Just in time for Pride Month, a RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant ‘celebrated’ being trans in a disturbing way.
Gottmik, a female who identifies as male and dresses as a woman in drag on the show, walked the runway during a recent episode in an ensemble that was meant to show off her ‘top surgery’ (i.e. double mastectomy).
On Monday’s show, Megyn was joined by Emily Jashinsky, D.C. correspondent for Unherd, and Eliana Johnson, editor in chief of The Washington Free Beacon, to discuss the “misogynistic” display and what kind of message it sends.
[Editor’s Note: You can learn more about Megyn’s position on preferred pronouns here.]
The Costume
As part of the show’s all-star season, Gottmik – who became the first trans man to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2021 – appeared in a top surgery-inspired look during the May 24 episode.
Libs of TikTok shared a video on X of the graphic costume, which included Swarovski crystal-adorned mastectomy ‘scars,’ two scalpel-wielding arms designed to look like they were cutting the chest, and a bag filled with two bloodied ‘breasts.’
“This look is something I have been wanting to do for so long because top surgery absolutely changed my life,” Gottmik explained in a voice over. “I molded my arms, they’re rapping around me with scalpels. I have Swarovski crystal blood. I have a ponytail, and I have two Swarovski crystal tits in a bag.”
In an Instagram post that included Gottmik posing in an operating room, the drag queen called the controversial look “a piece of art and fashion” and thanked the show for the opportunity to model it.
“This look represents the pain and suffering I went through while all at the [same] time experiencing complete trans queer liberation in a way that I hope everyone seeing this will feel one day,” Gottmik wrote. “I found my peace within the fashion drag artistry space and I hope everyone finds theirs in one way or another.” The caption ended with the blood, knife, and trans flag emojis.
The Fallout
Megyn called the spectacle “misogynistic” and a “celebration of mutilation and self harm” that has no place on a streaming service like Paramount+ where it airs. “We reached out to Paramount+ and asked, ‘Do you stand behind this? Is this what you want children to be seeing as they watch your disgusting channel,’” she shared. “Not surprisingly, they didn’t get back to us.”
In Johnson’s view, the situation glorifies body dysmorphia. “It’s disturbing and upsetting, but the thing that is, I think, harmful about that is that gender dysphoria is not normal,” she explained. “We don’t try to normalize anorexia or addiction and parade them on runways to be celebrated. We say these things are diseases to be treated.”
To that point, Megyn tried to imagine such a situation. “What would happen if they had an anorexic walking down the runway holding pounds of her fat while she looks like she is on death’s door, or an addict whose teeth had fallen out from all the drug use like swinging her bag of teeth around,” she asked. “Would it be the same, ‘You go girl! You hurt yourself just as much as you want to. Do it all the way to the grave. We’ll be here making money off of you and applauding the whole thing’?”
June is Pride Month and Jashinsky wondered if the literal and figurative bejeweling of Gottmik’s top surgery is really the image LGBTQ+ activists want to promote. “Is this the face of Pride Month, the body of Pride Month,” she questioned. “Is this what you are asking me to celebrate with your flag?”
Ultimately, Megyn had a message for RuPaul and Paramount+. “Way to glamorize violence against women… You’re disgusting, RuPaul, your entire show is filthy, and you owe all of womankind an apology,” she concluded. “That is the gnarliest thing I’ve ever had to see on television… and Paramount+ we’re not done. It’s not the last you’ve heard of us.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Jashinsky and Johnson by tuning in to episode 808 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.