GRACE GALIPEAU
Special to The Leader
On Oct. 17, former drag queen Peppermint, the runner up on season nine of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” visited SUNY Fredonia.
She held a masterclass in Rockefeller Arts Center called “Starting From Scratch: Navigating the Entertainment Industry,” followed by a free public lecture. She spoke about the drag community and the theatre industry, as well as her experience of being a Broadway star and businesswoman involved in the television and film industries.
Peppermint’s visit was primarily focused on the theatre department at Fredonia. She is a transgender woman who came out in 2012 after moving to New York City from Wilmington, Delaware. Five years later, in 2017, she would compete on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” In 2018, she made her Broadway debut, playing the lead in the musical “Head Over Heels.”
Today, she is an active participant in the M.A.C. Cosmetics AIDS Fund and HIV vaccine trials, and uses her platform to support the National Center for Trangender Equality. In a 2020 episode of LGBTQ&A titled “Peppermint: The Drag Race Star Has Literally Done it All,” Peppermint states, “It is so important to be able to destigmatize the relationships between trans people and their partners.”
Fredonia’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Chair Dr. Vicki T. Sapp helped to coordinate this event. “I believe that bringing Peppermint here, and all the advocacy work she has done for the black, queer, transgender community… could couple with what [students] are learning in class,” she stated.
According to Dr. Sapp, this event is important because it brings a sense of advocacy to so many relevant issues.
Dr. Sapp also spoke on how influential having diverse speakers at Fredonia has been. These talks serve to foster a sense of community within our society. “[Peppermint’s done] it all. She’s done music, acting, Broadway, singing … performing. We are really excited because of the legacy here at SUNY Fredonia with the music, dance and theatre departments. We have students in all three of those areas which she has experience in.”