“I’m just a drag queen who happens to be straight.”
The cast for the 14th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race has been announced and for the first time a cisgender, heterosexual queen will be competing.
Maddy Morphosis is from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and is a self-described cisgender, straight male who has been doing drag since 2017.
VH1
She said, “While I am straight, I don’t consider myself a straight drag queen. I’m just a drag queen who happens to be straight.”
Maddy stated, “I think my being on the show can tap into a lot of the guys watching at home — like, cisgender, straight guys — and really just, like, projecting to them that, like, gender is completely arbitrary. Just be yourself.”
Obviously, with this being the first cisgender, heterosexual queen on the US Drag Race, fans had a LOT of opinions and many weren’t in favor of it:
@PopCrave Everyone saying “Drag is for everyone” okay but drag race has always been one of the little queer spaces in media theres so many other talented queer performers that could’ve been on the season.
Twitter: @nesquiktwink
my take on the season 14 cast reveal is that all the contestants are stunning, including Maddy. The hate and anger shouldn’t be going towards her, as anyone can do drag. It should be going to Ru/Drag race US for casting a cishet man before any cis AFAB performers
Twitter: @rawpizzadough
imagine being a drag queen having drag as your safe space from all the straight men that made you feel like you don’t belong… and now you’d be competing against a straight white guy… on a show centered on queerness?!?! https://t.co/PF4toonjEi
Twitter: @jemberlog
Many others defended the casting:
Y’all bitches who don’t do drag need to shut the fuck up!
Drag is Drag regardless of sexuality, gender, or skin color
Drag is art open to everybody and Maddy Morphosis has SICKENING Drag that shouldn’t be placed in a box because they’re straight #dragrace
Twitter: @TheatricallyR
not y’all on my TL trying to gatekeep drag…
Heterosexual male drag queens are not uncommon and shouldn’t be left out of the equation. Y’all said drag was for everyone when it was Victoria Scone and Gottmik with the controversy, keep that same energy now with Maddy. https://t.co/SRjNDN13ZN
Twitter: @mari_corston
The new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race premieres on Friday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET on VH1.
What do you think about the casting? Let us know in the comments.