Michelle Visage says her queer child is ‘basically transitioning’

RuPaul’s Drag Race star, and its down under host, Michelle Visage, has offered heartfelt advice to parents who have queer children. 

During the 35th GLAAD Media Awards, Visage – who is perhaps best known as RuPaul’s sharp-tongue and silver-haired right-hand woman– shared her advice to parents. 

She said: “I have a queer child who is basically transitioning and for me it was matter of allowing yourself grace to realise this is not the child you thought you were getting and it’s an even better child”. 

Visage added that children who are queer, and transitioning, are “authentically themselves”. 

“They’re not living a lie and all they really need is love.” 

She added: “They didn’t ask to be born the way that they were born, it just happened that way. 

“Give yourself grace. Give yourself time and patience, and just love your kid and it’ll magically cure everything”. 

Visage is set to replace RuPaul as host of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under for season four and has said that the show holds a “special place” in her heart. 

She said: “Thank you, RuPaul, for entrusting me with one of your beloved shows. The colour, humour, and outrageousness of Down Under drag holds a special place in my heart.

“I’m ready to do everything in my power to encourage these beautiful queens to believe in themselves and let their inner light shine through.”

Visage was speaking at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards, which saw Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp named Outstanding Music Artist. 

Rapp used her GLAAD Media Awards acceptance speech to call for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas war.

Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey accepted the Vanguard Award and Baldur’s Gate 3 was crowned Outstanding Video Game of the year. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 was released in August 2023, and one character in particular stole the attention of the LGBTQ+ community: a sexy vampire daddy called Astarion, described as an “elder vampire who will seduce any fool with a pulse”.