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5 reasons Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is destined for the Drag Race guest judge hall of fame

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a PSA for those bemoaning cancel culture

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the Drag Race Season 12 runway. (WoW)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is making a landmark appearance as a guest judge on this weekend’s RuPaul’s Drag Race and we truly aren’t ready.

Season 12 continues its knockout run of guest judge spots (Leslie Jones muttering dramatic lighting? Hang it in the Louvre) by welcoming the house representative for New York’s 14th congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

AOC, as she’s known to many, has long made it known that she’s a fan of the show, and said that serving as a guest judge was “100 per cent a peak experience”.

She’ll join RuPaul, Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley and model Winnie Harlow on the panel, judging the queens as they perform a Madonna-themed Rusical.

The episode airs on Friday night (April 10) in the US and will be on Netflix in the UK the following morning, and we’ve got a feeling it’s going to be one to remember. Here’s why we’re sure Ocasio-Cortez is destined to be one of the all-time greats.

1. She’s great with a one-liner.

Back in February when AOC was first announced for the show, there was, predictably, a backlash from certain parts of society. Her response?

Similarly, when the Democrat met with Drag Race royalty Sasha Velour last November, she gave the gays quite literally everything they wanted by throwing a Lady Gaga quote into the already high-camp mix.

“I’m like that Lady Gaga moment, stunning, amazing, impeccable, genius,” she said of Sasha’s performance, and a new meme was born.

2. She’s Sasha Velour’s hero.

Politics is all about approval, and there isn’t an endorsement that carries more weight than Sasha Velour’s.

When PinkNews asked our favourite bald queen about her meeting with AOC, she told us: “She was so down to earth, so friendly.

“She’s the real deal, a hero for our generation.”

There you have it folks, Don’t take our word for it, take Sasha Velour’s.

3. She knows how to read.

We imagine the Library of Congress must be open 24-7 when AOC is in town because she is what? An expert reader.

In September 2019, when a pathetic group of men took part in Boston’s inaugural “Straight Pride”, Ocasio-Cortez demonstrated expert savagery while taking them down on Twitter.

Hell hath no fury like an LGBT+ ally scorned.

4. She stands up for trans rights.

Throughout her fledgling tenure in Congress, Ocasio-Cortez has emerged as one of the biggest champions of trans people, including non-binary people.

In the past year-and-a-bit she’s met with trans constituents who were misgendered and mistreated in the infamous Rikers jail, following the death of a trans inmate; turned up on a viral Twitch livestream of Donkey Kong 64 to talk about trans rights; helped raise money for the trans kids charity Mermaids and has demonstrated to Washington just how easy it is to use inclusive language. 

She’s also spoken openly about acknowledging her privilege as a cis woman.

Your move, RuPaul.

5. She’s using this platform to shine a light on LGBT+ leaders.

You’d think that for one, Ocasio-Cortez might take her guest judge stint as an opportunity to just celebrate herself for once. But no.

Instead, she plans to hold a viewing party on Instagram Live where she’ll “kiki with NY14 LGBT+ organisers”. Because that’s how you use a platform to truly help the community you claim to be an ally too.

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