I will save my shade and my death-drops for when they are truly needed.

-JeCorey Holder
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by JeCorey Holder

Clearly, you straight people are watching far too much of the played-up drama in all these episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race, because I’ve noticed that you’ve gotten HELLA comfortable with casually pitting queer folks against each other.

Listen. I really need some of y’all to understand that when there’s more than one gay person in the same area, that does not translate into immediate or automatic competition.

RELATED: Why I’m tired of white gay men telling queer stories

We are not, by nature, somehow constantly plotting against each other Mean Girls style. There is no goddamn “pecking order.” We’re not getting into a pose-off and vogue-battling, and damn sure ain’t doing so for you.

One of us isn’t supposed to be “the sassiest.” We’re not supposed to be catty and shady to each other. The sass and candor that queer People of Color weild is not a spectacle or performance that you get to request from us.

We are already trying to deal with the in-fighting and problematic behavior among the LGBTQ+ community to begin with—things that do not concern you. Even though some of these queens can get lil’ catty for no good goddamn reason (Personally, I blame the popularity of Will and Grace for that wannabe Karen Walker shit), we don’t need you cis hetero folks fanning flames, that often aren’t even there, just because you wanna see us get “sAsSy” with each other.

We are human and, despite our characterization in media, we are marginalized people. At the end of the day, we’re tired of seeing straight people who call themselves “allies” treat the essential defence mechanisms that we had to develop out of necessity like funny little parlor tricks and routines.

I’m not your Po-Gay-mon that you can call out and command when you want to see me “shade”, “slay”, “read”, or any other queer slang that you’re probably using wrong anyway.

This is me. I will do what I please when I see fit. And I will save my shade and my death-drops for when they are truly needed. And that is to take YOUR disrespectful asses down. Have a fabulous day.

*Snap*

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Gamer, geek, and social activist. JeCorey Holder has been weaving tapestries of shade and fury since the early 2000’s. Pro-LGBTQ, pro-black, and pro intersectional feminism, he is full of feelings and opinions that try to call out and tear down the oppressive status quo. 

Editor’s Note: June is LGBTQ Pride Month. At BYP, we will be exploring gender, sexuality, transgender issues and queer theory, and we are interested in publishing works that address these topics and the things surrounding them.