Drag Queen Monét X Change talks sex, stereotypes and being gay in comedy show

Courtesy of The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Growing up gay, breaking gender stereotypes and being sexually active were some of the topics Drag Queen Monet X Change entertained with a crowd during a comedy show at the Clarice Performing Arts Center Oct. 20.

The 34-year-old New York native was the first double crown winner on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and was crowned Miss Congeniality on season 10 from 2018-2019. After winning in 2018 during season four of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars”, Change was the first drag queen of color to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

For her Clarice show, Change made a statement by introducing herself twice because the audience wasn’t excited enough the first time.

“Pause the music, I can’t be introduced like that,” she said.

The queen stepped off the stage and told the audience to erupt like they were seeing Beyoncé at her Renaissance tour. When she stepped back onto the stage, the crowd cheered louder and some stood up to applaud her.

As the show continued, she touched on what it was like growing up gay and breaking gender stereotypes. She compared the experience to the Disney movie “Frozen.”

“Conceal, don’t feel,” she said.

Change talked about the many hidden gay characters in Disney movies, re-enacting all of them.

She described Elsa from “Frozen” as a lesbian with the way the character hid away, dyed her hair and wore it in a braid. She compared Ursula from “The Little Mermaid” to a drag queen and said Mufasa from “The Lion King” was a gay man. Parts of the audience nodded and shouted their agreement while others laughed.

Change talked about the expression of their gender at a young age. She mentioned that she would always push to be the mom while playing “house” or the Pink Power Ranger.

“It is my right to make straight people uncomfortable,” Change said about being feminine and her use of slurs used on gay people. Many people in the audience whooped and hollered their agreement.

The queen then discussed her experiences with hookup culture in the queer community. Change said she has been a user of gay hookup app, Grindr, since 2008 and was a part of the early testing group.

“You can’t believe the person you allowed yourself to be,” Change said, talking about the feeling of emptiness many get after engaging in sexual acts

Change, however, does not get this feeling and says that she loves hooking up with men and that she would volunteer herself if it were an Olympic sport. Some in the audience laughed loudly, taken by surprise by the sudden switch in attitude.

Change ended the show with an opera song about anal sex, posing from the side and the back while she sang. Each time she posed, her ginger hair flowed behind her, collecting laughs from the audience.

Overall, students found the show funny.

“I’ve never seen a comedy show here besides the John Mulaney one and so I think she did really good,” Grace Mcglynn, a senior animal science major said.

Julion Harris, a junior double majoring in business management and marketing said that he’s been a fan of Change since her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race and her podcast “Sibling Rivalry” with Bob the Drag Queen.

“I love Monet. I’m obsessed with her,” he said. “They should bring her back.”

Harris’s friend NaShaun Sheffield, a junior human development major, agreed and said, “They should bring more drag queens.”

“It was so funny, from the very start, I was just having the time of my life,” Sheffield said.

Theirry Hines, a sophomore cinema studies major, went to the show after also being a fan of Change since her time on RuPaul’s drag race and her show on Dropout.

“Oh my God! She was so amazing… she was so funny!” Hines said.