“It means everything just to feel like a human,” Timothy Wilcots, known worldwide as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum and “All Stars 4” competitor Latrice Royale, says about the passage of Florida’s Amendment 4. “To feel like my debt is paid. I don’t have this scarlet letter haunting and taunting my life every time an election comes around. Now I can participate!”
While the Florida resident has certainly participated in “Drag Race” – placing fourth and snagging Miss Congeniality in season four, returning for inaugural spin-offs “All Stars” and the “Holi-slay Spectacular” and sashaying through tours like “A Drag Queen Christmas” – Royale’s voting rights were stripped after serving one year in prison until 2007.
The amendment, passed by 64.6 percent or 5.2 million voters, signaled that over one million Floridians would have those rights restored. While Gov.-elect DeSantis disagrees, advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union say it should go into effect Jan. 8.
Before then, Royale will make her seasonal stop for “A Drag Queen Christmas, The Naughty Tour,” where she and six other “Drag Race” entertainers will rock the catwalk at The Plaza Live in Orlando Dec. 27 and at the Straz Center in Tampa Dec. 28.
Watermark caught up with the queen ahead of the shows for the full “t” on the tour, “All Stars 4” and the restoration of Royale’s rights.
WATERMARK: You’ve been busy since “Drag Race” season four. How do you find time to balance the werk-load?
Latrice Royale: It’s not easy [Laughs]. Luckily I do have an amazing husband and partner who understands the business and is supportive and helpful in every way. That makes it easier, but the challenge obviously is the balance of the work versus your personal life. Or lack thereof. But when you have someone who gets it that’s the sacrifice you make. It’s all for the greater good, so we hold onto our values, know where we stand and what we’re working for. That keeps us and everything we do in perspective, and sometimes you just have to say no and take a break. I don’t like that word, but sometimes you’ve gotta do it.
Your Christmas spirit didn’t take a break this year. What led you back to “The Naughty Tour?”
This is my third consecutive year with “Drag Queen Christmas” and it’s one of my favorite tours to do because I’m living my full fantasy on stage. They let you be fully creative in what you want to do and they help your vision come alive. I get to twirl my flags and rifles and really do what I love to do on the stage and give the audience what they want. It’s really easy for me to say yes to this tour because I get creative freedom to do me.
What about the “Holi-Slay Spectacular?”
I was really surprised – well, not surprised – when they told me they wanted me to be a part of it. I was gagging because I was already in the middle of filming “All Stars.” I was like, “what? How am I going to do this?” They were like, “oh, no worries… we spoke to your husband and he’s going to ship everything from home.” I just said, “well, since y’all have got it figured out, let me know what I’m doing.” So it was awesome just to be involved and selected by Ru, because RuPaul does select the girls he wants to play with. It’s an honor to always be front and center on his mind; on his scope and radar.
You were originally offered “All Stars 3” but turned it down, right?
I did, yeah. The time was not exactly good and I was like I don’t need to do this. I had three of my clients who were selected to go on. So it was just a conflict of interest. What do I look like competing against my own clients? Now I don’t have that issue so here I am.
How did you approach “All Stars 4?” What was different this time?
I wanted to have fun and I wasn’t going to be on a team, so. That was the number one motivational aspect of it. But yeah, I wanted to represent me and not have to worry about being attached to someone else with my fate being theirs and vice versa.
Do you have a preference for the camera or stage?
On camera is more beneficial because you reach more people faster; they see you. But the stage is where we live. That’s where we really get to show our artistic sides – those of us who have it … and that was some shade. It really does give us the opportunity to grow as artists and I have found that I am really transitioning out of the club scene. I don’t enjoy the clubs as much as I used to. I’ve been doing that my entire drag career, over 26 years I’ve been in the club. The theater is where I belong. Where my drag belongs.
How so?
You just get a different sense of who you are and your brand. I’m not bringing my lovely garments, dragging them through beer and piss at the bar, when I have this lovely stage here with dressing rooms and lights. It just changes it all; I’m really into the theater gigs; I’m really focusing on continuing to develop my one-woman shows and grow those to the way that I want them and get up to my full fantasy level. That’s what I’m focusing on next.
What are your thoughts on the current drag scene?
Because it has become such a phenomenon and has transcended through all genders, ages and basically every walk of life, it’s huge. There’s room to do whatever it is that you want to do as a queen. However these young queens that are coming out – I don’t think they really grasp what drag stands for now. In this political climate, we really have to step forward and be leaders again. We were the ones that started the revolution, honey, we fought back.
Now here we are again, in a situation where we need to fight for our lives – our trans sisters’ lives, our trans brothers’ lives. It’s become more of a fight and more of what we used to do, as far as getting the community together and breaking down barriers and stereotypes.
Is that why you’ve been open about your personal journey with Amendment 4?
The reason I’m an open book about that is because my story is not just my story; there are 1.6 million other ex-cons who were in the same situation. Because I didn’t have a voice it was important for me to encourage and convey the importance of voting to those who did. I think a lot of people were shocked to find out that our voters rights were taken away. Once I knew Amendment 4 was on the table I was encouraging people to vote and it passed – that showed me so much promise, because now we have a situation where we have a voice and now change can really happen.
How does it feel?
There’s really promise that, now that we can unleash these voices that have been inside us for all these years, that you’re human again. You’ve paid your price and paid your crime. I’m a productive member of society, I’ve paid my taxes – lord knows I’ve paid my taxes. If you take my money, I get to have a say about how it’s spent, you know what I mean? I should have a say.We didn’t ace it with all of the results, but we made progress. Let’s celebrate the progress that we’ve made and really make some change now. Let’s do it.
What else are you doing? What’s next for Ms. Royale?
There’s so much coming up for me, I have been dabbling in so many different things. There aredefinitely more of my one-woman shows coming. I have been working on projects and writing in the writer’s room; enjoying the other side of Hollywood, which is amazing. It’s a lot to watch out for, so you stay tuned. Latrice is doing some big things and working on some lovely projects with some very influential people. As for “All Stars,” y’all get ready because the big show’s coming.
You can deck the halls with Latrice Royale in “A Drag Queen Christmas, The Naughty Tour,” presented by Murray & Peter, at The Plaza Live in Orlando Dec. 27 or at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa Dec. 28. For more information or to buy tickets, visit StrazCenter.org for the Tampa show and TicketFly.com for the Orlando show. “All Stars 4” is now airing on VH1.
