The recent season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has exposed the dark side of fandom, with contestants such as Mistress Isabelle Brooks facing repeated suspensions of her Instagram account. This phenomenon is not new, with previous seasons also witnessing similar online harassment of Drag Race contestants. The problem is not limited to Brooks, as contestants who are not thin and white are disproportionately targeted by anonymous reports.
Marcia Marcia Marcia, a contestant in the current season, has taken a stand against the online abuse by urging her fans to stop reporting Brooks’ account. She highlighted the negative impact of such actions on the queens, who are supposed to be experiencing a positive journey on the show. Marcia also called for Instagram to vet accounts before suspending them without notice, and for parents to monitor their children’s social media activity.
The Drag Race fanbase can be incredibly passionate, but that passion must not cross the line into hatred and harassment. The contestants of the show are human beings who deserve to be celebrated, not attacked. It is time for the series to take action and speak up on behalf of its contestants, and for fans to put an end to this unacceptable behavior. The art of drag and the spirit of the show should always promote positivity and inclusion, not negativity and hate.