West Hollywood Drag Queen Won't Do Drag Race!
Claims RuPaul's Drag Race Will Never Be In Front Of Her Name
Each time someone asks me who my favorite drag queen is, I have one name that will immediately pop into my head. No, it’s not RuPaul, as that goes without saying. It’s a local queen in my current residency, West Hollywood, California: Igenue. I’ve met Igenue maybe two years ago while she was performing at Hamburger Mary’s in West Hollywood. I cannot begin to tell you how blown away I was by the charisma and genuine personality Igenue brought into her character. Luckily, I’ve gotten to befriend Igenue a handful of times and continue to watch her kindness and energy hypnotize into her world.
According to WeHo Times, Igenue is speaking out about her many fans asking her why she refuses to even audition for the Emmy award winning, RuPaul’s Drag Race. The brutal honesty of her answer may shock you.
“I try not to get photographed out of drag. [We] wanted our younger crowd to just believe in me, the character, much like one believes in Dame Edna rather than knowing her alter ego. No one needs to know who is behind the ‘mask’. I have built everything in my drag career by myself from the ground up. I have worked incredibly hard and have been fortunate to work with people who believed in me early on and who helped along the way. After establishing myself as one of the few consistently working nightclub hostesses in Los Angeles, I take full credit for me. It would feel wrong to hear, ‘From RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ingenue,’ having RuPaul’s name come before mine because she had nothing to do with how I got myself here. Plus, I am already making a living doing what most of the contestants hope to do after the show. I think the show is absolutely fantastic for those girls who welcome the challenge and the incredible exposure. It’s just not for me.”
Kudos to Igenue for molding her own success. She’s clearly one of the happiest people- and drag queens- that I’ve ever met. Igenue will be a name we will consistently hear in the future. Also, she’s not lying. I know plenty of folks in the LGBTQ community who know Igenue, but have no idea who what’s-her-face is from the second season of Drag Race. Igenue, it is time for you to take a tip from the former Logo queens are get some merch to sell, huntee. I’m grabbing my wallet now.
To read more of Igenue’s interview and to find out her next endeavors, head here!
good for her. Not all drag
good for her. Not all drag queens have to go through the show. I was glad i read this. I was upset with other Non-race queens who bash the show. I think Igenue makes a lot of sense. She's worked years to develop her career and her name and to have that all erased and then give credit to the show is bullshit. I think their are so many social media sites out there that a queen not rely on Drag Race. If they wanted to they don't even have to get on social media. Everyone needs to carve out their career in the manner they want it not on some standard route people think they should do it.