WEBVTT

00:02.033 --> 00:05.000 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
JOHN YANG: This year's
Pride Month is D'Arcy
Drollinger's first as
San Francisco's official

00:07.466 --> 00:10.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
drag laureate, in her
new position, believed
to be the first of its
kind. The artist and club

00:13.400 --> 00:16.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
owner is an ambassador
for the city's LGBTQ
plus arts, nightlife and
entertainment communities.

00:18.066 --> 00:21.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
The post was created by
the mayor and Drollinger
assumes that in a year that

00:21.533 --> 00:26.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
seen a record number of
anti-LGBTQ plus legislation
introduced around America,

00:28.400 --> 00:31.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
Ali Rogin is back with a
conversation with Drollinger
about her new role.

00:31.200 --> 00:36.200 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
ALI ROGI: D'Arcy Drollinger,
thank you so much for
joining us. First of all,
I have to ask you, how

00:38.666 --> 00:42.466 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
did this opportunity
come about? How did you
learn that mere breed was
establishing this position?

00:42.466 --> 00:47.433 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER: Well,
the city put out a press
release that the position
was open, and they were

00:49.600 --> 00:54.366 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
accepting applicants and
I applied. Now, some of
my staff at work begged
me not to that I was too

00:57.866 --> 01:02.833 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
busy. But it felt like,
you know, it made a lot
of sense, a lot of the
things that were looking

01:04.933 --> 01:08.766 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
for were things that I
was already doing. So I
went ahead and applied.
And the rest is history.

01:10.666 --> 01:12.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
ALI ROGIN: And what did
you learn about the reasons
why you were selected?

01:12.733 --> 01:17.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER: I am an
entrepreneur. I have a local
business in San Francisco,

01:17.033 --> 01:22.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I run a nightclub in Cabaret.
And I've also started a
nonprofit. I have, you know,

01:24.833 --> 01:27.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
a place in the community.
So that made sense.

01:27.033 --> 01:29.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
But I think, you know, just
talking to the mayor and

01:31.833 --> 01:35.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
having the panel review who
I am and what I do made a
lot of sense. But I think the

01:37.933 --> 01:42.000 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
bottom line the mayor said
was that I was willing to
throw my support behind
anybody. And I think

01:43.966 --> 01:48.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
that sort of openness and
willing to support the community
was a linchpin in choosing me.

01:50.666 --> 01:53.300 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
ALI ROGIN: And talking
about your support to the
community. You mentioned,
you're an entrepreneur,

01:53.300 --> 01:56.700 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
you have a business. And,
I mean, entertainment
in and of itself is I
personally think a public

01:58.733 --> 02:02.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
service. But you really stepped
that up to the next level during
the pandemic. And I want to

02:02.733 --> 02:07.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
hear about what you did you
had a program called Meals
on Heels. Tell me about that.

02:07.233 --> 02:12.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER: Yeah,
well, you know, I really
took stock and who I was
in the community and who

02:14.800 --> 02:17.900 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
the people around me are,
and we're entertainers
and when going gets tough
our job is to entertain.

02:19.766 --> 02:23.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
And so we very quickly
pivoted, and we created a
program called Meals on Heels

02:23.133 --> 02:28.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
where we partnered with
local restaurants and did
a food delivery service
by drag performers,

02:30.300 --> 02:35.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
which would get your food
delivered and you get
a curbside performance.

02:35.266 --> 02:39.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
And this was at a very dark time
where people felt very isolated.

02:39.166 --> 02:43.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
And it was -- I was able to
help the small businesses
in my neighborhood,

02:43.966 --> 02:48.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I was able to employ drag
performers who suddenly were
out of work and also, you know,

02:51.366 --> 02:55.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
create a little sparkle
in people's lives who were
struggling at the time.

02:55.333 --> 02:59.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
ALI ROGIN: Absolutely.
Obviously, the LGBTQ plus
community anywhere is not a

02:59.600 --> 03:03.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
monolith. But I want to
ask, what does it mean for
you? What does it mean for

03:03.000 --> 03:06.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
other members of this community
to have recognition in this way?

03:06.433 --> 03:11.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER: It's huge,
really. I mean, and I applaud
San Francisco because this is a

03:11.266 --> 03:16.266 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
program that they've actually
been rolling out for a
couple years. And finally,
we made it. You know,

03:18.266 --> 03:21.666 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
drag performers in San Francisco
are really given a place in
this community and we you know,

03:24.100 --> 03:29.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
we not only entertain
but we do a lot of civic.
We have a lot of civic
contributions, and we do a lot

03:29.033 --> 03:34.033 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
of fundraising and, and
I feel like San Francisco
is leading the way, you
know, while it is a drag

03:36.166 --> 03:41.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
laureate position, it really
is recognizing the community,
the LGBTQ plus community.

03:42.766 --> 03:44.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
ALI ROGIN: And let's
talk about what are some

03:44.566 --> 03:47.466 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
of your responsibilities as the
drag laureate of San Francisco.

03:47.466 --> 03:51.033 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER: Oh
my God. There are so
many. I mean, there are

03:53.000 --> 03:57.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
the more symbolic ones, like
I, you know, helped raise the
Pride flag with the mayor on the

03:59.233 --> 04:03.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
beginning of June, and I threw
the first pitch the Giants game,
which pretty epic thing to do.

04:05.666 --> 04:10.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
But it also the responsibilities
are really about creating
bridges through the different

04:12.700 --> 04:15.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
city organizations and the LGBTQ
plus community. Also, elevating
and celebrating the art of drag,

04:18.533 --> 04:23.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I think is really important.
And it's an art form that
doesn't always get the

04:23.400 --> 04:28.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
attention that it deserves,
like a poet laureate, but
taking dragon in that way.

04:30.466 --> 04:33.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
ALI ROGIN: Yeah, I want to ask
you about some serious stuff,
which is there are a number of

04:33.066 --> 04:37.400 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
states that have already
passed anti-drag bans,
there's more legislatures
working on putting such

04:39.933 --> 04:43.866 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
bans in place. So what
does it mean to have this
position, elevating drag
performance in this way?

04:45.900 --> 04:49.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER: I think it's
very important because it does
have -- San Francisco has made a

04:51.866 --> 04:55.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
stand and that we actually value
drag performers, trans people,
LGBTQ plus community members. I

04:58.200 --> 05:03.200 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
mean, really, it's been
tough, because it has been
so much -- there's been
so much propaganda that is

05:05.333 --> 05:08.400 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
not true categorically.
Not true. But it creates
this level of hostility
towards drag performers.

05:10.966 --> 05:14.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I mean, wherever you have to
up our security, I spent a lot
more money on security now than

05:14.800 --> 05:19.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I used to, which is so sad and
such a shame. And really, when
it boils down to it, I mean,

05:21.800 --> 05:25.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
it isn't really anti-drag,
it's anti LGBTQ plus,
right. That is what it is.

05:28.500 --> 05:31.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
We're just trying to live
our lives and entertain
people. You know, I've
been asked this question a

05:31.133 --> 05:36.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
number of times, like why
is drag important and why is
anything important? Why is dance

05:38.633 --> 05:41.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
important? Why is theater
important? Why is fine
art important? You know,
it's another art form.

05:42.600 --> 05:46.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
And drag has been going
on for over 400 years. I'm

05:47.800 --> 05:51.900 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
sure longer than that. So it's
nothing new it is part of our

05:54.166 --> 05:59.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
lives all around the world. And
it's interesting to me that is
become such a hot topic now. And

06:01.733 --> 06:06.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
really, it's -- it shouldn't be
an issue and in all these people
that's about personal freedom,

06:09.100 --> 06:13.333 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
right, and their First
Amendment, Second Amendment
rights. Well, like give
me my rights, right.

06:15.366 --> 06:19.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
So I feel like drag is something
beautiful and sparkly and fun.
It doesn't make any sense to me.

06:22.600 --> 06:27.600 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
ALI ROGIN: D'Arcy Drollinger,
drag laureate of San
Francisco, thank you
so much for joining us.

06:28.733 --> 06:29.066 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
D'ARCY DROLLINGER:
Thanks for having me.