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RuPaul’s Drag Race season 17 has sparked debate about age representation in drag. Louisville queen Lexi Love, 33, was playfully called “grandma” by fellow contestants on the show. Social media was full of reactions raising questions about the show’s treatment of older queens. Despite being hosted by RuPaul, who is 65, the show’s track record with older contestants is mixed. Across 73 winners in the Drag Race universe, only five were 40 or older. That is only 7%. Sharonne, the oldest winner at 45, won Drag Race España in 2022. Casting trends for the platform show younger queens are dominating. Season 17’s average contestant age is 26.3, the lowest in franchise history. Since the show began, just eight queens aged 40 or older have competed. Older contestants often face jokes and challenges ill-suited to their experience. Tamisha Iman, Charlie Hides, and others exited early and critics believe it is due to high-energy tasks like lip-syncs and cheerleading. Fans, however, champion our older queens. Social media overwhelmingly supports Lexi Love and calls for more seasoned representation. National LGBTQ senior organizations like SAGE and even the AARP say senior discrimination is prevalent in American culture. SAGE adds that it is especially difficult for LGBTQ seniors in our “youth obsessed” LGBTQ community. LGBTQ seniors have many unique and important issues to address and our entire community should be sensitive to their unique needs. Social media viewers overwhelmingly expressed they want future seasons to feature queens with decades of experience. RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Fridays on MTV and WOW Presents Plus globally.

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Queer News Tonight