Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 458 February 26, 2020

Jackie Cox knows her
way around the New
York City stages and
is ready to take her
unique performing style
and Broadway sensibilities
to the stage of “RuPaul’s
Drag Race” this year. I sat
down to chat with Jackie
about how she’s melding
her cultural background
with her current
performance style (and
why that is so important)
and what New York City
“Drag Race” dynamo has
been one of her biggest
inspirations.
So tell me, Jackie, what
does it feel like right now
as your life is changing
right before your eyes
as “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Season 12 is about to
premiere?
I feel like a breath of
relief that it is finally not a
secret–that’s the biggest
thing. I feel very honored
to also be a part of this
group of New York City
girls. It’s a really cool
group; we all love each
other and hate each other
at the same time in the
best way. [laughs] We are
all just doing ourselves.
It really doesn’t even feel
like competition. It feels
like five amazing different
queens ready to have
some fun and hopefully
make New York City proud.
You have an extensive
performing background
and a true Broadway
sensibility. Do you think
that it was helpful to you in
competing?
Well, you know, of course
everything in your life is
helpful. Those that think
that past experiences are
a waste of time probably
didn’t learn the lesson
that they needed to from
those past experiences.
I think that everything
that has happened in my
life has led me to this
moment, which has been
very thrilling to see come
to life. If you had asked
me three or four years
ago, I probably would
have said something like,
“Probably one day, never,”
but this year it happened,
and I said, “Why not, let’s
go for it.” It was my first
time auditioning also. I
think this felt like the right
moment for me. All of
the theater stuff, those
expensive college classes,
hopefully now they have
paid off a little bit.
Your culture is extremely
important to you. What is
important that you made
sure is something you
highlighted as a
queen?
Definitely, and
especially right
now. There
was a long
time when
I did not
embrace
my cultural
heritage. I
remember
that 9/11
happened
when I
was in high
school at that
time. Being
a Middle
Eastern
person was
something
different. I was
living in Orange
County at the
time, and they
actually put away
the Aladdin and
Jasmine characters
at Disneyland.
People were scared
of what Middle
Eastern people were and
are, and I thought that was
something that I could
never really embrace.
What I saw with the
election of Trump was that
happening again, but in
an even scarier way, in a
way where people from
Muslim-majority countries
all over the world are
suddenly not allowed to
be in America at all.
Have his policies affected
you personally?
My family members not
being allowed into this
country was crazy to
me. My aunt, who just
visited here in 2015, was
suddenly not allowed to
come visit my mom and
me anymore, her sister.
I really thought that this
was not a moment to
hide anymore. This
is not a moment to
pretend that you are
not Middle Eastern,
that this is not part
of your life and
that this isn’t
affecting you.
I have this
platform, and
I have these
shows and
this stage. I
need to talk
about it in my
drag and make
people see and have
this visibility and not
hide and not hide
these characters
away. I was thinking
back to 2001 and
thinking what
FRIDAYS