Ex-Drag Race queens are ‘struggling’ to find work, claims former contestant
Salina EsTitties says that a lot of RuGirls (from RuPaul’s Drag Race) are struggling to find work (World of Wonder)
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15 star Salina EsTitties has shared that alumni from the show are ‘struggling’ to find work
The Los Angeles-based icon Salina EsTitties first appeared on our screens during season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, placing sixth just last year.
Despite only being out of the Werk Room walls for a relatively short period of time, Ms. EsTittites has warned that an oversaturation of queens who she says are being churned out by World of Wonder at an alarming rate has caused some of the gigs to dry up for anyone not on a currently airing season.
“I don’t know if any girls are willing to admit it, but the RuGirls are struggling out in these streets. There’s an oversurge of queens and not enough gigs at the moment. It’s really hard for the girls to stay above water,” Ms. Salina told PRIDE.
She continued, “”[The struggle] may not be shown on Instagram. We can’t let the kids know that, but that’s the truth and the reality. There’s no answer. I think it’s just the economy and gay bars are struggling as a whole. There’s definitely something happening.”
Ms. EsTitties also added that despite the lack of gigs, visibility is still just as important for queer people – now, more than ever.
“I just urge that we keep on going out there regardless. They want us to shut down and not exist. That’s not the case!” she told the publication.
“Drag queens have never been the ones to be kept in a closet honey. We have to come out!”
Salina may have a point; 210 contestants have appeared on the original flagship series RuPaul’s Drag Race over sixteen seasons. Drag Race is entering its 17th season come 2025, bringing that number to 224.
And that’s not including any of the international versions of the show, such as the Canadian, British or Down Under spinoffs (which have five, six and four seasons each, respectively), or any of the further global seasons like Mexico, France or Thailand.
As season seven winner Violet Chachki once said, there may be “too many” queens.
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