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Hello, hello, hello! It's June, so that means HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!
Whether you’re out and proud, not out yet, or still questioning and exploring your identity, Pride is for YOU! You’re welcome here, you’re valued here, and you belong here - never forget that. And if you're an ally, please never let your queer friends forget it either!
Our theme for Pride this year is Looking Back & Moving Forward. We have certainly come a long way on LGBTQIA+ rights, but there is still a long way left to go to truly build an equal and accepting society. Now more than ever is the time to speak up, get involved, and uplift the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community.
While promoting the message of love and acceptance should never be limited to one month a year, this month is dear to me, so I am especially excited to be sharing that message now through the various Fandom programming initiatives throughout this month! Be sure to give this forum a follow and DEFINITELY keep an eye on the "Pride" button in the wiki's toolbar (coming/updating soon if you don't see it already), as that will open a menu containing all the links to Fandom's and the wiki's Pride initiatives, so you don't have to miss anything!
Some of our programming[]
The focus of the initiatives will be on the fierceness of the Drag community, the protest performance art form that has been a cornerstone of queer culture for over a century. Blurring the lines of what people think they know about gender, drag queens have always been on the forefront of change, fighting for our rights, while always promoting love and acceptance above all.
Read Fandom's Pride Blog for all the details
- Pride Playlist
As has become an established feature of Fandom's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives this year, definitely check out this amazing playlist, curated by queer people and consisting solely of LGBTQIA+ artists! Yes, that means some iconic queer anthems are absent, but that also means there's room for new music and artists to be discovered. Let us know your favorite new bop!
- Fabulous Drag Queen Video
Please take a look at this amazing video made at RuPaul's DragCon from a few weeks back. Six of RuPaul's Drag Race's fiercest queens - Alexis Michelle, Angeria Paris VanMicheals, Honey Davenport, Jiggly Caliente, Laganja Estranja, Lala Ri, and Mistress Isabelle Brooks - are looking back to how they started and what they'd say to their younger self now, and moving forward to what they hope the future holds for drag, themselves, and the entire LGBTQIA+ community. And as always, there is a place for everyone, as they also expand on how allies can get involved to make that future a reality.
I had the absolute pleasure to have been present when these artistic goddesses were speaking, so I cannot encourage you enough to watch this video as it was such a heartwarming, supportive, and inspirational experience. There is so much to learn from these icons, so go watch it here!
- Drag Race Bracket Tournament
Racers, start your engines, and may the best drag queen win! Stay tuned for this anticipated tournament on the fabulous Drag Race Wiki, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ communities on our platform to see how far some of the fiercest queens can go!
- Education
Not really a programming point specifically, but it is always included in any DEI initiative we do and one that is important to me, especially now with so much anti-trans and drag rhetoric and even over 500+ anti-LGBTQIA bills surfacing in the United States alone. I sincerely encourage you all to be open to listening to and learning from the stories and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and educating yourself about the history of LGBTQIA+ culture and community, because the more we all try to understand each other, the easier it becomes to love and accept the qualities that make us all different and unique.
Get involved -- both online and offline[]
This community is already showing their support by sporting a Pride logo. I still encourage you get involved in any way that you can imagine. Share your efforts with Fandom (by commenting on the blog) and/or me as your Wiki Representative (by commenting on this post, leaving a message on my wall, or reaching out on Discord - Lostris#4280) as the month goes on, so we can all celebrate and share in the love together!
Don't know how? Here are some ideas:
- Speak up
When you witness trans- and/or homophobia -- or any other hate for that matter -- let the speaker know it's not okay and show your fellow queer humans that they are not alone. Remember that homophobia isn't just calling someone a slur. It's also subtle. It's hidden in jokes. Small comments. Exclusionary behavior. Here on Fandom that also means that you should never hesitate to report hate when you see it happening. Reach out to an admin, the assigned Wiki Rep, or Fandom Staff by sending in a support ticket. Nothing happens without movement, so staying neutral isn't an option.
- Highlight people in your franchise
Use blogs or Discussions posts to highlight the LGBTQIA+ characters or creators in your franchises and their contributions. Representation matters! Normalizing love is love matters!
- Editing projects
Start an editing project to improve articles featuring LGBTQIA+ themes. You don't need to be queer to enjoy and participate in Pride!
- Support drag and queer businesses / donate
Watch Drag Race online and share love with the communities, show up offline by attending a show of your local drag artist. Support queer media and buy from small queer businesses. Donate to LGBTQIA+ organizations fighting for our rights.
If you're looking for a place to learn (more) about LGBTQIA+ culture and history, or if you know someone struggling with and/or questioning their identity, definitely check out and share the following resources:
If you'd rather just have a talk about it, don't hesitate to reach out! My message wall and Discord DMs (Lostris#4280) are always open! Lady Lostris / 
SOAP 11:35, 12 June 2023 (UTC)
June 15 update: Editor Stories: Fandom Celebrates Pride With Itsbartbytheway[]
As mentioned, it is so important to listen to and learn from the stories and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people and educating yourself about the history of LGBTQIA+ culture and community, because the more we all try to understand each other and our history, the more we all move to a better future for everyone.
To that end, please tune in for Fandom's Editor Stories in which we'll highlight and celebrate the experiences of editors, creators, and Fandom Staff members who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and embrace authenticity and promote inclusivity in everything that they do.
With the big focus for our Pride Month celebrations being the Drag community, our first feature blog will introduce you to Itsbartbytheway from the Drag Race Wiki. Please take some time to read and learn from his story! Lady Lostris / SOAP 10:09, 16 June 2023 (UTC)
June 20 update: How to Strengthen LGBTQIA+ Allyship[]
Nothing every changes without action, and queer people can't do it alone. For true change to happen, allies are absolutely vital! To that end, please read the blog on How to Strengthen LGBTQIA+ Allyship!
Some takeaways:
- Listen
There is not an expectation that, as an ally, you need to know absolutely everything there is to know by default. However, it is your responsibility to hear the voices of queer people in order to best understand how it is to live in our shoes and what you can do to support us both individually and as a whole.
- Be aware
To be an ally is to be aware that being queer is, more often than not, coupled with traumatic experiences.
- Take action
Use your privileged position as a non-queer person to validate queer concerns to those who may not otherwise see them that way, whether or not we are present in the room—both literally and digitally speaking—or not. It is important to focus on and elevate the voices, thoughts, and feelings of queer people—don’t insert yourself into the narrative. Being an ally isn’t about taking center stage; it's about making space and shining a spotlight on us.
Allyship is all about taking the step forward to stand up for us, willingly being in uncomfortable positions, unavoidably making mistakes, and taking those lessons to heart in order to become a stronger ally to our community. The most powerful and sincere support you can give to the LGBTQIA+ community is to accept who we are through thick and thin and at our lows and highs.
Remember, this fight isn’t about you, but what you, as an ally, are able to do by joining us in it.
Read the blog for more details! Lady Lostris / SOAP 09:55, 22 June 2023 (UTC)
June 23 update: Celebrating Pride With Sam Freeman, Marketing Manager at Fandom[]
Following the previous two blogs highlighting the voices of editors on this platform, today's highlight is one of a Fandom Staff member: Sam Freeman, a Marketing Manager at Fandom (any pronoun), otherwise known as Lemon Skweezy whenever he's in drag (also, any pronoun)! Read his feature blog to learn more about his role at Fandom, his incredible drag journey, and his advice for promoting impactful change for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Some of his words of wisdom:
[The art of drag] serves as a powerful vehicle for self-expression, breaking the confines of gender and defying societal expectations tied to appearance.
I would advise my younger self to start embracing things that bring me joy, like playing with makeup, sooner. [...] But looking back, I realize that concealing who I am (see what I did there?) took a toll on my well-being. I would remind myself to prioritize self-acceptance, explore my passions, and find a supportive community.
Engaging in open and honest conversations with our own families, friends, and peers holds greater power than vilifying those we don't understand from different social circles (and on social media). By having these meaningful dialogues, we can effectively express our perspectives while respecting the realities of others. This holds true even if we come from more conservative backgrounds. How can we hope to make a difference in the world if we cannot foster harmony and understanding with those around us?
Remember that there is “room for everyone to shine” so make space to be your most authentic self and empower those around you to do the same.
Lady Lostris / SOAP 21:37, 23 June 2023 (UTC)
June 27 update: Celebrating Pride With Vinny Venuti, Sr. Coordinator of Experiences at Fandom[]
Super excited to share the latest highlight with you of Vinny Venuti, Fandom's Sr. Coordinator of Experiences. This wonderful human is not only one of the warmest, fun, and kindest people you'll ever encounter, but his life has been such a wild rollercoaster with amazing turns and twist, many of which were kicked off by the wonderful art of drag! (This man even got to meet and star in a video of P!nk!! <insert insanely envious noises>)
His drag journey started in the New York City cabaret scene, but really took off when Alexis Michelle (before she was on RuPaul’s Drag Race) put him in some of her amazing looks and inspired him to take his creativity to the next level.
His advice to his younger self is really something we can all take to heart:
Don't wait, just do it. Even if you think it's bad, its growth and opportunity to learn, and NEVER anything to be ashamed about.
As is his general advice to everyone, allies and members of the lgbtqia+ community for a better future for all:
A small drop creates a ripple effect - be the drop.
Say it loud and say it proud!
Read more about him in his feature blog.
Lady Lostris / SOAP 10:15, 28 June 2023 (UTC)
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June 28 update: The Importance of Trans Representation in Gaming With OishiiOnIno[]
With Pride Month nearing its end, please tune in for our last (but certainly not least!) editor story for June! Meet Kurt, a Wiki Representative at Fandom for the gaming vertical, as he shares how he got started on Fandom, what he loves most about video games, and why trans representation is so important in gaming!
His advice to queer people and allies?
It’s really important to not forget the history of homophobia/transphobia. Learn the tools of it, how it came to prevalence. It will improve your ability to target and combat it.
Learn more about him by reading his feature blog
Lady Lostris / SOAP 13:56, 29 June 2023 (UTC)
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June 29 update: Closing Out Pride Month With a Drag Race Bracket Tournament and More Interviews From DragCon[]
As you already know, June and Pride Month is over, but Pride is to be celebrated each day of the year. As such, I will still take liberty of highlighting the last Pride blog now, cause it's a great one!
To round up the initiatives, I'm going to leave you with the last highlights, starting with the announced Drag Race Wiki bracket tournament with the snatchdown for the crown! The Queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race get on the biggest drag stage in the world and impersonate some of the most renowned and beloved celebrities in a challenge called “Snatch Game” (a play on the game show Celebrity Match Game). Now with your help, we will determine which queen had the best Snatch Game performance in all of Drag Race Herstory. Vote now in this Snatchdown for the Crown!
- Round 1, featuring all 32 Snatches, ended on July 3rd.
- Round 2, featuring the 16 Snatches that won their first round match-ups, starts on Tuesday, July 4th and runs for 4 days until Friday, July 7th.
- The Quarter-finals is where it really starts to heat up. Down to 8 Snatches, and only 3 days to vote! Saturday, July 8th to Monday, July 10th.
- Next comes the Semi-finals. 4 Snatches, and another 3 days to vote. Get your votes in from Tuesday, July 11th to Thursday, July 13th!
- Then it’s time for the big one - the Final match-up to determine who wins the Drag Race Wiki’s Snatchdown for the Crown! One final head to head match-up, 3 days of voting and ONE – yes, only ONE - vote for you to cast! The voting lasts from Friday, July 14th to Sunday, July 16th.
In my first post, I linked to an inspirational video where 6 iconic Drag Queens discussed their journeys from their first time in drag to what they hope the future of drag holds (if you have not seen it, I highly encourage you to watch.) Now, these same queens are back to answer some rapid fire questions about their hot takes on pop culture, from their favorite fandoms to their favorite Batman, as well as react to their own pages on the Drag Race Wiki! Some were impressed, some were shocked, and some had a couple corrections to make. Trust, it's definitely worth a watch! (Fun fact: La La Ri is holding my phone, *squee*!!)
With our Pride celebration having come to an end, I would like everyone to remember that the fight does not stop here. LGBTQIA+ folks are in a state of emergency as declared by the Human Rights Campaign (the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the U.S.) for the first time in its 40+ year history, and we need your support now more than ever. Not just this month, but all year long. Here at Fandom, we will continue to do our part in uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community, and we hope you will too.
I personally want to thank the community for having proudly showed support for the LGBTQIA+ community by showcasing their rainbow themes throughout the month! It's always a pleasure to see wikis get involved in our celebrations, and we can’t wait to continue celebrating more DEI months with you all!
Lady Lostris / SOAP 13:28, 5 July 2023 (UTC)