If you watched the grand finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race last night, you know the real winner wasn’t [spoiler alert] Yvie Oddly but Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, when her girl on the street segment concluded with a shot of her sitting on a throne on a Los Angeles sidewalk giving out some improvised fake digits (555-VANESSA-VANJIE-VOTERS-DOT-MINGLETHING).
Despite some impressive acrobatics, local contender A’Keria C. Davenport, the last Dallas drag queen standing, lost her first-round lip sync battle to Yvie, who was dressed as a Vitamixed version of Sesame Street.
But best-dressed had to go to A’Keria’s mother and grandmother. Mama Davenport even turned around to showcase her assets and prove that Miss Ass Almighty’s apples don’t fall far from the tree.
Sadly, A’Keria told the Houston Chronicle yesterday that she recently left the Big D and moved to Katy. She also told Metro.co.uk that, post-finale, she plans to create a skincare line as well as start a charity that will provide support for transgender women and homosexual youth. She told the website: “So when things aren’t going as planned in your life, whether your family are putting you out because of your lifestyle, or you’re a victim of transgender gay-bashing, which takes place a lot. I lost a close friend, so that’s something that’s very dear to me.” In addition to her friend, she also knew Muhlaysia Booker, a transgender woman who was fatally shot in Dallas two weeks ago.
I personally knew this beautiful lady and spoke with her right after the first incident. We shouldn’t have to live in fear. We will get justice abd we must SAVE OUR SISTERS. I lost one of my closest friends to the same senseless act. https://t.co/ClHUBTaPrV
— AkeriaDavenport (@A_doubleC_D) May 20, 2019
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and RuPaul provided a moving retrospective of the gay civil rights movement as part of the show. Dallas Pride starts tomorrow, for the first time in Fair Park. A’Keria won’t be there, but the cast of the Rose Room will. Catch Asia O’Hara, Cassie Nova, Jenna Sky, Kelexis Davenport, Krystal Summers, Layla Larue, and Valerie Lohr on the main stage at 2:15. Or head to the Rose Room to see them at 11 tonight.
Show these queens, and yourself, some love this weekend. Because if you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love somebody else?
