LGBTIQ+ drag performers and fans in Germany have launched a petition calling for a member of the LGBTIQ+ community to host the nation’s upcoming drag reality series.
Last week, German broadcaster ProSeiben announced work on a new reality series Queen of Drags, to be hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum.
The show, not affiliated with RuPaul’s Drag Race, would pit ten queens against one another in competition, while they live in a shared house – Big Brother style. Klum would be joined on the judging panel by Eurovision sensation Conchita Wurst and Tokio Hotel singer Bill Kaulitz.
German drag performers Ryan Stecken Margot Schlonzke have since launched a petition, which has already garnered over 24,000 signatures, demanding Klum be replaced by a member of the LGBTIQ+ community.
“We expressly welcome the decision that this concept is coming to Germany and would like to see it produced adequately, considering this is the first time drag would be presented on this large a scale on German television. This is a huge responsibility,” the petition reads.
“We feel that choosing a straight cis-gender woman as the face of this production is problematic. Finally a queer show is being produced for German television, but the front figure is anything but queer basically handing the cake to the straight white woman while we are, once again, left with the crumbs.”
“It saddens us to see that ProSieben is missing the chance to uplift any single one of the extensive pool of talented queer and queeradjacent performers in Germany. There is no shortage of potential, competent, queer personalities in our country.”
“We urge ProSieben to reconsider Heidi Klum and to replace her with somebody queer.”
Klum and ProSieben are yet to respond to the petition.
OIP Staff
