Jujubee teases Drag Isn’t Dangerous telethon: “Imagine if all of us wanted revenge, and not just equality”

Mark your calendars, because this Sunday, May 7 is the star-studded Drag Isn’t Dangerous Telethon, a one-night-only live event combating the recent wave of anti-drag legislation by raising funds and awareness for LGBTQ+ organizations nationwide.

Queerty is a loud and proud media partner of this incredible event brought to you by our friends at a Producer Entertainment Group (PEG), who have assembled a jaw-dropping roster of queens and all-star allies for a night of special performances and appearances.

Most recently, legends like Melissa McCarthy, Billy Eichner, Idina Menzel, Adam Lambert, and Orville Peck have been added to the lineup, joining some of the drag world’s biggest names like Jinkx Monsoon, Bob The Drag Queen, Trixie Mattel, Peppermint, and more.

And, because she has a habit of showing up any time eight or more RuGirls get together, you better believe Jujubee will be there, too. The beloved queen from Drag Race Season 2, All Stars 1 and 5, UK Vs. The World, and Queen Of The Universe, is bringing her talents to the telethon stage—and it’s a performance you won’t want to miss.

Ahead of the Drag Isn’t Dangerous event, we called up Jujubee to preview the big night, and to learn more about why it’s so important for her to help the cause.

Read on below for our conversation with Jujubee, and head to www.moment.co/dangerous to learn more about the telethon, but your tickets, and donate now.

---

QUEERTY: Hi, Jujubee! How are you?

JUJUBEE: I’m good. I’m cat-sitting right now though, and she’s been a little brat. Her name’s Lilo.

Does she not get along with [your cat] Pris?

Oh she does, she does. Well, they just stare at each other—they haven’t hung out yet, and it’s been months. They’re both senior lady cats, so they’re very territorial.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jujubee (@jujubeeonline)

Well, I hope they can keep the peace for a little while longer, because we’re here to talk the Drag Isn’t Dangerous Telethon. Now, the whole reason this is coming together is because it’s an especially fraught time to be a drag queen, and to be visible as a queer person in general. As a queen who gets around and tours the world, are you feeling the impact of these local drag bills?

Oh, absolutely. I’ve actually worked at Play in Nashville several times, and I’m friends with the queens who are there and I see their posts online. And, just to see the difference in what they’re posting now versus what they posted last year, it’s so different.

Now it seems like there’s a target on performers’ backs. But also specifically trans people, because these bills that are coming out are obviously masked as, “let’s save the children!,” and, “why are drag queens reading to kids?” And my question is: If we don’t read to them, who will? Because nobody’s even stepping up to do it!

It’s all this strange, choreographed dance. And none of them are good dancers—everybody’s really off beat! It’s just really sad to me because I live my life with such freedom and such joy, and I’ve had super personal battles in my life. And I know every queer and trans person out there has their own battles, but to have people in power—not all of them, of course, because there are people who are fighting for us, and we’re so grateful for them.

But queer people aren’t the problem. We just want to live and be, and it’s just mind-boggling for me to try to understand even a bit of what that side wants. Because, to me, they just want attention, and they want to divert everybody and make them look at us. It’s just pointing fingers, and it’s very archaic, actually.

Related:

Wilson Cruz, Ts Madison, & others link up to join star-studded Drag Isn’t Dangerous Telethon

The May 7 event raising funds and awareness for LGBTQ+ organizations just added more names to the lineup, and it’s a gag!

It is! And I’m so glad to see you’ve already got your “political commentator” wig on because I was going to ask: Why do you think this is happening now? I mean, there have always been people who want to attack and suppress the LGBTQ+ community, but so much progress has been made in the past decade.

Because it’s a hot topic that they’ve created. Because once they’re done with us, they’re going to move on to the next minority group, they’re going to move on to something else that they think is stronger than them. And it’s just a cycle, it’s the same pattern over and over and over again.

If we can just step back and look at everybody as just human, every human being just wants to live a fulfilling life. We just want freedom, we want shelter, we want food—I think those are the real things that that we should be discussing, you know? There are so many homeless people in the United States, which is supposed to be the number one free country in the world. There are mass shootings that happen everywhere. If they cared about kids so much, where that f*ck are they while kids are being slaughtered in schools? Where are they?

I think I’m doing a really good job to not scream or cry or be too passionate, because I’m in this part of my life where I can be really calm and really at peace. And I just want the people out there who are a part of our community to know that it’s going to be okay.

This is what I would call growing pains, because we’re stronger than ever. Could you imagine if all of us wanted revenge, and not just equality?

And I’m not a violent person, I’m not saying go out out there and be violent because that’s not it. What I am saying is, you have the power to vote, so vote because the people who are trying to hurt us right now are just using us as a tactic to make more money—and maybe money isn’t everything! Just take care of yourselves and fight for each other and vote, because that’s the most important part.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jujubee (@jujubeeonline)

This week also kicks off Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In your view, why is LGBTQ+ Pride an important part of AAPI Pride and vice versa?

LGBTQ+ Pride is an incredibly important part of AAPI Pride, because we are all made of many facets. I’m at the intersection of many different things. Without my queerness, Laotian and American identities, I simply am not me. I choose to celebrate and love all aspects of me. We’re paintings of many colors.

So, I take it when you were asked to be part of the telethon, it was the quickest you ever said yes to a gig?

Oh yeah, absolutely. PEG reached out to me—I’ve been working with them for years, they’re so amazing. And I was totally down for it because what this is doing is showing everyone that, no matter what, we are going to be there for our community. And the purpose of this is to raise money to help support the performer who may be out of work because of these bills.

I mean, could you imagine being pulled over because a police officer thinks that you’re not what you say you are, and they say it’s a felony? Could you even imagine?

It’s so dark, and we can dig even deeper: What’s to say somebody doesn’t have a grudge against somebody they know who is a cis woman, but she’s wearing pants and has a short haircut? That is so draining for a human being to go through.

And we have so many problems already! We’ve just had this thing I call a pandemic—that we’re still in—and I don’t know what your mental health was like in that time, but I had to work really hard to maintain this clarity in myself. And I can only imagine what a lot of people—who were already going through hardships—have been going through. And now there’s just something else to pile on!

It’s very intense. I mean, it’s definitely an LGBTQ+ rights situation, but it’s also a woman’s rights situation. If you’re not a cis, straight, white male, then you should pay attention to this. Because it’s about almost every single person.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Producer Entertainment Group (@pegmgmt)

I’m sure some plans are still coming together, but is there anything you can tease about what to expect from the telethon?

Well, I know what I’m doing! I’m absolutely singing with my music partner, Tony Ni—we’ve been working together for years. And I do realize that, you know, people want to see us queens lip sync because that’s what we do, and I will always do that, but maybe this time I’ll lip sync to my own music? [Laughs.]

I think it’s gonna be really special because so many of us are coming together. I wish I had a list of all the queens, but there’s so many of us. And, I will say, in the queer community, when you need something heard and when you need people to know things, you better call a drag queen, because she will let you know!

There are so many amazing people involved—I was going to try to force a joke about there being a “sensible” 74 queens involved, but—

Oh, you should’ve! That’s right. [In an Eartha Kitt voice] A sensible 74 queens. 74 plus!

And I love all of them—all of them. I love some more than others… but guess who I love the most? Me! Juju-me.

But truly it’s great to see so many queens get organized and come together. Imagine we keep the ball rolling and then one day we just have a drag queen-run government! I mean, what does that even look like?

Oh it’s be Lady Bunny! President “LB.” But all she does is she hides eggs everywhere in the United States, and there’s one golden ticket, and then if you get the golden ticket, you get to visit her and have dinner with her in the White House.

Oh, I can’t wait for that presidency—and I imagine you’ll have a place in her cabinet, too. But in the more immediate, telethon aside, what’s next for you, Juju?

June’s gonna be really busy month for me! Because the third season of Queen Of Hearts—my podcast on Amazon—is coming out. We’re actually in Miami that season, and Miami is insane. I had no idea what to expect. And I think, as you listen to each episode, you still won’t know what to expect because it’s all over the place.

And, you know, Queen Of Hearts is for people who are 18+, I just want everybody to know that. So, for all the kiddies out there, just listen to my music, to my sad songs. But for everyone who just wants to clean their house and listen to a queen try to play matchmaker to some really longing, lusty lovers, listen to Queen Of Hearts.

And for those who don’t want to listen to Queen Of Hearts, come to New York City because I will be Off Broadway in Death Drop with Willam. Freakin’ New World Stages, we open in June, and I am going to be there for six months.

I womanifested this, by the way, because I recently bought a house and I said to myself, “my next move is going to be an apartment in New York City—I don’t know how, I don’t know when.” And I believe the universe heard me, and the universe was like, “Well girl, you’re going to be there!” I can’t believe that theater brought me to drag, and now drag has brought me back to theater! And to be right there in New York performing with Willam—who I kinda like, [laughs.] No, she knows I love her. It’s gonna be really incredible.

And I think, to circle back on these bills trying to ban drag performances, New York City is here for us, and they’re ready for us. Drag is art and art has no boundaries, and I can’t wait for everyone to see Death Drop in New York City!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jujubee (@jujubeeonline)

So, what I’m hearing is you’re going to be very busy, and I take that to mean you’re not secretly on the cast of All Stars 8. Because, when it comes to Jujubee and a new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you never know when she’s going to turn up!

At least I don’t think I’m on All Stars 8… but I’m sure I’ll get an honorary mention. Of course, if you hear some knocks from under the stage, that’s me trying to come up for some air… time.

Well, thanks for coming out from under the stage to talk to us about Drag Isn’t Dangerous! We can’t wait to see what surprises are in store.

Thank you so much. Oh, and use this before I go: Juju says, “What’s the tea, Queerty!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by jujubee (@jujubeeonline)