Arts & Entertainment
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ crowns season 10 winner
Oprah, Dame Judi Dench, Gus Kenworthy appear in the finale
RuPaul on the season 10 finale of ‘Drag Race’ (Screenshot via YouTube)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” crowned Aquaria as the winner of season 10 after a lip-sync showdown on Thursday night.
The finale was filmed in front of a live audience at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles and celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the series’ debut. The original queens from season one made an appearance including Porkchop, Ongina and Bebe Zahara Benet.
Other big moments included Oprah, Dame Judi Dench and Dench’s daughter Finty Williams giving RuPaul a special congratulatory message. Olympian Gus Kenworthy also made a cameo to ask a fan question and former talk show host Sally Jesse Raphael gave a voiceover to a lookback on 10 years of “Drag Race.”
The lip-syncing kicked off with Asia O’Hara and Kameron Michaels battling it out to “Nasty” by Janet Jackson. O’Hara attempted a butterfly release from her costume but instead the butterflies crawled on stage instead of taking flight. She was eliminated and Aquaria and Eureka O’Hara faced off to Jackson’s “If.” In a rare move, RuPaul decided to keep them both and they advanced to the first three-way lip-sync with Michaels.
The trio tried to out perform each other to “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj but ultimately, Aquaria stole the show for Ru.
“This season will go down as one of the most competitive in ‘Drag Race’ herstory. And still, Aquaria’s many talents distinguished her from the field of amazing queens,” RuPaul said in a statement. “This is the dawning of the Age of Aquaria. I can’t wait to see what she does next.”
Aquaria added,“Finally making it to the top of the most influential drag platform of today is proof that no dream is ever unachievable if you have the passion, resilience, love, and work ethic to devote your life to that dream. Drag will always be a dynamic and powerful art form and it is my duty now to honor the artists who have come before me while continuing to pioneer my own path and history by being open to growth and change as a human and a drag superstar.”
Watch Aquaria win the title below.
Celebrate the start of Pride month at the Queer Magic Dance Party at the Black Cat on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 9 p.m.
There will be pole performances and demonstrations, a free photo booth with glitter bar, a queer vendor market, tarot readings by Skye Marinda Tarot, a drag performance by Sapphica, and dancing to a blend of smooth R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop and pop by Slammer & Saba. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 (plus fees) in advance, purchased here.
Local queer journalists will celebrate Pride this weekend at the annual NLGJA-DC Pride Happy Hour event at Trade (1410 14th St., N.W.) on Saturday, June 6, 3-5 p.m. Admission is free.
Out & About
DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
Annual event held at historic Congressional Cemetery
The 14th annual DC Front Runners’ Pride 5K run/walk is set for Saturday, June 6 at historic Congressional Cemetery. The race starts and ends at the cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.) and passes through scenic D.C., along the Anacostia River trail and the fields at RFK campus. Registration ends Friday at 11:59 p.m.
Runners can pick up their race packets on Saturday from 7-8:30 a.m. at Congressional Cemetery; the race begins at 9 a.m.
The fee to run the 5K in person is $65 ($35 for those under age 20). Proceeds benefit local LGBTQ nonprofits, including Thrive DC, Wanda Alston Foundation, Blade Foundation, Ainsley’s Angels, SMYAL, and Team DC. Visit DCFrontRunners.org for more information.
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Queer Magic dance party planned
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DC Front Runners Pride Run 5K set for Saturday
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