01x06 - Spartanburg, We Make It Werk

[bunniefuu]

I just wanted to know,
how did last night end?

I get to just,
gather the pieces.

♪ [Upbeat music plays] ♪

♪ [Music concludes] ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Bob: we are in spartanburg.

Eureka: ooh.

Country south carolina.

[Laughs]

Shangela: welcome back to the

South.

Eureka: I'm from like two

Hours north of here.

I used to literally do shows

Here.

This is so crazy.

Bob: hi.

I'm bob the drag queen reporting

Live from spartanburg, south

Carolina.

Shangela: good morning.

♪ ♪

Eureka: oh, my god.

I love the south.

Southern people, I think they're

Just like, naturally really nice

And welcoming.

Day!

Bless your heart!

Oh, my goodness, I love your

Earrings!

I'm excited because I'm on my

Way to meet my drag daughter,

Noah.

Faith: oh, my god!

Bob: [laughs]

How are you?

You're so pretty.

Faith: oh, thanks.

Bob: faith, right?

Faith: yes.

Bob.

Bob: bob the drag queen.

Faith: I know.

Shangela: hi.

I'm guessing that you are owen.

Owen: I am.

How are you?

Shangela: hi.

Nice to meet you.

Owen: nice to meet you.

Eureka: all right, miss noah.

Oh, hi.

Noah: oh, my f*cking god.

Eureka: oh, you're so cute.

Shangela: okay, let's do this

Thing.

Bob: sound is speeding.

I'm gonna do a clap slate.

Bob: leaving spartanburg

Without doing what he came here

To do was horrible.

Eureka: I'm not gonna do this

Sweater.

Is that okay?

Shangela: all of a sudden,

This pandemic brought

Everything to a complete stop.

And we had to adapt.

Bob: even though we can't

Leave our home, you still need

To engage.

You still need to feel like it

Doesn't feel hopeless.

Um, and it also helps to hear

Other people's stories.

Eureka: me, bob, and shangela

Have been through a lot of

Things to get where we are.

We're drag queens and we make it

Work, honey.

We have a lot of experiences

That we can share, and we hope

That you all enjoy exploring

Just a part of our stories.

Bob: I'm gonna quickly pee,

Okay?

Yeah, yeah.

♪ ♪

Eureka: you know, going into

The small towns, I really didn't

Know what to expect.

I was a little nervous at first.

Bob: like we're all from a

Small town and we left.

You know what I mean?

It was intimidating.

♪ ♪

Eureka: we've experienced a

Lot of the things that these

Kids have experienced.

We hope that our stories show

Important it is to have role

Models so that everyone can feel

Accepted and loved.

Shangela: bringing drag to

Small towns, it's personal for

Me.

Because it would have made a

Huge impact on me if I had that

Experience as a kid.

Y'all can't take us.

We're putting on a show.

It would have been such a

Powerful validation of what I

Was feeling on the inside.

I got my revlon.

Don't worry.

Bob: [laughs]

Shangela: I had no idea what

It was gonna be like to perform

With bob and eureka.

When the three of us are on that

Stage, I think something really

Special happened.

We all thought we had an

Opportunity to send a message to

Every single person in that

Small town that you can express

Yourself without holding back

And you can receive love in

Return.

Please welcome back to the

Stage, bob the drag queen,

Eureka and shangela!

[Cheers and applause]

♪ She got a body like an

Hourglass ♪

♪ But I can give it to you all

The time ♪

♪ She got a booty like a

Cadillac ♪

♪ But I can send you into

Overdrive, oh ♪

♪

♪ She might have held your hand

In school but I'm going to show

You how to graduate ♪

♪

♪ Bang bang into the room ♪

♪ Bang bang all over you ♪

♪ It's myx moscato, it's frizz

In a bottle, it's nick full

Throttle, it's oh, uh ♪

♪ Batman, robbin' it, bang bang

c*ck' it, queen nicki

Dominant, prominent ♪

♪ It's me, jessie, and ari, if

They test me, they sorry ♪

♪ Ride his uh like a harley then

Pull up in his ferrari ♪

♪ If he hangin' we bangin',

Phone rangin', he slangin' ♪

♪ It ain't karaoke night but get

The mic 'cause I'm singin' ♪

♪ Uh, b to the a to the n to the

G to the, uh ♪

♪ B to the a to the n to the g

To the, hey ♪

♪ See, anybody could be good to

You ♪

♪ You need a bad girl to blow

Your mind, your mind ♪

♪ Bang bang into the room ♪

♪ Bang bang all over you ♪

♪ Wait a minute, let me take you

There ♪

♪ Wait a minute 'til you ♪

[Cheers and applause]

♪ ♪

Eureka: we all grew up in

Small towns.

I was born in bristol,

Tennessee.

Shangela: I grew up in paris,

Texas.

Bob: I was born in columbus,

Georgia.

Shangela: being a g*y kid in

A small town, it was hard to be

At peace with it.

Eureka: my family was just

Like your stereotypical single

Mom life, where she worked way

Too hard.

She was way too sweet, way too

Amazing, and didn't catch a

Break ever.

As early as I can remember, I

Would want to be, you know, with

My sisters, you know, playing

Spice girls or cheerleader or

House.

And far back as I can remember,

I was called a sissy boy and

"Your son's gonna grow up and be

A f*gg*t.

He shouldn't like that."

It made me pretend that I didn't

Feel that way and that they

Weren't right.

Shangela: I was a little g*y

Bee that used to try on towels

On my hair, you know, as wigs

And tip around in my mom's heels

When she wasn't looking.

I knew that I was g*y, but I saw

How other g*y people who were

More open about being g*y, how

They were treated and made fun

Of, and sometimes even bullied.

And I didn't want that for

Myself.

I was like, I'm not gonna say

Anything.

Bob: growing up, I don't

Have any memories of people like

Being outwardly q*eer and being

Like, like in front of me.

I don't remember anyone being

Like, you're q*eer and that's

Great.

I remember people being like

You're q*eer and we don't talk

About it.

Or, you're q*eer and that's

Gross.

That's why I f*cking need to

Protect it, because if people

Saw it, I would become an

Outcast.

Shangela: I just grew up in a

Small town in paris, texas.

My driving force in growing up

In paris really was, okay, what

Do I need to do to get out of

Paris?

My grandma had me in church on

Sunday, tuesday for bible study,

Wednesday for choir practice.

I figured out really early that

The only way to get out of the

House was to be involved in

School activities.

So I put myself in pretty much

Every school activity that there

Was.

I was on the cheerleading squad.

I was the captain of the debate

Team.

I was in oral reading.

I did spelling contests.

Because I was g*y, I didn't want

To get picked on or bullied, so

I made people laugh, right?

If I make them like me, then

They're not gonna pick on me.

Eureka: you know, it was

Hard being bigger growing up.

I was picked on by students.

The kids in school always talk

About how you're bigger or

Taller or that you should be in

A higher grade.

The kids when I was growing up

Would always be like, are you

Like a ninth grader?

And I'm like, we're in first

Grade, y'all.

[Laughs]

That's a real story.

♪ ♪

In high school, being bigger and

Being g*y.

Playing sports was a way for me

To kind of cope and feel like I

Belong.

But underneath all that facade,

It was nothing but pain and

Feeling lonely.

I always liked dressing up from

Since I could remember, but

Every time I would, I'd get in

Trouble because I like stole my

Mom's clothes or, you know, got

Caught by my dad and end up

Getting my a*s busted, you know

What I mean?

So I was just really terrified

To do it.

There were friends that I was

Close with.

Amber, she was the only person

That really knew I was g*y.

She was like, oh, my god, we

Should go to new beginnings.

I love it there.

They have like the best music.

It's, and I was like, what's new

Beginnings?

And she was like, it's the g*y

Bar.

And I was like, I could never,

And she was like, you're gonna

Have to meet g*y people

Eventually.

And I was like, well, if you

Insist, I guess I'll go, you

Know.

When really on the inside I was

Like, f*ck yeah, let's go to the

g*y bar!

Let's get really q*eer!

I had heard about drag, I guess,

But I just didn't really think

About it before I went to the

g*y bar.

And the first time I saw drag I

Saw my drag mother, jacqueline

St. James, who's known as the

Amazing amazon.

Every time she came onstage, I

Just couldn't move from my seat.

I was just obsessed.

And then I started like taking

Girls to their gigs and like

Helping backstage and doing my

Line up.

So I just fell in love with

That.

But at the same time, I

Literally like felt like I was

Living a lie.

It was hard to like keep this

Separate from my real life

Because going to school everyday

And pretending like I wasn't

That person got really old

Really quickly.

Getting a taste of happiness and

Self-acceptance, it's hard to

Let go of that.

Shangela: when I moved from

Paris to dallas, I was still

Coming into my g*y self.

I met my first drag queens in

The clubs in dallas.

I had just turned 18 and I

Remember going to the clubs and

Being so excited to see the

Girls perform.

I started back-up dancing for

Different drag queens in dallas.

And I remember just getting my

Life being in that environment.

But I never really like wanted

To do drag.

I didn't want to go that far.

That was my early stages of

Drag, but I didn't know it.

Eureka: you know, people just

Assume like when you're younger,

You don't really think about

Body image, but when you're a

Bigger kid, the world constantly

Reminds you that you are.

Seeing all of these drag queens,

All different shapes and sizes

Loving themselves

Unapologetically, it made me

Feel like there was somewhere I

Finally felt like I belonged.

Drag, for me, was a way to feel

Powerful and sexy, because I

Wanted to feel sexy and it was

The only way I really knew how.

Regardless of my size, drag was

A way for me to celebrate

Myself.

And now eureka's a drag queen

Is all about body positivity.

When you're somebody who society

Says isn't supposed to think

They're sexy and you go out

Onstage and you show that

Audience that you know you're

Sexy.

As people watch, they also feel

Sexy, 'cause they see the

Confidence that you have and

They believe it about

Themselves.

Bob: make some noise for miss

Eureka o'hara!

[Cheers and applause]

♪ Mirror, mirror on the wall ♪

♪ Don't say it, 'cause I know

I'm cute ♪

♪ Ooh, baby ♪

♪ Louis down to my drawers ♪

♪ Lv all in my shoes ♪

♪ Ooh, baby ♪

♪ I be drippin' so much sauce ♪

♪ Got a b looking like ragu ♪

♪ Ooh, baby ♪

♪ Lit up like a crystal ball ♪

♪ That's cool, baby, so is you ♪

♪ That's how I roll ♪

♪ If I'm shinin', everybody

Gonna shine ♪

♪ Yeah, I'm goals ♪

♪ I was born like this, don't

Even got to try ♪

♪ Now you know ♪

♪ I'm like chardonnay, get

Better over time ♪

♪ So you know ♪

♪ Heard you say I'm not the

Baddest, b*tch, you lied ♪

♪ It ain't my fault that I'm out

Here gettin' loose ♪

♪ Got to blame it on the goose ♪

♪ Got to blame it on my juice,

Baby ♪

♪ It ain't my fault that I'm out

Here makin' news ♪

♪ I'm pudding in the proof ♪

♪ Got to blame it on my juice ♪

♪ Ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee,

Ya-ya-ee ♪

♪ Blame it on my juice, blame

It, blame it on my juice ♪

♪ Ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee,

Ya-ya-ee ♪

♪ Blame it on my juice, blame

It, blame it on my juice ♪

♪ Somebody come get this man ♪

♪ I think he got in my dms,

What? ♪

♪ My dms, what? ♪

♪ You better come get your man ♪

♪ I think he want to be way more

Than friends, what? ♪

♪ More than friends ♪

♪ What you want me to say? ♪

♪ It ain't my fault that I'm out

Here gettin' loose ♪

♪ Got to blame it on the goose ♪

♪ Got to blame it on my juice,

Baby ♪

♪ It ain't my fault that I'm out

Here makin' news ♪

♪ I'm the puddin' in the proof ♪

♪ Puddin' in the proof ♪

♪ Got to blame it on my juice ♪

♪ Ya-ya-ee ♪

♪ Ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee,

Ya-ya-ee ♪

♪ Blame it on my juice, blame

It, blame it on my juice ♪

♪ Ya-ya-ee ♪

♪ Ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee, ya-ya-ee,

Ya-ya-ee ♪

♪ Blame it on my juice, blame

It, blame it on my juice ♪

♪ Blame it on it, yeah ♪

[Cheers and applause]

Eureka: all right.

Y'all still havin' a good time?

[Cheers and applause]

Me too.

This is fun.

♪ ♪

Bob: when I was in high

School, I went through a

Religious phase.

So when I was coming to my own

Terms before I came out, it was

A lot of praying.

It was a lot of wishing I wasn't

What I was.

I kept thinking, I'm f*cked.

I'm broken.

I remember at one point in my

Life having this thought that

Said to myself, all I have to do

Is pretend to be straight until

I die.

And I'm good.

I thought I was alone.

There was no one with a story

Like mine.

When I was in college and even

Though I was out, it was about

Me proving that I was just like

The straights.

Have no fear, 'cause rob's got

Beer!

I'm gonna do!

You had to show that you could

Drink a lot, that you were

Smarter than them, you were

Funnier than them.

You had to prove yourself to be

Accepted by people that I would

Consider more mainstream.

I was drinking and doing drugs

As a way to disassociate because

I just didn't want to deal with

Being myself.

I just didn't want to be me.

Shangela: I always wanted to

Work as an actor in television

And film.

But I just never felt like that

Was the responsible choice.

I was meant to graduate from

High school and go to college

And make money in order to

Support my family, who had

Supported me for so long.

I had to like rewire my brain to

Really believe in myself.

I guess I should stop being so

Scared that I'm not gonna make

It in hollywood.

I just need to try.

Except, this is l.a.

Where everybody got a dream,

b*tch.

Like, okay, I'm unemployed.

I'm trying to pay for gas to go

Back and forth to these

Auditions.

I have classes that cost money.

What am I doing?

What am I doing?

I have a college degree and I

Ain't got no job.

See, when I first got to l.a., I

Wasn't bothered.

I was like okay.

Here we go.

Time to go get these auditions,

Make all our dreams come true.

Within four months, that well

Was dry.

I felt like everyone else was

Faster than me.

They started younger than me.

They were better looking than

Me.

I just kept telling myself,

You're a failure.

You're sitting here, you know.

You need help.

You've never really needed help

In this way, and you failed.

I honestly was like, why did I

Put myself in this position?

What do I do now?

Eureka: when I did finally

Come out to my mom, I was just

Like, are you mad?

You know, and she was like, I'm

Disappointed.

You know, I'm -- I'm confused.

You know, and she reacted really

Negative about it.

So like when my mom didn't react

Well to me coming out, it really

Hurt me in a way that I wasn't

Ready for, because this was like

The person that had always like

Believed in me and knew I

Belonged and was like that

Support system.

And it put me in such a dark

Place.

I got really depressed and upset

And was drinking and -- and then

I tried to commit suicide.

I ended up having to go to

Peninsula hospital in knoxville.

My mom obviously came around.

But when she first showed up, I

Didn't care.

I was still mad at her, you know

What I mean?

I like, I blamed her for the

Pain was going through.

I blamed her for everything.

Um, it was just -- I was just

Mad.

Bob: when I first moved to

New york city, I had just gotten

Sober.

I really was depressed.

I was sad.

I was desperate.

I was lonely.

And then I started surrounding

Myself with q*eer people.

With drag, I think that the

Playing with gender was what

Initially pulled me in.

But after that, it was

Everything that it embodies.

It was the creativity, the fun,

The power, the audacity.

It was the bravery.

It was the strength.

It was everything that I wanted

To do and everything that I

Wanted to be.

I sat in my apartment in queens

And I just kept putting on

Makeup.

Look at these eyebrows.

I didn't f*ck them up at all.

I got dressed and I left the

House for g*y pride.

Let's go, girl.

[Cheers and applause]

It felt really amazing.

Like you leave the house and

You're in full drag.

I didn't feel terrified but I

Was like, girl.

f*cking giving me power, miss

Thing, so good luck trying to

Shut me down.

When I joined the drag

Community, I wasn't too black, I

Wasn't too g*y, I wasn't too

Femme.

I was surrounded by other people

Who were like me celebrating

What unified us.

I got to feel good about myself.

I got to like stop hating

Myself, stop feeling sorry for

Myself, stop feeling lonely,

Stop feeling depressed because I

Realized I wasn't alone.

Something that stuck out to me,

In twin falls, idaho was when

Amelia said, everything about me

Has been used against me at one

Point in my life.

Imagine if your existence was

Used against you.

And then you found a community

That celebrated everything that

You got made fun of for.

How was this for you, like

Honestly?

Real tea?

Amelia: real tea, honestly,

It's hard for me just because

Like... I don't know.

I don't know if I can like

Articulate it, honestly.

Bob: honestly these

Performances, it means a lot.

This is all some of us have.

Like when I was f*cking working

In new york city and waiting

Tables at the jekyll and hyde

Club, which is imagine

Applebee's but f*cking worse.

It was like working at sh*t job

That I hated and then I would go

Home and I would f*cking make an

Outfit, building up to, I get to

Go onstage for like three

Minutes.

And like this three minutes is,

This is all I have in this

Moment.

It feels like, I need, I

Need these three minutes.

I f*cking need this.

So especially when you have your

Three minutes and you look out

There and you see people you

Love and they're cheering for

You and they're happy for you

And they're gagging over you.

And people you never f*cking met

Are gagging over you, it's

A big f*cking deal.

Amelia: that's literally how

I feel for every show.

Bob: it's a big f*cking deal.

So I'm like, I got to go do a

Show.

And someone's like, it's a show.

Like it's not just a show.

This is like, I need this!

I'm, like emotional.

And i, still, like the way.

I need this.

I need f*cking need this.

So when I say drag saved my

Life, I'm not f*ck' around.

It saved my life.

I don't know what I would do if

I didn't have this.

If I couldn't get onstage in

Front of people and do this

sh*t, I don't know, I don't know

What the f*ck I would do.

Eureka: once I left the

Hospital in knoxville,

Eventually my mom apologized.

You know, my mom was very honest

With how she felt.

Coming from germany, she had a

Best friend that was g*y that

Would get jumped in the streets

Every night when they would walk

Home, you know, and eventually

Was k*lled because of it.

So in her mind, she thought

That's what was gonna happen to

Me.

That I'm gonna get A*DS, that

I'm not gonna be successful,

That I'm gonna become drug

Addicted, that I'm not gonna be

Able to have a successful life.

So it kind of came my life

Mission to like show her how

Successful I could be.

My first time performing in

Drag, I was so terrified.

I walked out onstage carrying my

Purse, like just on my wrist.

Walked right to the center of

Stage and stood there the whole

Number.

I didn't move not one time.

And I looked straight forward

Right at the back of the wall

And didn't look at nobody and

Just lip synched my little song.

At the end of my number,

Everybody in the audience stood

Up and screamed for me and just

Cheered.

And even during my number they

Were like cheering me on, you

Know, and was like, "yes,

Eureka, work, work."

Here we go.

[Cheers and applause]

Eureka: you know, and it was

That moment, even though I had

f*cked up, I truly felt like I

Belonged somewhere.

You know what I'm saying?

It was a feeling that I had

Never really had, and it's kind

Of when I knew.

It was like, I'm gonna do this,

You know what I mean?

I love this.

But it took me a really long

Time to learn it.

I ain't gonna lie, y'all.

I was a mess for a long, long,

Long time.

A lot like bob.

No, I'm just kidding.

Bob: well the parade was

Like, I knew I was gonna do it

Again.

And then I said, but I want to

Perform.

I want to get onstage.

So I decided to go do some stand

Up comedy at a local comedy club

Here in full drag.

And that, I was hooked.

Is anyone at their first drag

Show?

Is anyone at their first drag

Show?

[Applause]

Yes.

Bob: you're so full of sh*t.

Shut up.

I mean the moment I got onstage,

I got my first laugh in full

Drag, I was immediately like,

This is it.

I got to make this work.

I went to goodwill.

I bought this khaki dress.

This wig that looks like, like

My mom's hair.

And I bought a whip off the

Internet.

[Laughs]

Please welcome kitten with a

Whip.

[Cheers and applause]

Bob: my first name was kitten

With a whip.

I still have it.

It's a real whip.

It actually works really well.

But this whip like really

Gave me a lot of confidence.

Kitten with a whip.

I thought it was such a great

Name, but then people kept

Mispronouncing my name calling

Me katie or kate or kitty and it

Was driving me crazy.

So I was like, how simple can I

Make my name?

Then I was like, you know what

Name they can't f*ck up?

Bob.

There's only two letters in it,

B-o and then the b comes back

Around again.

And then when I told all my

Friends I want to change my name

To bob the drag queen, they all

Said "don't."

And I was like well, now you

f*cked up because I'm definitely

Doing it.

[Laughs]

♪ Bob the drag queen ♪

♪ Can she turn it ♪

♪ Yes, she can ♪

Bob: when it comes to drag,

It is makeup, it is writing, it

Is hosting, it is comedy.

It's all the aspects of who I am

Today.

Through drag and finding my

Community, I have become more

Myself than I ever was.

Shangela: please welcome the

One and only miss bob the drag

Queen!

♪ ♪

♪ Runnin' hot ♪

♪ Runnin' cold ♪

[Cheers and applause]

♪ I was runnin' into overload ♪

♪ It was extreme ♪

♪ I took it so high ♪

♪ So low ♪

♪ So low there was nowhere to

Go ♪

♪ Like a bad dream ♪

[Cheers and applause]

♪ Somehow the wire's uncrossed,

The tables were turned ♪

♪ Never knew I had such a lesson

To learn ♪

♪ I'm feelin' good from my head

To my shoes ♪

♪ Know where I'm goin' and I

Know what to do ♪

♪ I tidied up my point of view ♪

♪ I got a new attitude ♪

♪ I'm in control, my worries are

Few ♪

♪ 'Cause I got love like I never

Knew ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ I got a new attitude ♪

♪ I'm wearing my new dress, new

Hat ♪

♪ Brand new ideas, as a matter

Of fact, I'm changed for good ♪

♪ Somehow the wires uncrossed,

The tables were turned ♪

♪ Never knew I had such a lesson

To learn ♪

♪ I'm feelin' good from my head

To my shoes ♪

♪ Know where I'm goin' and I

Know what to do ♪

♪ I tidied up my point of view ♪

♪ I got a new attitude ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

[Cheers and applause]

♪ ♪

Shangela: after a couple

Years in l.a., I decided you

Know what?

I didn't feel like I had failed,

You know?

I felt like okay, this is gonna

Take a lot longer than I thought

It was.

I started working even harder.

And I started getting creative

With how I could support myself.

I got a job in pr again working

In los angeles, but I also

Signed up for this theater show

Called la cage aux folles,

Right?

The birdcage, basically, but the

Original stage version.

And I played the butler who got

Into drag halfway through the

Show and had to play this female

Role, right?

Oh, I was living.

You know, it was a g*y role and

It was super fun, but I also got

To dress in drag.

Something I looked up to to all

These people that I danced

Back-up for for years.

Well, right after that show was

Over, the makeup artist told me

I have three friends that are

Gonna be doing a show at a club

In west hollywood.

They want to do, uh, beyonce

"Single ladies" and I've seen

You in the dressing room.

You know the dance.

Be the beyonce.

I mean, I'd never done drag

Before, you know, like

Performing at a club.

But I knew I loved beyonce.

[Laughs]

So I was like, it's on.

And the next day I was the

"Single lady."

It was like electric hearing the

Crowd yell for me as beyonce,

Someone who I adored.

I was like oh, my gosh, this is

It.

In that moment, I found my joy

For drag.

And the local drag queen, god

Rest her soul, miss yovanna, she

Said to me, you have something.

I want you to come back and do

My amateur show the next night.

And baby, shangela was born.

[Indistinct] shangela!

She is a blast.

I love her.

She's whatever you said without

The f-word but the other f-word

Was "fierce."

Give her some love.

Shangela!

[Cheers and applause]

Shangela: the next thing you

Know, I was hosting a drag show

And that's what led to me being

Cast on "rupaul's drag race."

I had only done drag ten times

Total in my life when the

Producer of "drag race" came and

Said, you've got something.

You should audition for our

Show.

I quit my job, rolled out and I

Was like, I'm about to go to

"Drag race," get this 20 grand

And make all my dreams come

True.

Hello, somebody.

Nicole: hello.

Shangela: hi.

Nicole: I'm nicole.

Shangela: hi, nicole, I'm

Shangela.

Nicole: nice to meet you.

Shangela: nice to meet you.

Well in two days, I was the

First one voted off.

And I was back at the house.

Unemployed in total shock.

Yeah, you know, it's pretty much

Come down to me and all these

Costumes and wigs now.

Just sitting up in this house.

I was like whoa, whoa, whoa,

Whoa, whoa.

I was supposed to win.

I'm a winner.

I'm fabulous.

And I remember thinking, did I

Just ruin my life?

Like, I quit my job for this?

Do I go back to that job and

Tell them like, just kidding?

But I knew that I loved drag, so

I was like, you know what?

I'm gonna take all those skills

That I have that I've been using

For other people and I'm gonna

Put it into my career.

Give it up one more time for

Shangela!

Shangela: I decided I'm gonna

Go after this dream of

Performing on stage.

Because it's what I love so much

Much.

I started calling clubs myself

Pretending to be like an agent.

Like, "you want to book

Shangela?

She's amazing, blah, blah,

Blah."

And they booked me.

And I was making a name for

Myself.

Because of that, when season

Three came around, the producer

Of "drag race" said, we want you

To come back.

Let me tell you something, baby.

They call me the post-modern

Pimp h*.

Yes, I'm still a pimp, but I'm

Also my own h*.

Eureka: my life changed

Completely when I got on

"Rupaul's drag race."

And it put me in a

Place where people started

Respecting my art form.

The winner of "rupaul's drag

Race" is bob the drag queen.

[Cheers and applause]

Bob: the way I love this

Scepter, you would think it was

Made of actual diamonds.

It just felt super validating to

Always see something special in

Yourself and then to have

Someone that you admire say it

Is special.

It was like an amalgamation of

Years and years of work to

Finally be crowned one of the

Best.

It is my great pleasure to

Introduce shangela!

[Cheers and applause]

Shangela: "rupaul's

Drag race" really me the

Confidence to grow into who

Shangela was.

And one thing about miss

Shangela, it was always the high

Energy, glam damn, pop drop,

Death drop type of performance,

Okay?

I was in new york city for

Halloween and I remember landing

On my tibia and fibula bones and

Snapping them in my right leg.

I had to literally be rolled out

Of the club on a gurney.

And I remember going to the

Hospital.

The next day, when I woke up in

That hospital bed, I looked down

At my leg and thought, I was

Gonna have to change my entire

Being.

I felt helpless in that moment.

I thought I ruined my drag

Career.

And my mom was with me the

Entire three weeks that I was in

The hospital.

And I remember she told me, you

Will survive this.

We're a family of survivors.

I pushed myself to go through

That rehab 110%, because I was

Not going to let this one moment

To find me.

Finally I was able to come back

On stage again.

I was like oh, miss

Shangie, can't nothing hold me

Down.

I came back from a broken leg.

Everything that I've been

Through has taught me that god

And the universe don't give us

Anything we can't handle.

We just have to choose to handle

It.

Just like beyonce has said, I'm

A survivor.

♪ Remember those walls I

Built ♪

♪ Well, baby, they're tumbling

Down ♪

♪ And they didn't even put up a

Fight ♪

♪ They didn't even make a

Sound ♪

♪ I found a way to let you win ♪

♪ But I never really had a

Doubt ♪

♪ Standing in the light of your

Halo ♪

♪ I got my angel now ♪

♪ It's like I've been awakened ♪

♪ Every rule I had you

Breaking ♪

♪ It's the risk that I'm

Taking ♪

♪ I ain't never gonna shut you

Out ♪

♪ 'Cause everywhere we're

Looking now ♪

♪ I'm surrounded by your

Embrace ♪

♪ Baby, I can see your halo ♪

♪ Pray it won't fade away ♪

♪ Halo, halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo, halo, halo ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ Halo, halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ Halo, halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo, ooh ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo,

Halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can feel your halo, halo,

Halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can feel it ♪

♪ I can breathe ♪

♪ Halo, halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo ♪

♪ I can see your halo, halo ♪

♪ Halo, halo ♪

[Cheers and applause]

Shangela: hello, everybody!

Are we ready to have a good

Time?

Shangela: the more that I did

Drag, I wasn't hiding in drag.

I was living in drag.

It inspired me to do better, to

Be better.

I wanted to be the best version

Of myself.

I wanted to emulate what I saw

In so many people that I admired

Like jenifer lewis, like, you

Know, my drag mother,

Alyssa edwards.

Halleloo, everybody!

I've been helped a lot in my

Life.

Happy pride, toronto!

So it's important for me to

Connect with the other parts of

Our community.

Give back, reach back, help.

We are all one community and one

Family.

It's not right for us to be

Trampled upon.

I know what that feels like and

I don't want that for anyone

Else.

That's why I'm so committed to

Seeing us move forward and

Progress.

And it's not just me working on

"We're here."

When we go to a small town, when

We go to these places, there are

People who are doing good and

Helping other gays in the

Community.

How are you?

Good, good.

How are you?

Shangela: wonderful.

Bob: I'm glad that we got a

Chance go go into these towns

Really amplify their voices and

Really celebrate the true

Hometown heroes.

People who are already making

Their communities better.

The theater has always been a

Safe place.

The theater has always been a

Place for everybody to come and

Be who they are.

No matter our age, our race, our

Sexual orientation, gender

Identity, or anything.

We're all accepted here.

Now make some damn noise for

Your beautiful selves out there.

Make some noise!

[Cheers and applause]

Eureka: in every q*eer

Community, you need leaders so

That you can continue moving a

Positive direction.

When you have those anchors,

That's what keeps the q*eer

People coming together.

Bob: ursula, come up here!

[Cheers and applause]

You are officially deemed the

q*eer mayor of twin falls,

Idaho!

[Cheers and applause]

[Crowd chanting]

Ursula!

Ursula!

Ursula!

[Cheers and applause]

Bob: we've met so many people

In these communities who ar

Already making profound change.

But one that really sticks out

To me is lady shug.

Lady shug: hi.

Bob: shay?

Lady shug: shug.

Bob: shug?

Lady shug: yeah.

Like suge knight.

Bob: nice to meet you all.

I don't know what word to

Describe her besides "fierce."

She is so strong in her

Convictions regarding indigenous

People, q*eer people, non-binary

People, and you get a drag queen

That has a strong perspective

With something really smart to

Say, that b*tch can change the

f*ck' world.

You identify as non-binary.

Lady shug: yeah.

Bob: I identify as non-binary

Too but I mean, what does that

Mean in like indigenous culture?

Lady shug: indigenous

Culture, we have five genders.

Bob: mm-hmm.

Lady shug: and it just breaks

Down to like masculine and more

Masculine, the middle, feminine,

More feminine.

So for me, I just don't like to

Be stuck in the binary.

I'm just me.

Bob: work.

Lady shug: I'm just shug and

You know, take it or leave it.

Bob: that's amazing.

Lady shug: I think that's the

Reason why me and nate always

Connected because he's always

Respected me and that's how I

Have that love for him.

Bob: lady shug had a really,

Protective but also tough

Love relationship with my drag

Daughter nate.

Lady shug: my goal is just to

Inspire young folks to let them

Know that I am here, I'm not

Going nowhere.

And I look good doing it.

♪ All the shine of a thousand

Spotlights ♪

♪ All the stars we steal from

The night sky ♪

♪ Will never be enough ♪

♪ Never be enough ♪

♪ Towers of gold are still too

Little ♪

♪ These hands could hold the

World but it'll ♪

♪ Never be enough ♪

♪ Never be enough ♪

♪ For me ♪

♪ Never, never ♪

♪ Never, never ♪

♪ Never, for me ♪

♪ For me ♪

♪ For me ♪

♪ For me ♪

[Cheers and applause]

♪ ♪

♪ I am not a stranger to the

Dark ♪

♪ Hide away, they say ♪

♪ 'Cause we don't want your

Broken parts ♪

♪ I've learned to be ashamed of

All my scars ♪

♪ Run away, they say ♪

♪ No one will love you as you

Are ♪

♪ But I won't let them break me

Down to dust ♪

♪ I know that there's a place

For us ♪

♪ For we are glorious ♪

♪ When the sharpest words want

To cut me down ♪

♪ I'm gonna send a flood, gonna

Drown them out ♪

♪ I am brave, I am bruised ♪

♪ I am who I'm meant to be, this

Is me ♪

♪ Look out 'cause here I come ♪

♪ And I'm marching on to the

Beat I drum ♪

♪ I'm not scared to be seen ♪

♪ I make no apologies, this is

Me ♪

♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪

♪

♪ And I know that I deserve your

Love ♪

♪

♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪

♪ This is me ♪

♪ Whenever the fire's gone,

Whenever the fire's gone ♪

♪ Oh oh oh, this is me ♪

Shangela: one more time for

Lady shug!

[Cheers and applause]

Shangela: drag is much more

Than just the spectacle of it.

Baby, drag is for everybody.

It's being able to say, I'm

Gonna stand tall and live my

Fullest experience, my fullest

Life.

You made some big steps tonight.

Oh, I made some big clunky

Steps.

Shangela: yeah.

[Laughs]

Bob: drag is about turning

Your trauma into what makes you

Beautiful.

Yas, drag queen.

Bob: what makes you a radiant

Person.

Eureka: it's about love.

It's about coming together.

It's about a celebration of who

We are as people in a world that

Says we can't celebrate

Ourselves.

Where's all my indigenous

Folks at?

Bob: our drag daughters are

Now leaders and sources of

Inspiration within their own

Communities.

The people that feel

Like they can't be out and

Proud, I want to be a beacon of

Light.

Bob: I think that human

Beings crave connection and

During this lockdown when we're

Being told to be ourselves, the

Idea of telling these stories

And connecting with some really

Amazing people, that is

Important, because you might

Feel like you're alone, but this

Is a thing that we're all in

Together.

Talk about a shared experience.

This is a shared experience.

Recording now.

Are you ready?

Eureka: ready.

♪ She just wants to be

Beautiful ♪

♪ She goes unnoticed, she knows

No limits ♪

♪ She craves attention, she

Praises an image ♪

♪ She prays to be sculpted by

The sculptor ♪

♪ Oh, she don't see the light

That's shining ♪

♪ Deeper than the eyes can find

It ♪

♪ Maybe we have made her blind ♪

♪ So she tries to cover up her

Pain and cut her woes away ♪

♪ 'Cause cover girls don't cry

After their face is made ♪

♪ But there's a hope that's

Waiting for you in the dark ♪

♪ You should know you're

Beautiful just the way you are ♪

♪ And you don't have to change a

Thing, the world could change

Its heart ♪

♪ No scars to your beautiful,

We're stars and we're

Beautiful ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ And you don't have to change a

Thing, the world could change

Its heart ♪

♪ No scars to your beautiful,

We're stars and we're

Beautiful ♪

♪ She has dreams to be an envy,

So she's starving ♪

♪ You know, cover girls eat

Nothing ♪

♪ She says beauty is pain and

There's beauty in everything ♪

♪ What's a little bit of

Hunger? ♪

♪ I could go a little while

Longer, she fades away ♪

♪ She don't see her perfect, she

Don't understand she's worth

It ♪

♪ Or that beauty goes deeper

Than the surface ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ So to all the girls that's

Hurting ♪

♪ Let me be your mirror, help

You see a little bit clearer ♪

♪ The light that shines within ♪

♪ There's a hope that's waiting

For you in the dark ♪

♪ You should know you're

Beautiful just the way you are ♪

♪ And you don't have to change a

Thing, the world can change its

Heart ♪

♪ No scars to your beautiful,

We're stars and we're

Beautiful ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ And you don't have to change a

Thing, the world could change

Its heart ♪

♪ No scars to your beautiful,

We're stars and we're

Beautiful ♪

♪ No better you than the you

That you are ♪

♪ No better you than the you

That you are ♪

♪ No better life than the life

We're living ♪

♪ No better life than the life

We're living ♪

♪ No better time for your shine,

You're a star ♪

♪ No better time for your shine,

You're a star ♪

♪ Oh, you're beautiful, oh,

You're beautiful ♪

♪ There's a hope that's waiting

For you in the dark ♪

♪ You should know you're

Beautiful just the way you are ♪

♪ And you don't have to change a

Thing, the world could change

Its heart ♪

♪ No scars to your beautiful,

We're stars and we're

Beautiful ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ And you don't have to change a

Thing, the world could change

Its heart ♪

♪ No scars to your beautiful,

We're stars and we're

Beautiful ♪

Michael: hey, you guys.

Perfect.

Michael: [indistinct]

Grandpa.

Love you all.

Bob: work.

♪ ♪

♪ [Sound wave] ♪