The topic line to the e-mail learn “What do you name a pair of drag queens from Missouri?” The textual content started: “This week, Maggie welcomes to the stage Alexa Professional [sic] and Artemis Grey, two younger drag queens holding down the scene in rural Missouri. Uncover the grit and tenacity behind this thriving queer oasis within the coronary heart of the Present Me state!”
LGBTQ Nation, maybe? Nope: The story is from the PBS Information Scholar Reporting Labs (SRL), a information outlet described as a “hands-on scholar journalism coaching program.” This newest episode, “How drag queens are creating protected areas in Missouri,” was hosted by two apparently college-aged college students (previously this system was open solely to 13-18 yr olds, however the current necessities are obscure). The temporary episode was launched on YouTube thusly:
This episode of On Our Minds Highway Journey takes us to Columbia, Missouri, the place drag performers are constructing neighborhood, creating pleasure, and difficult stereotypes. Scholar producer Maggie LeBeau takes us contained in the native drag scene, introducing us to performers like Alexxa Professional and Artemis Grey. They’re creating areas of belonging, particularly for younger queer individuals who don’t at all times have one.
(LeBeau is a school scholar on the College of Missouri, in Columbia.)
The five-minute story opened with just a few seconds of footage of a drag queen, presumably Alexxa Professional, on a makeshift catwalk, over narration from Alexxa Professional: “[In Columbia] it was watching queer folks combat to seek out someplace to have fun.” After some pointless banter between the hosts got here the phase from LeBeau.
The tone was 100% affirmation of the topics, whereas the tone towards pink state Missourians was not a lot hostile as condescending (folks there are literally “complicated and numerous”!). Voiceovers and matching textual content from LeBeau and her friends appeared over a sample of unrelated sparkly graphics, not precise drag performances. Age-appropriate guideline, or cowardly cop-out?
LeBeau lamented that “Though Columbia is extra queer-friendly than the remainder of the area, the city has had its ups and downs with the closing of many queer areas. Alexxa says that drag reveals can convey a few of that queer pleasure and acceptance again.”
Aren’t you glad you’re not paying for this anymore?
