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The Queens of We’re Here travel to St. George, Utah in the third episode of Season 3, and while it’s not as contentious as Granbury, Texas, they face an even bigger challenge than anonymous haters on social media — City Councilwoman Michelle Tanner, who is making it her mission to bring out the bigots using fear, hatred and lies to get the drag show scheduled to take place right in the middle of town cancelled. More on that in a moment.
The Queens’ entrance this week is stunning as they literally come out of the desert rocks and into town, a notoriously Mormon town (some say it’s even more strict than Salt Lake City). But they all notice that the resident are all suspiciously friendly, even asking to take pictures with them. Bob feels that something just ain’t right. They pass by a Mormon Temple visitor center and Eureka can’t help herself but to go in in full drag, again they are very welcoming, but Shangela is afraid she’s going to emerge in a white shirt and black tie. We can’t see what’s happening inside but we can hear someone ask Eureka if she’ll stay and watch a 30-minute movie about God’s plan for the family. Eureka says she has to go to work. When she finally exits the building. she tells Bob and Shangela that they took her to the room to watch the movie, and when she tried to leave they took her to another room to watch a shorter version of the movie. Bob doesn’t believe a word she’s saying but Eureka says she wishes she was that creative to make that shit up. I was rolling. This had to be one of the funniest moments of the series so far.
This week’s ‘drag kids’ were an interesting mix representing many facets of the LGBTQ+ community. Toni is a young, transgender male who is constantly having issues being misgendered, even at home. Gaby comes from a Latino family, was raised Mormon, and identifies as bisexual. Micah identifies as non-binary, recently had top surgery, and is a queer parent with a wife and child. Toni has always daydreamed what it would be like to be a boy, but feels that if people are going to keep misgendering him why bother even trying. The problem is exacerbated at home by a grandmother who refuses to address him by his gender and name, and a mother who is at least trying but often slips up by calling him ‘she’ and using his ‘dead name’. Toni’s grandmother won’t even allow production in the house so Shangela has to meet Toni elsewhere, and that gives her just a taste of what it must feel like for Toni not being able to go to his own home. Toni’s grandmother feels gay people have a mental disorder and he’ll never be ‘Toni’ to her. He didn’t really figure out his identity until last year, but he has been surrounded by a group of friends who love and support him, and everyone he works with is very open and friendly. He wants to do a masculine-presenting drag performance, and Shangela is on board telling him that it’s important to see himself on the outside how he feels on the inside.
Gaby not only has her identity to contend with in town, but the color of her skin as well, being the only brown kid in school. Although she was born in the US and English is her first language, she was placed in an ‘English as second language’ class in elementary school … because she’s brown. She struggled with her bisexuality because her family was devoutly Mormon, and she once read in some Mormon literature that homosexuality is a sin, so she left the church. She tells her drag mother Eureka that St. George is very conservative, very Mormon, with a very ‘in your business’ culture. But she found that she had support at home when her mother left the church as well. It gets even crazier when Gaby relates the Book of Mormon story of the Lamanites, a group of people who disobeyed God and were cursed with dark skin. That gave the Mormons around Gaby the freedom to call her a Lamanite, and she’s not okay with that. Now she wants to find out exactly who she is, and she wants her drag to take up space and say the things she was never able to say before.
Micah is trying to show the people of St. George that they (they use any and all pronouns), their wife and child are a family just like everyone else but the school system in particular seems to have a problem with how to address their family, forcing their child to change schools a few times. Micah says people alway look at them to try to figure them out, while all he wants to do is go out with their family and feel safe. Micah was also Mormon, and like Toni and Gaby, had to leave the church, which was hard because that comes with being ostracized and for a time they were even cut off from their own family. Micah was even nearly dragged out of a female rest room one time because people were freaking out that there was a man inside. St. George does have a small Pride organization that Micah just took over as executive director, prompting drag mother Bob to dub them the ‘Queermander-in-Chief’. And … Micah is also a drag performer, saying drag helped them find their identity. This will be the first time they’ve done drag since having top surgery, but they want the performance to be more androgynous, wants to keep their mustache, and wants to avoid a high heel because they’re already too tall. Bob may or may not be down with that last part.
But … while production is moving forward there is a serious issue with Ms. Tanner and the St. George City Council. The Queens learn from the locals that there is a large queer community in St. George bu they all live separate lives. The Mormons are aggressive, and people have had Pride flags ripped down and set on fire. Bob tells a group that the Queens have become the stars of those residents’ Facebook pages as they face opposition to having their show, even though production went through all the proper channels and did everything right, but thanks to Ms. Tanner there is a chance the permits will be pulled and the show will be cancelled. Tanner had written a letter stating City Management had mishandled the permits situation, and alleged that it had all be sprung on the City Council at the last minute. She also alleges that the show is going to be held next to or inside of a children’s museum, next to the children’s splash pad area and lazy river, and close to the children’s carousel. And it all exploded on social media. Bob assumes Tanner has never seen a drag show so she should come. She might like it.
While that storm is brewing, everyone is meeting with their glam squads and learning choreography. Gaby tells Eureka that she used to fear that she would not be able to live with her family when she came out because of the Mormon guidelines and that caused her mother to have a little breakdown. She didn’t believe a loving God would keep her from seeing her daughter so she left the church too. In fact the entire family except her husband has left the church. After a family breakfast, Eureka pulls mom aside to walk and chat and she tells Eureka she feels so much more at peace by not having to dress up for church and pretend to be someone she isn’t — and then she surprises Eureka by revealing that she too is bisexual, even after saying at breakfast that anyone at the table who’s queer, raise your hand … and she didn’t. One of her other daughters did, but she did not because it’s not something she’s completely open with yet, only telling Gaby and her husband. Because of her religion she’s had to bury that part of herself so deep, but she also works as a school counselor and she’s seen how ally educators have been treated. Eureka insists that she join them in the performance, and she says she will so she can celebrate this side of herself. The question remains will she now face backlash at her job for coming out and participating in this show?
For the performances, Eureka wants to theme their number to the Salem witch trials — but not too crazy. Toni, who does a lot of drawing to release all of his pent up emotions, is going to have his artwork incorporated into the costumes. Bob does get Micah in a pair of heels, but they say they feel like a baby deer so they go with platform sneakers instead. Toni is also trying on a long wig, which he isn’t feeling until the addition of some facial hair. He looks into the mirror and sees a guy (and the way his face lights up brought a tear to my eye), that’s who he is and he has to figure out how to deal with that. Micah’s wife reveals that came out as lesbian later in life, and before that walking around the community as a white, cis woman was pretty easy but walking around as a queer person is different. They don’t feel safe in St. George, they can’t fully experience the community, but they don’t want to be forced out of their home. Micah hopes that their work will make some progress in the community, and footage shows one of the Pride organization’s meetings where a man asks why pronouns are so important because he just doesn’t get it. Micah say that if the man identifies as male and someone refers to him as ‘she’, how does that make him feel? ‘Odd’ is his answer. Exactly. Point proven. Periot. Micah also says that every Pride event they have draws protesters and the police, and if the City Council doesn’t openly support them, the drag show is certainly in question. For Micah’s performance the plan is to bare his chest to the world, like coming out again because everyone knew them pre-top surgery and now it’s time to show it off.
Up to this point, I think we’ve gotten the impression that Toni’s mother is being difficult with acknowledging Toni, so the three of them enjoy some ice cream and chat. At one point his mom did address Toni as ‘she’ which caused a quick ‘don’t say that’ retort, but she did correct herself (she did it again when they were all talking and quickly apologized). She did tell Shangela that when Toni first talked about being trans, she said she would love him just the same and would be supportive. Toni didn’t quite remember it that way and his mom said she just wants him to live a ‘normal’ life, to be safe because people are cruel. She acknowledges that Toni has a great support group in the community but what happens when he moves away? Shangela asks Toni to leave them alone for a bit to have a chat, and his mom says that before the transition Toni was very depressed and now he’s happy, which made her feel relieved but she worried that what if he got too far in the transition and wanted to go back but couldn’t? She tried to find some books to help her figure this all out but there were none so she contacted a cousin, who is a therapist, but instead of sending her the information she needed she got information for Toni to address how people have wanted to detransition but couldn’t. Shangela politely tells her to always check her sources, seek out groups like PFLAG. Toni’s mom explains to Shangela how they knew Toni was a girl even before she was born, and after 17 years the sudden change of pronouns is difficult, and sometimes she does call him by his dead name and she feels terrible about it. I can understand how it irritates Toni, but I can also understand how a parent needs time and a little patience to adjust to this transition as well. Shangela seems to understand too but tells her that we don’t get to dictate how people feel on the inside. She just needs to listen to Toni more and lean into that. But Toni also has to embrace himself, which isn’t easy in St. George. He’s always afraid to tell people he’s trans, fearing they won’t love him anymore, but his friends are all very accepting. They tell him not to worry about what other people think. They see him as a guy, and a good guy at that.
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Gaby reveals even more of her story. Her mother doesn’t think it’s safe in St. George. She sees kids bully other kids they perceive as gay. Gaby’s school was going to do a performance of Rent but a board of influential Mormons cancelled the show, saying the community wasn’t ready for the queer storylines. Gaby says a lot of the kids who were doing the show are queer and it gave them a chance to see themselves through the characters. Eureka sees that this is the same thing the City Council is doing with the drag show, instilling fear in people from anything that’s different from what they believe.
But the City Council may get its wish, as footage from an emergency public meeting to discuss the drag show is presented. One community member after another comes to the podium to object to the show. One man suggests if this is allowed to happen, then the Council should declare July ‘MAGA Month’. Another devout Mormon suggests this show is a way to ‘groom’ children (ummm … isn’t that exactly what the church is doing???). The show should be cancelled because it’s a ‘danger’ to the community (as in they might actually have to see people who don’t follow their Mormon grooming?). Surprise, because there is already a large queer community and allies in town. A young trans man explains to the Council how people like him are trying to be erased, how a former boss once told him that trans people should be hanged, that if they allow people to keep being bigoted they are telling people like him that they don’t care what happens, which he finds frightening. Another woman says that no one turned her daughter gay, and no drag show would have made a difference … but it would have made her feel loved. Another woman tells the Council they have an opportunity to create a community where LGBTQ people can come and feel safe because representation matters. Another woman puts it bluntly that having this drag show will save lives. After all this went down, Bob noted that the people opposed to them are loud, but the queer people and allies who showed up to support them are louder and that is a powerful thing. And in the end the permits did not get pulled because of the overwhelming support and now they are putting on a show.
Outside of the show area — which is literally in the middle of town, an outdoor venue that is filling up with about 2,000 people (the largest attended event in the show’s history) — a man says this activity is one of the problems of America which will lead to its demise. I’m sorry to interrupt this recap, but I’m gonna need to pull out my soap box for a minute and ask how is a drag show, a piece of entertainment and am art form, going to cause the demise of America when we have a political party doing everything it can do destroy the foundations of our government and marginalize or erase anyone who isn’t a white, straight, ‘Christian-identifying’ (but not really Christian at all) man. No drag queens are ‘grooming’ or sexually assaulting children. You want to know who is? Ministers. Priests. Teachers. Politicians. All who identify as straight. People we’re supposed to uphold and trust. The mainstream media doesn’t cover many of these crimes (except for the Catholic church which was too big to ignore), but look at smaller news sites online and you’ll see articles, one after another, of men, almost always white, in a position of authority who are arrested for abusing the children their parents have entrusted to take care of them. This is a more insidious problem than a drag queen reading a book to a child or doing a show for a crowd of people. And while we’re at it, how many drag queens have gone into a school or a nightclub and shot up the place? Exactly. People who call themselves Christians today are anything but — and I grew up Pentecostal and my grandfather was a minister. I can see the charlatans for what they are, power hungry, greedy, bigots. Drag queens are not the ones who will be responsible for the demise of America, bigotry, hatred and intolerance coupled with the corrupt pursuit of power will. Now, back to our show…
Micah is first up, performing to Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’ in a wonderful re-creation of the music video which featured Freddie Mercury in drag … with his signature mustache. Bob joins them mid-song in a very cool half-man half-woman outfit and makeup, and at the end of the number Micah does rip open their top and exposes their new chest for all to see. At one point during his quick costume change, a lock of hair from the wig fell out of place and the stylist ran on stage at the end of the number to fix it, which Bob had to make mention of the ‘star treatment’ Micah was getting. With the huge, cheering crowd Bob tells them to imagine not wanting to have all of this love on display because it really is true love they are feeling. Micah was blown away by the response, by the size of the crowd and by everyone who fought for them to be there that night. Toni is up next, trying to learn how to live his truth comfortably. His song is ‘Industry Baby’ by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow, and his outfit and make-up looks like a king from a deck of cards (and, yes, the backup dancers are in costumes inspired by his art which is also displayed on the backdrop). It’s all very cool and I just love they put so much of Toni into the performance. Toni-licious tells the audience he’s been trying not to cry since they first got backstage and this is the coolest thing ever. Tears of joy are certainly acceptable at this point. He tells the crowd to be confident in who you are because it’s hard, and there will be days when you stand in front of the mirror crying because of who you want to be, but you feel like you can’t be. But you can be who you want to be … please be who you want to be!
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Gaby is up next and her song is ‘The Village’ by Wrabel. The witch theme was amazing with Gaby doing a little levitation — which the help of the dancers — and her mom’s robe flying off to reveal her witch costume was a pretty neat trick. Eureka is revealed behind the large moon backdrop, and the words ‘Love is Magic’ are also revealed. At the end there are more happy tears, and Gaby tells the audience that if anyone is in the place where she was a year ago, unsure of yourself, having grown up in the church, just know that there is an entire community that supports you. Eureka also mentions how Gaby’s school wasn’t allowed to perform Rent and that she hates when she can’t be her authentic self. She asks Gaby what she has to say, and she takes the mic and starts singing ‘Seasons of Love’, joined by some of her classmates who couldn’t perform it at school, and they are eventually joined by the entire cast for the evening. This time it’s me who is in tears. Love is love is love is love is love. Got it?
At the end, Toni’s mom tells him she’s so proud of him and that his performance was amazing. Gaby’s mom tells Eureka that they are all so talented and have so much love and she’s happy they’re all part of the queer community, just like her … but she wasn’t brave enough to say that on stage, she needs more time but she’s getting there. Eureka assures her that it’s okay. Micah and their wife are so happy and proud and Micha is … so tall. At the end of the episode, Bob shares some words of wisdom: ‘When someone gets to come out to the park, in public, in the town square and they get to see people being themselves, proclaiming that they’re queer, a yard full of people cheering for them, clapping for them because of who they are … and you think to yourself maybe everyone’s not against me, maybe I can live another day.’ Again, this shows just how important We’re Here is because if the people who need to see it do see it, maybe they can get a little education and see that people are people, no matter who they love, how they identify, or what they wear. We all just want the same thing, to live freely, to be happy, to feel loved.
The hate has got to stop.
What did you think of this episode? Tell us in the comments section below!
New episodes of We’re Here premiere Fridays at 10:00 PM on HBO, streaming on HBO Max.
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