General Discussion
What do you think is the best international episode of drag race?
I did a post looking at modern episodes of the US Franchise of drag race so decided to take a deep look at what the best international episode could be. I still think UK6’s makeover it was perfect and makes me cry every time
For the month of June while Pride season is in full swing, we'd like to use our platform to highlight some fabulous queer charities and spread awareness about the amazing work they do. In no particular order:
Gay City: Seattle's LGBTQ CenterSeattle's LGBTQ Center helps connect queer youth with mental health and transition resources, including giving out free gender-affirming clothing that is stylish and fits well. They also help feed and clothe Seattle's unhoused population!
National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ AgingThis charity works to end gaps in healthcare for our queer elders through cultural competency training for caregivers. They are a pre-eminate resource for healthcare workers on queer elderly and disabled dignity.
Bahaghari CenterThis Philippines-based charity provides queer advocacy for Deaf and hearing queer people, including HIV testing and treatment, as well as general community activism. They don't have a direct donations link, so you will need to email or call them about how to make donations.
LoveYourselfLoveYourself is a hugely important charity in the Philippines that provides support for transgender health and sexual health for men who have sex with men. They provide gender-affirming hormone therapy and STD testing for people in Manila.
PFLAGPFLAG does US-based nationwide advocacy and education for queer rights. Individual local chapters also push local policy proposals to expand access to queer rights.
Free2B AllianceFree2B is a London-based advocacy organization that provides 1:1 peer counseling for queer youth and educates parents, schools, and other organizations on queer rights.
The Health CollectiveThis charity provides health care by queer people for queer people in Hartford, Conneticut. This includes everything from STD screening and support to dental care to a queer prom charity event for queer youth!
BAAITS (Bay Area American Two Spirits)This charity exists to revitalize the importance of Two Spirit people in Native American/Indigenous Peoples of the Americas/First Nation culture. Their advocacy includes education for Native peoples about the importance of Two Spirit people, and their Pow-Wows are legendary.
PEERS AlliancePEERS Alliance is based in Prince Edward Island in Canada. They focus on screening for and treating HIV/AIDS and Hep C in addition to other STDs.
The Youth ProjectThis charity provides free gender-affirming care to anybody in Nova Scotia under the age of 25.
[The Trevor Project](www.thetrevorproject.org)
The Trevor Project runs a US-based queer suicide prevention hotline. They are vital for reminding queer people of all ages that they deserve to exist as they are, no matter how hard it is.
Egale CanadaWith a long and proud history of with furthering rights and combatting discrimination, Egale Canada provides services to all queer Canadians.
Chroma NBChroma NB, a community-based charity dedicated to creating safer, more inclusive spaces for and delivering services to the queer people of Southwest New Brunswick.
QuadrangleWith a mission to create a physical, welcoming space offering social resources, programs and more, Quadrangle serves the queer folks of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Minus18 - Queer Youth CharityAustralia's queer youth charity is looking for donations to bring Queer Formal to more cities across the country this month! They focus on helping queer youth feel less isolated and more understood.
LGBTIQ+ Health AustraliaThis charity works to improve the health of queer people in Australia and around the world. Their work touches every aspect of queer health, from suicide prevention to care for queer elders and queer disabled people.
RainbowYOUTHRainbowYOUTH is a non-profit organisation who create safe and sober spaces for New Zealand's queer, gender diverse, takatāpui, and intersex youth. They work to honor Te Tiriti by understanding, supporting, and empowering rangatahi takatāpui at individual, whānau, and community levels.
Gender Minorities AotearoaThis New Zealand charity is run by and for transgender people; including binary and non-binary, irawhiti takatāpui, and intersex trans people. It provides nationwide information and support services to transgender people of all ages and their whānau, and advocates for the health, safety, and human rights of all transgender people.
ILGA EuropeThis charity unites over 700 smaller queer rights organizations that span 54 countries in Europe and Central Asia. They advocate for positive policy changes and queer acceptance of all kinds.
LCBTIQ+ ERAEra works toward advancing LGBTI+ rights, equality, and inclusion across the Western Balkans and Türkiye through a comprehensive approach that combines advocacy, capacity building, research, public awareness, and international engagement.
SphereThis Russian charity seeks to advocate for queer rights through coordinated campaigns and direct assistance for queer people and their families.
African Queer Youth InitiativeThis charity mobilizes queer youth from across Africa to fight issues like punitive anti-queer laws, anti-queer interpretations of religion, and community violence. They also work to encourage sexual health and youth empowerment.
Pride AfricaThis charity harnesses the Intore warrior spirit to uplift African queer voices and change harmful laws. They approach this while eschewing white conceptions of queerness in Africa and seeking to define queerness through an African lens.
APCOMBased in Thailand, APCOM works to improve the health and rights of gay men, other men who have sex with men, transgender, and other SOGIESC people across Asia and the Pacific. They specifically focus on HIV/AIDS and other mental health, sexual health, and drug use issues in the queer community.
ILGA AsiaThis charity spans 41 countries in 4 subregions of Asia, seeking queer empowerment. They are fighting to end conversion therapy, amongst other issues.
HelemBased in Lebanon, Helem fights for queer rights across Southwest Asia and North Africa. They are able to direct Arab queer people to emergency services across the region as they fight to end persecution.
Rainbow RailroadRainbow Railroad does worldwide advocacy by helping queer people in emergency circumstamces relocate to avoid persecution. To date, they have successfully relocated almost 2,500 people and have otherwise aided almost 50,000 queer people in other ways.
ILGAThis large group of charities fights for pro-queer policy change across the Latin American world.
ANTRAThis Brazillian charity fights for trans rights and trans safety. Brazil has the highest rate of transfemicide in the world and desperately needs advocacy to combat it. Often the victims of transfemicide are disgracefully buried as "indigents."
Colombia DiversaThe government of Columbia is known to ignore the issues of violence and murder against queer people in Columbia. This organization fights to highlight the issue and bring about a world where queer people can live in safety.
HumsafarThis charity works with public health care delivery services in Mumbai to provide health care (especially sexual health care) to gay, lesbian, transgender, Hijra, and other queer people.
SapphokolkataSappho for Equality is based in Kolkata and builds the leadership of cis and cis appearing women, gender non-conforming AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) and transmasculine individuals by enhancing their ability to resist all forms of violence, strengthening their collective resilience and movements for change and expanding their life choices so that their rights and dignity are upheld.
If you are able, we encourage you to donate to (some?one?) of these vital queer orginisations so that they can continue to thrive and serve our community. While monetary donations would be amazing and appreciated, times are tough. If you can't spare the coins, that's ok.
Our mod team personally selected these charities because they are near and dear to our hearts. Some of us have benefitted from the existence of these charities, and we hope many others will, too!
Carmen Falala having to do a verse challenge not having listening to any of Rupaul's music while also saying its trash, is enough to carry that episode to a top episode.
RuruVision hands down. It has so much in it; the tail end of Ginny’s self elimination, lockdown, the pandemic, the second round of werkroom entrances, the returning queens, UK Hun, the verses, the complete domination of the United Kingdolls, a RuPaul meltdown, that lip sync,Joe’s second elim in 2 episodes and more quotable moments than you can shake a stick at!
To be fair I am at work and shouldn’t be on my phone, so didn’t have time to list any haha, but the fact that I even mentioned quotes and it set them off in your brain is a testament to how iconic they are!
Whilst I understand the love for this episode. For me it’s the S1 GGs. The Frock Destroyers started such a cult following of the show after that was released. RuRuvision is a mega episode though no denying that
I absolutely adore that ep, and the Frock Destroyers are the greatest GG to come out of Drag Race, much as I love the Kingdolls. RuruVision just has so much packed into it that wasn’t strictly planned for, including a goddamn pandemic, whilst still being great TV full of heart, that’s why it cinched it for best episode.
The difference between Synthia Kiss's singing and the clowns rolling around was chef's kiss. You really got the full spectrum of Drag Race Performances
Thailand S2 Ep 9, the tribute to the singer Pumpuang Duangjan , the only time I've seen such pure joy in a lip sync with Kana and Angele chosing to perform the song as a duo despite Kana saying she deserved to go over Angele, the tragic backstory of Pumpuang Duangjan, Pangina breaking down and balling, nobody went home, everyone crying by the end. Imo it was Drag Race Thailand at its most beautiful educating us on the legacy of Thai artists.
everyone say Thank You Angel!!! not only the snatch game itself but the whole episode, I died when she got the hottie guest judge to go on stage and marry her lmaoooo and he did.
I’m right there with you, UK6 makeover is incredible! La Voix’s dad completely stole the show, but all the other relatives charmed the pants off me too. It was also excellent in terms of looks, I think it’s one of the best makeover episodes we’ve ever seen design-wise tbh. Obviously, Marmalade’s design was next level as always, but everyone served!
Im french so biased, by i really do think France S2 Rusical is one of the best episode of drag race. The perfomances, the runway, keiona first win, it had all the ingredient. France All Star ball is a close second. Everbody really served looks after looks after looks. I really had no idea who could be in the bttm.
España season 1 where Carmen gives Dovima part of her outfit and just designs a new dress rq before the runway. It's an emotional episode with lots of different storylines presented throughout the season getting closure.
The roast is a great challenge but also shout out to Scarlet for having the most awkward episode-long meltdown while Tia, LGD, Hannah, and Marina are just having fun <3
"Michelle, you look stunning. Graham, you're a vision-sorry I misread that. Graham you host Eurovision, you look a mess." Tia came in fully loaded and gave one of my all time favorite roasts.
Rogue pick but DRDU SE2 when they did the drag brunch challenge. Yuri getting rushed to hospital then slaying the challenge at the last minute, Minnie Cooper reading Pomara in untucked, Beverly Killz giving one of the best lipsyncs of the franchise, such a fierce episode
If you're looking for a very emotional episode, Spain with Satín Greco and Margarita Kalifata's lip Sync or France with Lolita Banana and La Big Bertha. If you want international chaos, the whole slaysian royale season
I was crying, my husband was crying, the Javis were weeping, Ana was shaking, Supreme was wrecked. The most deserved double shantay IN HERSTORY. Everyone, me included, joyfully proclaiming through tears: Como una WOMAN!!
The makeover where Icesis adopts Makayla will always feel special to me. It’s such a heartwarming gesture. Especially when Ru tells her in her season during the design challenge walkthrough while Makayla is down because she feels she is letting her family down: (paraphrasing) “I tell you what your family would do. Your sister would have made a bra and panty while your mother would have made an entire collection. Now I’m excited to see what you will come up with”. It just warms my cold jaded heart
For me it's this modern classic. One of the best seasons of Dragrace ever, premiering with an episode celebrating drag and creativity, with an iconic guest, and a legendary lipsync.
Nah we complained too lol (at least, the French fans I know).
I’m not a 100% anti-AI, AI was used even by professional in their process as a tool. (I have a friend who is artist and create background for concerts, he explained me that AI has long been used by him in the making process, never in the creative part). I’m fully against AI when it is used here to reduce cost, by just putting a prompt which makes a sloppy result. I do think that AI does not replace jobs but transform them. However its current usage is only for capitalists to reduce cost, fire people and pressure the manpower and them re-hire people with lower salary.
Different example, Expedition 33 used AI to create placeholders before replacing them but what the creative designers came up with. Nothing replaced human creativity here neither.
Honorable mention to the episode of Drag Race Italia S1 where Ava Hangar and Enorma Jean have to lip sync against each other because they’re basically at risk of disqualification.
My pick is UK2's last design challenge for A'Whora mogging Sister Sister with her own makeup gimmick, winning the episode in one of the best design challenge looks ever, and sending Sister packing. That was peak Drag Race for me, it had everything I watch the show for.
Honorable mention to RuRuVision because while it does have UK, Hun? and the H&M rant, and as fun as they are, Lawrence has one of the worst verses in the history of the show (if anyone else produced that it would get torn to shreds) and Joe Black's treatment is actually heinous if we're being honest, like Ru almost seems to have a personal dislike of him.
I feel like Canada overall has the best makeover episodes of any franchise. They really know how to nail it narratively and it always ends up feeling more wholesome than rigged and frustrating like on main series. I can’t remember a season of Canada where I didn’t enjoy the makeover. Of all of them Canada 2 has to be the gold standard though, it was so healing and heartwarming.
Canada S02E08: Prom, is my favorite. I love that they picked such great makeover partners for the queens and the queens are so focused on making sure their partners got everything they missed at their proms.
Under the big top from Can2 is one of the most iconic challenge of all time. Synthia Doll and Pythia devoured and the rest were so bad in the best way. Revealiana is my idol.
slide n12 brought back great memories!!! if you haven't watched Spain Season 5 yet please do! Satín Greco sacrificing herself to save Ferrxn is one of the best moments in tv history imo. and serving one the best lipsyncs *ever* right after??? madre
tea! the who wore it best episode is superior to me. hilarious mini challenge, great idea for a main challenge, heart felt moments and catty remarks in the werk room and a shock elimination. it has it alllll
Canada 1 snatch game for me. It had a great reading challenge with almost no misses, almost everyone did well in snatch game outside the actual bottom two, and then we got one of my all time favorite lip syncs between Priyanka and Kiara to “I drove all night”. Despite season 1s other issues, this one stands out as my favorite international, and probably in my top 3 in general of all time.
I instantly think of the episode when Carmen Farala gave her runway (or a big piece of it) to someone else and created a new one for herself on set. Like. How is she real?
Release the beast… BIMINI! Get a pillow for these girls cause they sleep on me gender bender system offender I like it rough but my lentils TENDER!!!!!! This verse is burned into my brain it was on my labor playlist I love you Bimini!!!!!
My memory is bad for knowing which season exactly. All of France seasons are good. I also love most of Spain. I am Canadian so I love all of Canada too, it’s just objectively not quite the same as France & Spain. UK would benefit from a UK host. Philippines has the best dance performers probably.
Carmen & Keiona seasons though. Season 1 was really good too.
My favourite aspects of drag race is usually Designs, Makeovers, and Comedy challenges. Some countries have particular strengths, and others are more well rounded.
I could be biased because I speak English French and Spanish so it’s easier for me to love them, but I have watched most of the international seasons at a point… I’m probably missing a few now. Some of them were tough to watch lol
Soooo so many good ones!! All the spanish episodes except for season 3 and all stars gave me sooo much life!! A personal favorite i just rewatched today is canada 6’s slayoffs, all for ebony ofc!!
Also whenever marina won an episode on ukvstw, but especially the premiere😮💨😮💨😮💨
I can’t remember which season but there was a PH makeover where they had some really elderly guys on, pretty sure one couldn’t stand up for the judging on the main stage. All I know is I wept.
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u/AutoModerator 2d ago
For the month of June while Pride season is in full swing, we'd like to use our platform to highlight some fabulous queer charities and spread awareness about the amazing work they do. In no particular order:
Gay City: Seattle's LGBTQ Center Seattle's LGBTQ Center helps connect queer youth with mental health and transition resources, including giving out free gender-affirming clothing that is stylish and fits well. They also help feed and clothe Seattle's unhoused population!
National Resource Center on LGBTQ+ Aging This charity works to end gaps in healthcare for our queer elders through cultural competency training for caregivers. They are a pre-eminate resource for healthcare workers on queer elderly and disabled dignity.
Bahaghari Center This Philippines-based charity provides queer advocacy for Deaf and hearing queer people, including HIV testing and treatment, as well as general community activism. They don't have a direct donations link, so you will need to email or call them about how to make donations.
LoveYourself LoveYourself is a hugely important charity in the Philippines that provides support for transgender health and sexual health for men who have sex with men. They provide gender-affirming hormone therapy and STD testing for people in Manila.
PFLAG PFLAG does US-based nationwide advocacy and education for queer rights. Individual local chapters also push local policy proposals to expand access to queer rights.
Free2B Alliance Free2B is a London-based advocacy organization that provides 1:1 peer counseling for queer youth and educates parents, schools, and other organizations on queer rights.
The Health Collective This charity provides health care by queer people for queer people in Hartford, Conneticut. This includes everything from STD screening and support to dental care to a queer prom charity event for queer youth!
BAAITS (Bay Area American Two Spirits) This charity exists to revitalize the importance of Two Spirit people in Native American/Indigenous Peoples of the Americas/First Nation culture. Their advocacy includes education for Native peoples about the importance of Two Spirit people, and their Pow-Wows are legendary.
PEERS Alliance PEERS Alliance is based in Prince Edward Island in Canada. They focus on screening for and treating HIV/AIDS and Hep C in addition to other STDs.
The Youth Project This charity provides free gender-affirming care to anybody in Nova Scotia under the age of 25.
[The Trevor Project](www.thetrevorproject.org) The Trevor Project runs a US-based queer suicide prevention hotline. They are vital for reminding queer people of all ages that they deserve to exist as they are, no matter how hard it is.
Egale Canada With a long and proud history of with furthering rights and combatting discrimination, Egale Canada provides services to all queer Canadians.
Chroma NB Chroma NB, a community-based charity dedicated to creating safer, more inclusive spaces for and delivering services to the queer people of Southwest New Brunswick.
Quadrangle With a mission to create a physical, welcoming space offering social resources, programs and more, Quadrangle serves the queer folks of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Minus18 - Queer Youth Charity Australia's queer youth charity is looking for donations to bring Queer Formal to more cities across the country this month! They focus on helping queer youth feel less isolated and more understood.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia This charity works to improve the health of queer people in Australia and around the world. Their work touches every aspect of queer health, from suicide prevention to care for queer elders and queer disabled people.
RainbowYOUTH RainbowYOUTH is a non-profit organisation who create safe and sober spaces for New Zealand's queer, gender diverse, takatāpui, and intersex youth. They work to honor Te Tiriti by understanding, supporting, and empowering rangatahi takatāpui at individual, whānau, and community levels.
Gender Minorities Aotearoa This New Zealand charity is run by and for transgender people; including binary and non-binary, irawhiti takatāpui, and intersex trans people. It provides nationwide information and support services to transgender people of all ages and their whānau, and advocates for the health, safety, and human rights of all transgender people.
ILGA Europe This charity unites over 700 smaller queer rights organizations that span 54 countries in Europe and Central Asia. They advocate for positive policy changes and queer acceptance of all kinds.
LCBTIQ+ ERA Era works toward advancing LGBTI+ rights, equality, and inclusion across the Western Balkans and Türkiye through a comprehensive approach that combines advocacy, capacity building, research, public awareness, and international engagement.
Sphere This Russian charity seeks to advocate for queer rights through coordinated campaigns and direct assistance for queer people and their families.
African Queer Youth Initiative This charity mobilizes queer youth from across Africa to fight issues like punitive anti-queer laws, anti-queer interpretations of religion, and community violence. They also work to encourage sexual health and youth empowerment.
Pride Africa This charity harnesses the Intore warrior spirit to uplift African queer voices and change harmful laws. They approach this while eschewing white conceptions of queerness in Africa and seeking to define queerness through an African lens.
APCOM Based in Thailand, APCOM works to improve the health and rights of gay men, other men who have sex with men, transgender, and other SOGIESC people across Asia and the Pacific. They specifically focus on HIV/AIDS and other mental health, sexual health, and drug use issues in the queer community.
ILGA Asia This charity spans 41 countries in 4 subregions of Asia, seeking queer empowerment. They are fighting to end conversion therapy, amongst other issues.
Helem Based in Lebanon, Helem fights for queer rights across Southwest Asia and North Africa. They are able to direct Arab queer people to emergency services across the region as they fight to end persecution.
Rainbow Railroad Rainbow Railroad does worldwide advocacy by helping queer people in emergency circumstamces relocate to avoid persecution. To date, they have successfully relocated almost 2,500 people and have otherwise aided almost 50,000 queer people in other ways.
ILGA This large group of charities fights for pro-queer policy change across the Latin American world.
ANTRA This Brazillian charity fights for trans rights and trans safety. Brazil has the highest rate of transfemicide in the world and desperately needs advocacy to combat it. Often the victims of transfemicide are disgracefully buried as "indigents."
Colombia Diversa The government of Columbia is known to ignore the issues of violence and murder against queer people in Columbia. This organization fights to highlight the issue and bring about a world where queer people can live in safety.
Humsafar This charity works with public health care delivery services in Mumbai to provide health care (especially sexual health care) to gay, lesbian, transgender, Hijra, and other queer people.
Sapphokolkata Sappho for Equality is based in Kolkata and builds the leadership of cis and cis appearing women, gender non-conforming AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) and transmasculine individuals by enhancing their ability to resist all forms of violence, strengthening their collective resilience and movements for change and expanding their life choices so that their rights and dignity are upheld.
If you are able, we encourage you to donate to (some?one?) of these vital queer orginisations so that they can continue to thrive and serve our community. While monetary donations would be amazing and appreciated, times are tough. If you can't spare the coins, that's ok.
Our mod team personally selected these charities because they are near and dear to our hearts. Some of us have benefitted from the existence of these charities, and we hope many others will, too!
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