Drag Race UK pays tribute to AIDS crisis victims
The AIDS tribute was seen on an episode of Drag Race UK. (Credit: BBC / World of Wonder)
On a recent episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, contestants paid tribute to older gay men and highlighted their experiences during the AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s.
As part of makeover week, the queens were tasked with giving drag makeovers to some “extra special makeover subjects” – which included older members of the LGBTQIA community, and one guest had a heart-wrenching backstory.
“What was it like for you in the 80s, growing up around the AIDS crisis first-hand?”, contestant Michael Marouli asked an older member of the community, Peter, who had been brought in to participate in the runway makeover challenge.
“It felt like coming out of the closet twice”, Peter replied.
“We’d just built up confidence and then it was knocked back. People were not having sex anymore, people were not going out clubbing or having fun because they were protecting themselves.
“My first boyfriend subsequently died and my second boyfriend, he died.”
As part of their joint runway look, the pair included a touching tribute to those impacted by AIDS and those who lost their lives.
“You can tell this means a lot”, Michael said in his confessional. “Peter was born for this.”
December 1 marks World AIDS Day. Part of the calendar since 1988, it aims to bring together the world in the fight against HIV and AIDS, remembering those lives lost and showing solidarity against stigma.
