Watch: Drag queens release ‘That’s Not My Name’ parody over Facebook controversy
A group of drag queens have responded to Facebook’s decision to ban users not using ‘real names’ by releasing a parody clip.
The Legendary Children of Atlanta and Brigitte Bidet released the clip titled ‘WTF, Zuck?’ (which unsurprisingly contains strong language) after the social network cracked down on the profiles of drag artists not using their ‘legal’ names.
The parody, to the tune of ‘That’s Not My Name’ by the Ting Tings, includes the lyrics: “Woke up this morning/checking my phone/whole lot of people I don’t even know/like yesterday’s she’s Jessica/now she’s Jerome?/Facebook won’t leave the artists alone”.
Drag artists opposed to the Facebook crackdown argue they should be free to have personal accounts in the names they choose, because they constitute an integral part of their identity – and are more than just a brand.
Though the ‘legal name’ policy could also affect trans people and people who use nicknames, drag artists are disproportionately affected because the often-comical nature of drag names leave them less likely to go undetected.
The world’s most well-known drag performer RuPaul waded into the controversy this week, saying: “It’s bad policy when Facebook strips the rights of creative individuals who have blossomed into something even more fabulous than the name their mama gave them.”
Earlier this month, Facebook agreed to temporarily reinstate some drag performers’ profiles after a protest was planned against the move.
However, the policy itself still remains unchanged, and Facebook has now given the users two weeks’ notice for users to adjust their profiles to display their legal name.
A petition set up by Seattle drag artist Olivia LaGarce has so far received over 34,000 signatures calling for the policy to change.
