Drag Race UK’s Sister Sister hits out at online trolls and toxic fandom: ‘Think before you tweet’
"I think as a community we have to look inwards a little bit more," series two's latest eliminee tells Attitude..
By Will Stroude
RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Sister Sister has hit out at online trolls following her elimination from series two.
The Liverpudlian drag queen, who became the seventh contestant to sashay away from the competition during Thursday night’s episode (25 February), reflects on the online abuse she’s received as she joins Attitude and Jodie Harsh for Tea Time in association with TAIMI, the LGBTQ Dating, Chat and Social Network App.
Sister Sister, who previously revealed she’d been sent “shocking and incredibly painful” messages during her time on the show, tells Jodie Harsh that even more sadly, the trolling came from other gay people.
“It’s the same demographic every single time: it’s the white gays who feel that they can rant and rave and say whatever the f**k they want without consequence”, she says.
“It’s always the same, and I think as a community we have to look inwards a little bit more.”
Sister Sister, 31, says that she’s been supported throughout the ordeal by some of her Drag Race UK sisters.
“I’ve got a really good support system – I speak to Tia [Kofi] every day”, she reveals. “Cherry [Valentine] is a mental health advocate anyway very publicly, which is good because it’s literally the opposite of toxic fandom – a queen who, similar to Bimini [Bon Boulash] will actively tweet and say ‘Guys, no, this is not what this is about’.
“And Ginny Lemon, who loves me but trolls me at the same time.”
Sister Sister, who says she “doing great now” a week on from her original public statement, goes on: “I think there’s been a 180 in people’s attitudes. I think the people who [my message] was targeted at, hopefully the majority of them have read it and gone ‘OK, fair point’.
“It’s ultimately not about policing anyone’s fun or policing the tone of anything, it’s just saying, ‘What you say online has consequences’.
“That’s all you have to do: before you hit send, before you hit tweet, just think about what you’re saying – it’s just self-awareness.”
She adds: “Ultimately, it would be such a shame if anything happened to the show [because] of the almighty trolls.”
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RuPaul’s Drag Race UK lands on BBC Three from 7pm every Thursday, available exclusively on BBC iPlayer