HBO
The people of Evansville, Indiana don’t know what hit them when the Queens from We’re Here blow into town on the Fourth of July, showing up in their star-spangled outfits to take part in the town’s holiday parade (‘Give me liberty, or give me death drop’ is said at one point) and greeting the locals in the park afterwards … confusing the residents and the Queens. Evansville seems to be a very conservative, Midwestern town with a flag on ever corner, and at one point Bob the Drag Queen quips that he doesn’t know who is going to turn up at their big show at the end of the week — the Proud Boys or the Pride Boys. But they all learn that Evansville is also a town full of diversity as they meet their subjects for the week.
Craig
Craig is a minister in a suburb of Evansville trying to preach acceptance to his congregation. Unfortunately, he is banned from performing same sex marriages in the church, or even outside the church in his role as minister. But Craig does his best to teach people that God would not create someone who is sinful. The church is so adamant that homosexuality is a sin that Eureka can’t even meet Craig on the campgrounds of the church (they refused to sign a release for this specific show to film there) so they meet in the town of Santa Claus, Indiana. Craig reveals his reasons for doing this drag performance is to show the church that it’s okay, people are just people, and because his daughter had come out as pansexual. Craig is also taking a huge risk participating in the show because he very well could lose his ordination, and with it the home the church provides him.
Barbara & Yvon
Barbara & Yvon are a lesbian couple who have been together for 38 years, meeting at a rally (Yvon has been a longtime activist for various causes). Yvon is still very active in trying to give more visibility to the LGBTQ community in the Evansville area by organizing different events including a Pride Parade for next year. Yvon says there has been progress in town, but it moves like a turtle on Quaaludes. And while they’ve never previously considered getting married, they want to take this step now because of the constant threat of the laws being changed to take that right away from LGBTQ people. They hope this brings even more visibility to the cause. Yvon had once said that if she could get married by a drag queen in a stadium full of people she’d do it … and the opportunity just presented itself as Bob is ordained (although he’s never performed a marriage in drag until now). But even as Bob is welcomed into their home — they made a sign for the door that said ‘Hello, You’re Here’ — the couple reveals that there has been some opposition to them even existing in the town, with one local spraypainting ‘Lesbos’ on their home. But even with concerns about who may turn up at the show, Bob is excited to get the process started.
Kais
Kais is a college student, originally from Tunisia and identifying as Muslim. And gay. Growing up in a very small, insulated town, Kais never knew what gay was, and he thought he was the only male person in the world who felt attraction to other males. He also found out the hard way that telling others was not good as people literally stoned him. At one point he did some searches online and his brother saw the search history, took Kais to the basement and beat him up. Kais’ mother told him if his father found out, he could kill him. Homosexuality is illegal in Tunisia and he could be executed if anyone else found out he’s gay. So he got a scholarship to a US university and fled the country, and it was only after he got to the US that he learned he could apply for asylum. But Kais misses his culture and wants to be in a place where he’ll feel less lonely, even if that means returning to Tunisia. He’s decided to participate in the drag show because he doesn’t want to hide anymore, but he wants to keep his identity and religion, showing the world that you can be Muslim and gay.
The Preparation
HBO
Before heading into the process of putting the show together, the Queens visit a local fireworks store to buy some of their own — Shangela hates fireworks because she’s afraid her hair will catch fire — and spread the word about the free drag show in a few days. Just like in town, people seem to be confused by them, even though they aren’t in drag, and they get a bit guarded when a man with a gun tucked into his waistband approaches them. They are completely surprised when the man thanks them for what they’re doing, saying Evansville needs to open its eyes. He then reveals he identifies as bisexual, which tells the trio that Evansville may be more diverse than they originally thought.
Shangela meets Kais’ friends and learns he was due to get on a plane and return to Tunisia but decided not to at the last minute. Kais says he’s scared of being abandoned because he’s gay, but he’s also afraid of being attacked. Kais just feels like an outsider, and that he’ll never really be happy because he’ll never be with his family and be gay at the same time. He feels that he’s taking on the mantle of being the one to speak out for the next generation of LGBTQ Muslims, but Shangela shoots that notion down, telling Kais that he has to work on himself before he can speak for someone else. He has to change what he thinks happiness is, facing the fact that he may never get that call from his family accepting him for who he is. Kais needs to celebrate himself and be able to say ‘it’s okay to be me’.
Eureka meets Craig’s family and learns his daughter came out because of a church function. The questionnaire asked about sexual identity, so she took the opportunity to speak at the event which was designed to show representation for LGBTQ people and People of Color in the community. Craig and his wife have been nothing but supportive. And with an impending wedding, the Queens and their subjects for the week all meet at a local bridal shop to try on dresses with Barbara and Yvon. Sitting around in their gowns, the group has a real bonding moment and Kais is really beginning to feel like he’s part of this community. And while Craig can’t perform the ceremony, he’s still thrilled to be able to stand witness at Barbara & Yvon’s wedding.
Rehearsals run pretty smoothly, and Shangela is quite surprised when Kais busts out some moves during choreography that weren’t part of the dance. It’s obvious that Kais is starting to feel a bit more free with himself. But he and Craig really need to work on walking in heels because they both look like baby deer walking for the first time. One of the big laughs during the process comes when Bob asks Yvon what her makeup process is. Yvon has a shock of white hair and her skin is pale, so she quips, ‘It takes a lot of work to stay this white.’ While discussing the concept for Craig’s performance, from the outfit to the wig, Craig keeps saying that it’s going to be hilarious. He is quickly called out by one of the glam squad and Eureka. They tell him that drag literally saved their lives, and while they want to have fun what they’re putting on that stage is fierce. What they are doing her is not meant to be a joke. Craig quickly apologizes and says he is taking it seriously, and Eureka suggests that it’s just nerves at being in a very different situation but they all hunker down as a drag family and get the work done.
The Show
HBO
Kais kicks off the show which spotlights his Muslim heritage with a traditional piece of music that segues into a Lady Gaga song, nailing the choreography. The camera also shows us the reaction of his college friend who is enjoying the hell out his performance. Craig’s number kicks off with a mini-sermon to a small congregation on stage, and when he gets into the number he is obviously having a great time — no trouble at all with the heels — and even gets a lift from the backup dancers and Eureka. In the audience, Craig’s wife sings along and his daughter is very emotional seeing what her father is doing at such a great risk. Finally the big moment arrives as Barbara and Yvon begin their number, staged as if they’re at home watching TV, flipping channels until they hear that same sex marriage must be recognized in all 50 states. Their song involves proposals that lead into the wedding. I loved how the performance also included the glam squads to help make their costume changes on stage during the number. It all came to a head as Bob conducted the ceremony and the couple read their touching, and humorous, vows to each other. When Bob pronounced the married, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. My heart almost burst from the swell of emotion I felt seeing that.
After the show, Craig’s daughter told him he makes a beautiful woman, and Craig said those were words he never thought he’d hear from his daughter. Barbara and Yvon drove off with cans attached to the car, with Bob comically wailing that her children were gone, but while they all felt that they really accomplished something, Kais may have gotten the biggest impact from participating, saying that being part of the show and feeling the energy from the audience made that feeling that he needed to go home fade a bit, being surrounded by all this love made him feel like he finally belongs.
Eureka summed it up best when she said that if all of these people — and there had to be a couple of hundred people in the auditorium — from your home town show up for a show like this, then maybe it’s not such a bad place after all. We’re Here is truly changing people’s lives and we need more of that (so HBO, you’d better order a third season!).
What did you think of this episode? Tell us in the comments section below!
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