Drag Race UK’s Cheddar Gorgeous to raffle iconic pink triangle runway outfit
Cheddar is turning attention into action.
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK‘s runner-up, Cheddar Gorgeous, is raffling off their iconic runway outfit inspired by the Act Up movement of the 1980s and 90s for World Aids Day.
In October, Cheddar was applauded for bringing their activism to the runway after the contestants were asked to prepare an outfit for the category, ‘tickled pink’.
Cheddar, who’s an ambassador of the charity The George Trust, chose to wear an all-black outfit covered in pink triangles and the slogan “Silence = death”, an homage to Aids activism. In the same episode, Cheddar led a powerful conversation in the werkroom about HIV, PrEP, and HIV stigma.
The upward-pointing triangle is a symbol used by the activist group ACT UP during the Aids crisis. It was reclaimed from the Holocaust era when Nazis used a downward-pointing triangle to demarcate gay men in concentration camps.
To mark World Aids Day 2022, Cheddar Gorgeous has announced on social media that they will be helping raffle off their iconic outfit with all proceeds going to the George House Trust and The Terrence Higgins Trust.
The winner, and a guest, will also get an invitation to the LGBT History Month exhibition in Manchester where the outfit will be on display from 1 February 2023. They will also receive an overnight stay in the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. The runner-up will be able to take a +1 to the same exhibition and have a meal at The Refuge restaurant.
Darren Knight, the Chief Executive of George House Trust says, “Cheddar is an absolute legend on every level, giving their time freely, gladly, and warmly to George House Trust for many years.”
Adding that he’s delighted to work with an ambassador like Cheddar Darren praises Cheddar Gorgeous for using their platform on Drag Race to highlight messages such as Undetectable Equals Untransmissable.
“The way Cheddar used their platform to educate the Drag Race audience and beyond about HIV is extraordinary and exactly what we love, from someone who shares our vision of a world where HIV holds no one back. We’re so grateful to Cheddar for supporting people living with HIV and helping to end HIV stigma by raffling off this incredible look.”
The Chief Executive at the Terrence Higgins Trust, Ian Green, adds to that: “We’re very grateful to Cheddar for their continuing work to tackle HIV stigma and for raffling off this iconic look to benefit people living with and affected by HIV.”
You can enter the raffle here. Tickets cost £2.50.