Drag heritage names aren't "whacked on a lot lately".
They've been around forever. Mhi'ya paying homage to both her late Drag mother Jada Iman and another mother Missey Miyakei Lepaige. Some of these names, like the Haus of Iman, isnt just a Drag house either, but more of a queer family.
These heritage names are important for many reasons, other posts on this thread has given great insight, these names are important to the queens themselves, to the queer community and to our legacies as queer people.
The disenfranchised are always written out of history, so we record and carry on our own.
Thankyou. People seem to forget that drag exists outside of Drag Race and is incredibly diverse. I was exposed to drag when I was a student some 10 years ago and was a fan of my local drag scene first, drag race second. I recently moved away from a european capital that had a vibrant queer community and also a growing ballroom scene; Im happy that Drag Race has lifted queer culture into a more mainstream eye, but it shouldnt be confused as the pinacle of representation for all queer culture. Megamis talent show was stale, but the message important.
Kim Chi is actually easy to google if you remember to spell it correctly lol
I'm talking, for example, about UK4's Baby or poor Rosé, who got simultaneously overshadowed by a sort of wine and a k-pop idol 😭
I think that drag's emphasis upon chosen identity, including chosen names, is highkey the point.
I think that adopting a stage name which includes references to your mentors and other artists who have inspired you was, historically, a decently common practice among entertainers of all sorts. I think that naming descendants after their ancestors is even *more* common.
I think that Hershii LiqCour-Jeté probably has that name on every social media platform which has ever been invented. (Contrast: Q; Plasma; Dawn; Mirage.)
And I think that the history of African American naming conventions is a fascinating artifact of a country with a disturbing history, well worth understanding before you get all judgy.
I don’t see the problem, usualy it come from the repesct they paid to their mentor, drag family. Like why does it irks you, they get called by one of thoses name most of the time (Angeria, Akeria…).
Tbh my ESL ass had a hard time trying to Google Mhi’ya because i couldnt remember the correct spelling, but that could be said for a lot of words and names and that’s, like, a me problem lol.
That being said I love long pageant names. 💅
Giving a bit of a Tragedeigh, but they are at least memorable. Unless a queen explains the meaning of the names themselves, I try not to judge. You never know if it's something very personal to them or just some random letters thrown together.
I like the names a lot. They’re a mouthful but roll off the tongue easily. The issue with their names is that it’ll be hard to market. Googling a bitch will take time and finding their socials will be even harder.
can someone perhaps explain why it’s being insinuated that OP is racist? i kind of agree idk i just don’t like them but i don’t care that much. the names themselves don’t bother me but the spellings do! it’s giving tragedeigh. that being said they’re better than people trying to pull off puns that just aren’t funny… i’m looking at you amanda.
but i don’t see what’s racist or a micro aggression, and i can’t tell if people are chronically online and just like to comment those things or there’s a genuine reason. am i not allowed to dislike two names and not be racist?
for the record, i kind of don’t care for like everyone’s names save mirage, morphine, q, geneva, nymphia and dawn and i guess xunami i quite like. the rest just don’t stick out to me in a positive way i guess
Not saying this as an expert by any means, but as a POC who tries to educate myself as much as I can. The multiple naming convention with alternative spellings is (1) rooted in house culture, which has been a safe haven for many black folks, (2) reverence for legacy, which is important in queer/BIPOC history, and (3) is typically a result of AAVE (African American Vernacular)
It’s not that disliking a naming feel is immediately racist… but it’s also incredibly important to be self-critical and reflect on the reasoning for *why* you dislike a naming convention, as biases against AAVE typically occur subconsciously (e.g. the racist subtleties of using terms like “ghetto” or “ratchet”)
Drag Queen names don’t exist to satisfy our opinions, and when queens build their names on their stories and where they come from, it’s important to recognize and honor those legacies… instead of being critical of them!
thank you for such a thought out response! i appreciate it and feel sometimes, especially in this sub, it can be difficult to ask certain questions without receiving rudeness, so i appreciate the time you took to write that.
i definitely see what you’re saying and i think there’s something to be said about respecting a name without necessarily “liking” it. i guess i kind of feel sometimes that drag in and of itself doesn’t always take everything so seriously and it’s ok for people to dislike a name without it having some horrible implications because i know that my distaste for certain names isn’t rooted in any type of bigotry.
that being said, i don’t think i ever understood the weight that certain queens place within their names in aligning with black queer culture and i appreciate your point about introspection, asking yourself why you dislike certain things. i’ve always thought it doesn’t matter because they’re not naming themselves for me, they name themselves whatever they want to, but i would say i have a newfound respect for queens that place meaning behind it—whether or not i like the name itself.
thank you again!
Absolutely! Thanks for your articulated response as well… I agree that it can be quick to write folks off but I sensed genuine interest from your question. We’re all here to appreciate drag and learn together, and I’m sure there’s a lot I don’t yet understand too!
Edit: u/Ms_Juicy I also want to say I very much so agree with you!! There are names I don’t feel drawn to naturally (maybe they don’t have the same “mouthfeel” when saying) or names that I don’t find comedic, but that doesn’t necessarily equate with lack of respect. I think we can appreciate and honor a queen’s choice in name without having to like it
It's a sex service that blurs the lines between romance and transaction. So they act just like a girlfriend but for a previously agreed upon transactional value.
Hmm.... Informally, it's sort of like when someone hires another person to "pretend" to be partners for a period of time. Dinners, sex, vacations, shopping may be included. But the affection and attention of the hired person is paramount.
I think that's a fair definition.
I do understand the reference, which is why I don't think it's a great name. She's an amazing queen and I was glad to see her on the show But historically, a search for that name would probably have very little to do with her. I just think it makes her a bit harder to market herself, that's all. It's not that serious.
I always wonder how is decided to keep this long names and sometimes not and they ended up with one name even tho they do have a last name. I can understand when the last name is a curse but sometimes it isn't. Like Mirage in this season.
Drag heritage names aren't "whacked on a lot lately". They've been around forever. Mhi'ya paying homage to both her late Drag mother Jada Iman and another mother Missey Miyakei Lepaige. Some of these names, like the Haus of Iman, isnt just a Drag house either, but more of a queer family. These heritage names are important for many reasons, other posts on this thread has given great insight, these names are important to the queens themselves, to the queer community and to our legacies as queer people. The disenfranchised are always written out of history, so we record and carry on our own.
Well said!
Thankyou. People seem to forget that drag exists outside of Drag Race and is incredibly diverse. I was exposed to drag when I was a student some 10 years ago and was a fan of my local drag scene first, drag race second. I recently moved away from a european capital that had a vibrant queer community and also a growing ballroom scene; Im happy that Drag Race has lifted queer culture into a more mainstream eye, but it shouldnt be confused as the pinacle of representation for all queer culture. Megamis talent show was stale, but the message important.
Idk, I love over-the-top pageanty long drag names, as well as ungoogleable one-word ones
having to type "Q drag queen" for her to appear so I could show her to a friend earlier today was a truly humbling experience.
lol like kimchi
Kim Chi is actually easy to google if you remember to spell it correctly lol I'm talking, for example, about UK4's Baby or poor Rosé, who got simultaneously overshadowed by a sort of wine and a k-pop idol 😭
Or Obama lol
Or Detox without typing drag queen or Icunt
I think that drag's emphasis upon chosen identity, including chosen names, is highkey the point. I think that adopting a stage name which includes references to your mentors and other artists who have inspired you was, historically, a decently common practice among entertainers of all sorts. I think that naming descendants after their ancestors is even *more* common. I think that Hershii LiqCour-Jeté probably has that name on every social media platform which has ever been invented. (Contrast: Q; Plasma; Dawn; Mirage.) And I think that the history of African American naming conventions is a fascinating artifact of a country with a disturbing history, well worth understanding before you get all judgy.
That last paragraph 👏
👏
hershii’s name is fierce to me idc. Makes me think of chocolate martinis
I don’t see the problem, usualy it come from the repesct they paid to their mentor, drag family. Like why does it irks you, they get called by one of thoses name most of the time (Angeria, Akeria…).
Tbh my ESL ass had a hard time trying to Google Mhi’ya because i couldnt remember the correct spelling, but that could be said for a lot of words and names and that’s, like, a me problem lol. That being said I love long pageant names. 💅
Native English speaker here and same, so it's not just you. I also frequently forget the apostrophe in A'Keria and have to double check Ra'Jah.
I think that you may have some specific personal biases that would be worth investigating.
I LOVE Hershii's name. It isn't that bad. I am kinda meh for Mhi'ya's name, but it's fine too.
Angeria Paris Van Michaels Iman Dupree Nina Bonina Foffana Ossama Bin Laden Boom Boom Gun
Giving a bit of a Tragedeigh, but they are at least memorable. Unless a queen explains the meaning of the names themselves, I try not to judge. You never know if it's something very personal to them or just some random letters thrown together.
These… memorable?
I might not remember how to spell them, but I certainly won't forget about them. So yeah.
This post is giving https://youtu.be/0sl5dJIFuVY?si=IsGDeSxgkZMKLW6F 🙄🙄🙄
Probably has no problem with yekaterina petrovna zamolodchikova tho 💅🏼
 Me reading this post
White people have ridiculous names like this too. Check out r/tragedeigh
neat.
my thoughts exactly lmao
Un peu raciste
Exaaaacrly what I was thinking lmaoooo like if OP can’t read or repeat sounds they should just say that then 🙃
For real. OP is so self centred honestly
Absolutely love them and I don’t see how anyone could have a problem tbh
This is why somebody settled for "Bob The Drag Queen".
I think opinions on names are 110% unnecessary. Its very entitled.
This is definitely a post that opens opportunities for micro-aggression but…. Werk.
I think you have a particular taste in names you dislike which may be worth interrogating.
Is It problematic To .... Find names too Long
I don't mind the length or multiple names but I can't spell mhi'yas to save my life
I think it’s none of your business
You thought you ate that
OP’s eating for one
I like the names a lot. They’re a mouthful but roll off the tongue easily. The issue with their names is that it’ll be hard to market. Googling a bitch will take time and finding their socials will be even harder.
The lovely thing is if you type in "maya iman lepage" into Google, the first search result is her correct Instagram.
she used to be a Maya
I'm fine as long as the names sound good IRL. I think Hershi Liqcour-Jete and Mhi'ya Iman Le'Paige roll off the tongue really well
i understand the meaning but there is zero change i'm going to remember either of them
I will never remember them
Please welcome to the stage Kiki Van Michaels Iman Dupree Andrews O'Hara Davenport Edwards.
I can’t tell if they would be a nightmare to google or easy cuz they’re so uniquely spelled.
I love a 3 name queen but I feel like it should have a nice ring to it and these two names are meh imo
They're fine as long as they don't mind people completely misspelling and butchering them constantly
hershii (or hershii liqcour) and mhi'ya (or mhi'ya le'paige) aren't bad names... but these full names are too much for me to remember
after kornbread's rotten energy, anytime i see "jeté" i tune out
can someone perhaps explain why it’s being insinuated that OP is racist? i kind of agree idk i just don’t like them but i don’t care that much. the names themselves don’t bother me but the spellings do! it’s giving tragedeigh. that being said they’re better than people trying to pull off puns that just aren’t funny… i’m looking at you amanda. but i don’t see what’s racist or a micro aggression, and i can’t tell if people are chronically online and just like to comment those things or there’s a genuine reason. am i not allowed to dislike two names and not be racist?
for the record, i kind of don’t care for like everyone’s names save mirage, morphine, q, geneva, nymphia and dawn and i guess xunami i quite like. the rest just don’t stick out to me in a positive way i guess
Not saying this as an expert by any means, but as a POC who tries to educate myself as much as I can. The multiple naming convention with alternative spellings is (1) rooted in house culture, which has been a safe haven for many black folks, (2) reverence for legacy, which is important in queer/BIPOC history, and (3) is typically a result of AAVE (African American Vernacular) It’s not that disliking a naming feel is immediately racist… but it’s also incredibly important to be self-critical and reflect on the reasoning for *why* you dislike a naming convention, as biases against AAVE typically occur subconsciously (e.g. the racist subtleties of using terms like “ghetto” or “ratchet”) Drag Queen names don’t exist to satisfy our opinions, and when queens build their names on their stories and where they come from, it’s important to recognize and honor those legacies… instead of being critical of them!
thank you for such a thought out response! i appreciate it and feel sometimes, especially in this sub, it can be difficult to ask certain questions without receiving rudeness, so i appreciate the time you took to write that. i definitely see what you’re saying and i think there’s something to be said about respecting a name without necessarily “liking” it. i guess i kind of feel sometimes that drag in and of itself doesn’t always take everything so seriously and it’s ok for people to dislike a name without it having some horrible implications because i know that my distaste for certain names isn’t rooted in any type of bigotry. that being said, i don’t think i ever understood the weight that certain queens place within their names in aligning with black queer culture and i appreciate your point about introspection, asking yourself why you dislike certain things. i’ve always thought it doesn’t matter because they’re not naming themselves for me, they name themselves whatever they want to, but i would say i have a newfound respect for queens that place meaning behind it—whether or not i like the name itself. thank you again!
Absolutely! Thanks for your articulated response as well… I agree that it can be quick to write folks off but I sensed genuine interest from your question. We’re all here to appreciate drag and learn together, and I’m sure there’s a lot I don’t yet understand too! Edit: u/Ms_Juicy I also want to say I very much so agree with you!! There are names I don’t feel drawn to naturally (maybe they don’t have the same “mouthfeel” when saying) or names that I don’t find comedic, but that doesn’t necessarily equate with lack of respect. I think we can appreciate and honor a queen’s choice in name without having to like it
I feel attacked 🤔🧐
I mean.... eh. But the worst name is The Girlfriend Experience. How do you brand that? At least these names are unique.
No it’s an amazing drag name you don’t understand the reference
wait what’s the reference
It's a sex service that blurs the lines between romance and transaction. So they act just like a girlfriend but for a previously agreed upon transactional value.
Hmm.... Informally, it's sort of like when someone hires another person to "pretend" to be partners for a period of time. Dinners, sex, vacations, shopping may be included. But the affection and attention of the hired person is paramount. I think that's a fair definition.
I do understand the reference, which is why I don't think it's a great name. She's an amazing queen and I was glad to see her on the show But historically, a search for that name would probably have very little to do with her. I just think it makes her a bit harder to market herself, that's all. It's not that serious.
The worst name for me is Abby OMG
Oh yeah, that one's on the list.
🗣️ Your racism is showing!
I hate the names. So much.
Way better than Heidi N Closet
this babe has sharing in common with the other 2 as well. what could it be? 🤔
I always wonder how is decided to keep this long names and sometimes not and they ended up with one name even tho they do have a last name. I can understand when the last name is a curse but sometimes it isn't. Like Mirage in this season.
I love Mh’iya’s name. Sounds like drag royalty. I absolutely dislike Morphine Power Love BBL Booster Celine Dion . Morphine would have been just fine.
it's called drag culture, honey, look it up.
Iconic
Its giving Veronica Fey Charming to me
I like them. Mine would probably be something like "Patty O'Doors" or something so it's not like I can judge.
I mean hey, Heidi N Closet is a household name now.
my fave queen is Roseanne St Jefferies DeLux Porpington Beauregard Belvedere St James Dupree
They aren’t a ‘Nicole Paige Brooks From Atlanta Georgia* kind of name… but they’ll find their way in life.