Frankie Grande is once again here to deliver you conversations and kiki’s with some of your favorite Queer icons and allies — you’re welcome.
LISTEN NOW: Friday's with Frankie: Activists and Icons
This week, Frankie caught up with three amazing friends who constantly remind us through their art and their activism the power of just being you… Guests include drag legend, actor, and Dolly Parton's favorite new author, Nina West. Also co-founder and President of the Harvey Milk Foundation Stuart Milk. But first up to chat, a truly fierce ally and queer artist who truly defines what it means to just be you — Betty Who.
Noting she’s been such a role model and icon for the Queer community, Frankie asked Betty how she felt about the responsibility of being “part of this LGBTQ nation,” and helping “people to understand another part of our rainbow.”
“I hesitate to say I’m an accurate representation of the Queer community, cause it’s like obviously there are a lot of colors in the rainbow. But I think I have a specific Queer experience that I’m trying to share," Betty noted, “while also understanding that like so many people, especially like trans people of color… the amount of adversity that we have experienced is very different."
"Like I understand that there are people who can probably speak to it so much more efficiently and usefully than I could ever — but all in that same sentence… if I completely tap out of my own Queer experience, it doesn’t do anybody any good, when her want is to effect change."
“If I’m gonna stand on stage and be like ‘I want you all to be proud of yourselves,’ but I’m not doing the same thing — like I think you have to lead by example in that way. And so making this music specifically on this album," Betty said, referring to her recent release BIG!, “I think I was very thoughtful about my queerness and how it played into the music.”
Next to join Frankie was nephew of the civil right activists Harvey Milk, and activists in his own right, Stuart Milk, to talk all about the importance of keeping his uncle's mission alive and more.
Sharing a story about how the naming and impeding arrival of U.S. Navy Ship Harvey Milk, saved a queer Kuwaiti young man’s life who had previously planned to take his own life. Stuart urged the importance of keeping his uncle's name and message alive, and that it's not just up to the LGBTQ community to maintain — it’s for everyone.
Breaking down the difference between tolerance and celebration, and discussing recent attacks and disappointing legislations, Milk’s response was to “just stand up to it,” imploring “I think we just gotta take some risks. My uncle took the ultimate risk, of all the hate mail, of all the death threats he got, he still moved forward.”
Frankie’s final guest, Nina West, shared all about how she found her way to drag, and created “this character that could be anything I wanted her to be at any given point… and how having complete control of storytelling was very appealing.”
Then after auditioning for RuPaul’s Drag Race “a historically laughable 9 times,” Nina made it on to the show and went on to win the season’s title of Miss Congeniality. Now she’s starring as Edna Turnblad in the touring Broadway production of Hairspray, and she's talking all about it.
To listen to the entirety of all these interesting conversations, press play on the episode above.
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