HBO's 'We're Here' drag queens coming to Bartlesville's Unity Square Sunday

Stars from the upcoming new season of the HBO series "We're Here" are swapping the glitz of the stage for the grass of Unity Square on Sunday to "open a dialogue" with the Bartlesville community.

Drag queens Latrice Royale, Sasha Velour and Priyanka say they will be there at 11:30 a.m. in full drag or, as they call it, "our best clothes" to meet with the public.

"We really just want to make ourselves available for people who have questions, who are curious and show the amazing people in this town that, you know, we're curious too," Sasha Velour said. "We want to find out what people's thoughts and fears are about drag."

The queens argue that drag is appropriate for everyone and they said they feel a "responsibility to take bold steps and be seen" after drag queens were run out of Unity Square over controversy from the 2022 Bartlesville Pride event that featured a drag performance.

More: Bartlesville residents decry drag show at City Council meeting

Reaching out to the community

The three said that they have had their fair share of protests at events around the world as protestors attempt to provoke and heckle them. But, they said, it's important to be in small towns.

Priyanka said she is aware that film crews will be documenting the event at Unity Square and she knows there could be some pushback, but she claims it's about reaching the community.

"If they want to come up to us and actually have a conversation, that'd be amazing," Priyanka said. "I'm excited about us being here and trying to stand with [the LGBTQIA+ community] and we understand that there's a lot of fear here and everyone's kind of hiding from public spaces and hanging up their rainbow flags."

Sasha Velour said she wished three drag queens would have come to a park in her small town when she was growing up. She hopes it can change people's perspectives.

"On the surface, people are really welcoming but sometimes we wonder if it's because they don't know if they have permission to really say what's in their heart," Sasha Velour said. "At the very least, this can be giving them permission to really come and have an open conversation about the truth."

Much of the debate surrounding last year's controversy was over whether drag is family-friendly or not. The queens are aware of the stigma drag can have but say this event is for everyone.

"We know it's a public space," Priyanka said. "We know it's all ages and we're all wearing amazing looks that are very appropriate for everyone and are welcoming and warm, and we're all going to be wearing bright pink and it's going to be very tailored for a general audience.

More: Here's why drag queens were allowed at Unity Square

Putting Bartlesville to the test

Latrice Royale quoted the city of Bartlesville's website that described the town as "a diverse city... with a big heart." She said that that might not be accurate based on what she has heard from community members and experienced so far.

"Are you being disingenuous?" she asked of the city. "Are you being completely truthful with your message of diversity and love because we're going to put it to the test."

Having been in the area for a few weeks, Latrice Royale has felt unease about how the public might receive their arrival.

"Are you really being that nice or behind closed doors, are you wishing us dead?" she asked. "That's scary because I would rather outright know how you feel than for you to smile in my face and really be like you damning me behind my back."

Before coming to Bartlesville, Oklahomans for Equality Bartlesville penned a letter to the production informing them of their concerns with filming in town, citing recent tensions over the issue of public drag shows. OKEQ requested HBO reconsider its decision to film in Bartlesville.

But Sasha Velour wants the LGBTQIA+ community to know she and the other two queens aren't trying to speak for them but to stand beside them.

"We're speaking as ourselves, as people who are affected by these laws in our own ways, affected by the backlash against queer people," she said. "We're just here to provide a little temporary space so that if there are people in the community who are looking for just this, they know they have a place to come."

Latrice Royale said she got the impression the LGBTQIA+ community is trying to lay low and not ruffle any feathers. But she argues now is the time to "stand up" and "empower this community to come together."

The queens will be hosting a drag performance at Tulsa's Mercury Lounge on Friday night and one at the Parish Church of St Jerome in October.

What is the show?

"We're Here" is an HBO reality television show that debuted in 2020. The series features three drag queens who visit various small towns across the United States, where they enlist local residents to participate in a drag performance.

Throughout the show, participants engage in the process of drag transformation under the guidance of the three queens. The program presents individual stories, often touching on themes related to acceptance, identity and societal views. The structure of the series offers a blend of personal narratives and elements from drag culture.

"We're Here" has received critical acclaim and various awards, including two Emmys and a Peabody award.

Editor's Note: HBO's 'We're Here' show interviewed EE reporter Andy Dossett about his coverage of the community's response to last year's drag performance at the Bartlesville Pride event. That interview is expected to air in a future episode. 'We're Here' producers also purchased a full-page ad in Saturday's EE print edition to advertise Sunday's meet and greet event.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: HBO's 'We're Here' drag queens to host public "meet and greet" Sunday