Kevin Whitt is not having a good week.
The “ex-gay” and former Republican field organizer got sacked from his job earlier this week after social media posts of him participating in the January 6 Capitol insurrection surfaced. Now, he’s suffered another blow: video of Whitt auditioning for RuPaul’s Drag Race has surfaced online.
The very choppy video in question runs about 12 minutes, and features Whitt in and out of drag sharing details of his life. He describes his profession as a hairdresser and make-up artist.
“I love beautiful people and beautiful things,” Whitt says in the footage. “That’s why I do hair.”
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Later, as his drag persona, Dominique O’Hara Skyy, Whitt tells a bit of his life story.
Related: “Ex-Gay” GOP staffer fired for participation in Capitol insurrection
“I started dressing in drag when I was about 15 years old,” Whitt explains. “I started performing in drag when I was about 21…When I started doing drag, what I wanted to portray was the real look of a woman, the art of female illusion. I believe we should look like women, not clowns.”
“The reason drag is important to me and is an important part of my life,” Whitt says later in the video, “is that drag is like therapy for me, and hey, it’s not like I have to pay a therapist. It gives me something to look forward to.”
“Whenever I’m in drag, I feel very powerful, very in control,” he adds. “I just feel like I don’t care what anyone says about me or anyone thinks about me. None of that matters at the time. All that matters is that I’m having fun. I’m doing what I love.”
Whitt then goes on to show off some of his favorite drag looks, including Tracey Turnblad from Hairspray (whom he describes as a “sexy schoolgirl”), a goth girl in a fishnet mask, a woman in an evening gown, and a woman in a high collar Avant-garde dress. The video also shows Whitt lipsynching to songs by Kesha, the Hairspray soundtrack, and RuPaul.
Apparently, RuPaul and his fellow Drag Race producers felt Dominique O’Hara Skyy needed a bit more refinement. Whitt was not chosen for the show.
Since his drag days, Whitt, who has also described himself as “ex-transgender,” has gone on to become a QAnon enthusiast, pushing the so-called “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory. He’s also endorsed the white supremacist group The Proud Boys.
Given the choice between Whitt’s personas, we’d take the unrefined Dominique O’Hara Skyy over Whitt the conspiracy nut any day.
Kevin, if you’re reading this: it’s not too late to get back into those heels.
Donston
I mean, it is a tale as old as time. And people need to stop being shocked when it happens. Even being appalled is melodramatic at this point. The jokes and the admonishing can be fun, but they get old quickly, because they don’t get to the root of the problem. A lot of folks don’t know how to deal with their traumas, mental health struggles, insecurities, sexual/gender fluidity, “queer” inferiority complexes, internalized homophobia, etc. That’s why we need to be more unabashed in the “queer community” when discussing mental health. Otherwise, we’re gonna keep seeing stuff like this.
Kevin has clearly spent years trying to find somewhere to fit in and some group that will uplift his ego and give him purpose. Too bad he had to go down the hateful route.
dougie
I’m guessing that the Text GQP fired him NOT for invading the U.S. Capitol, but because they just couldn’t put up with a former drag queen, even if she declares that she’s “ex-gay” – can’t have those kinds of people around, you know.
My2CentsWorth
Yep. If you let them stay people of other races, religions and etc. will want to be there too.
Cam
People with baggage is totally fine. The problem we seem to get in the LGBTQ community a lot is that sometimes these folks think the way to deal with their baggage or leftover self hate, is to join up with Republicans, or evangelical churches and work to harm the community.
It’s a shame we don’t have better mental healthcare in the country that is readily available.
My2CentsWorth
Think that during the Reagan years one of the cutbacks was in the mental health area. A lot of formerly institutionalized people were let out. Not good for them and not good for the communities that they ended up in.
The U. S. should better take care of people who need services.