be saying nigger and faggot.”  There seemed to be overall agreement with my thoughts on the matter.  So was it wrong for Andrew to “read” Princess Stephaney since he is not a drag queen?  Is it … dum dum dum … forbidden?

3) Gay men are hypocrites. Those that may be calling out Andrew Christian may be guilty of the same thing. How many of us “read” queens, other club goers, fellow LGBTers and think nothing of it? Isn’ that most of what we do during a RPDR broadcast? Reading through the Facebook comments on our page, it’s a little troubling to see what some people are capable of saying to an about other people. To be honest, it’s become expected in some cases, i.e. many of you calling Davey Wavey a whore, slut, a waste. Others sending us emails that we should stop covering Bruce Jenner (not calling her Caitlyn to prove ignorance). And just the other day, someone insisted that a guy showing his ass was just doing so to get an 8-ball/drugs. Very doubtful this person even knew the man in the post, but he took it upon himself to degrade another person and claim the man was a drug user. Bravo.

4) Andrew Christian thinks she is busted and he’s just stating his honest opinion.  Does that make him a judgmental ass? Maybe and maybe not. I mean, he is surrounded by porn stars and underwear models all the time.  And granted, next to all of them, doesn’t he look a little busted, too? Wouldn’t we all look busted next to them?

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There has been an UPDATE. From Squirrelnews.net:

“Andrew Christian to his credit has apologized personally to Princess Stephaney, and made a donation to the LGBT Center in New Orleans.”

Phew!  International LGBT melt down, disaster, apocalypse has been averted! 

But then again, what if she was busted?

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Or what if the apology was just to save face and Christian still feels Princess Stephaney is busted?

Do well-known LGBTers need to watch what they say even if it’s the truth?

There are some people in the LGBT community that I don’t like to cover.  I have met them in person on more than one occasion and they are people I do not wish to meet ever again. They may be fine people in their own circles, but I do not want them in mine.  When I see one of our bloggers do a post on them, I cringe.  I won’t say I hate them, but I will use the term dislike immensely.  But is it wise to put out there on social media your disgust with someone? Especially if you have a business to lose? Is it okay to degrade another with a couple of clicks?

And what if I said I just made myself cringe? But then I’ll apologize and donate money to something.  Would that be okay?  What would be the truth?  Does it even matter?

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h/t: squirrelnews.net